Come for the fashions, stay for the soliloquy on the death of journalism.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is disjointed as a let’s-get-the-band-back-together exercise in nostalgia, even though it brings back the chief players from the 2006 smash “The Devil Wears Prada,” which centered on an idealistic young New York journalist (Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs) and her nightmare boss (Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly) at the industry’s top fashion mag.
Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt are also back as Miranda’s right hand Nigel and her former assistant Emily, respectively, but the movie fumbles when trying to reunite these figures and recreate the magic of the first film. These characters all feel like they’ve all moved past one another, and rightfully so.
But credit returning screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna with making “Prada 2” cognizant of the very real issues facing the journalism industry, and setting the movie in a world run by flighty billionaires. Even Streep’s Priestly is beholden to these titans, and the mighty power she wields in the fields of fashion and publishing is nothing but a line item to these tycoons. She too is forced to wrestle with issues of legacy and self-identity, as she is level-set by those who lord over her. Even the world’s strictest boss has a boss.
The movie opens with Andy winning an award at a journalism banquet, and receiving notification just moments prior that she and her entire department at her newspaper are being laid off. To add to the indignity, she and her team are fired by text. Maybe you’ve heard, but it’s tough times for the journalism biz these days.
At the same time, Runway — the magazine Priestly has overseen for decades — is being hounded by a recent scandal, and finds itself in the hot seat. Enter Andy, who’s hired by Runway’s owner Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) to oversee its features department.
It’s quick and messy but it brings Andy back into the fold and reunites her with Miranda and Nigel. Awkward hellos ensue. And it puts Andy is back under Miranda’s wicked thumb, dealing with her dismissiveness and trying to win her favor. It’s like 20 years had never passed.
But Miranda’s got bigger fish to fry. She’s set to be made chair of Runway and its parent company by Irv, finally earning the seat she’s always sought. But after a sudden accident, Irv’s son Jay (B.J. Novak) is given control of the company, and Miranda finds herself fighting for her professional life, and her self-worth.
Directed by David Frankel, who also helmed the first movie, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” centers itself in a world of celeb cameos and fashions galore, and all the big name fashion houses (Dior, Chanel, Coach, and of course Prada) are namechecked and represented.
Where it excels is in its depiction of a dying journalism landscape, where clicks are prioritized over everything and complicated work is shopped out to AI. “Journalism still f—ing matters!” Andy shouts at one point, perhaps into the void. (Her journalistic crusade is more passionate than the love story she’s saddled with, which is a dud.)
It’s a smart acknowledgement to not pretend like the pages of the magazine matter more, in a larger societal context, than its social media presence. The movie brings up these issues more than it really chooses to engage with them, but at least it’s raising them. It’s like if “Superman” chose to dive into the budgetary concerns and the recent hiring freeze at the Daily Planet.
These larger issues put Priestly’s role in the fashion world into context. Who is she without Runway, and what is Runway without her? And as legacy publications lose their luster, who and what is replacing them?
“Prada 2” says we’re always evolving and changing, and gives credence to the fears many face about the supposed brave new world into which we’re entering. In an increasingly digital landscape, magazine layouts and contact sheets are rendered irrelevant, but the movie still has a fondness for the art of those tactile details.
Blunt’s character, who is now running Dior, feels wedged into the main plot, and she’s saddled with a pro wrestling-level character shift at one point in the film. But she and Hathaway are allowed to enjoy some quiet character moments late in the movie, and it’s good to see Blunt returning to the world which launched her career 20 years ago.
The winding road of fate — and the need for corporations to carefully manage their IP — ensured these characters would one day come back together. While it’s not as fun as it was the first time around, “Prada 2” gives viewers more to think about than just high fashion. It’s an appropriately stylish move.
agraham@detroitnews.com
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’
GRADE: B-
Rated PG-13: for strong language and some suggestive references
Running time: 119 minutes
In theaters
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ review: Sequel takes on more than high couture
Reporting by Adam Graham, Detroit News Film Critic / The Detroit News
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