As Miranda Priestly nears retirement, she reunites with Andy Sachs to face off against her former assistant turned rival: Emily Charlton.
(C) 20th Century Studios
The problem with legacy sequels is that some audiences may have already seen their predecessors many times and have likely dissected scenes down to the smallest details. Iconic characters are expected to return, often forcing the writing to adjust to what people want.
Fortunately, Prada 2 has a genuine story to tell—one that’s relevant both in today’s world and within the universe it builds on. It’s not as immediately relatable as the first film’s hook, but it feels familiar. The story actually progresses, and there’s a real sense of danger that the characters must face. It’s a bigger war, for sure, and the film embraces its heightened stakes.
It’s also nice to revisit the characters, and it’s clear how much the stellar cast enjoyed returning. The film has just the right amount of callbacks for fans to appreciate and do the Leonardo DiCaprio meme while in the cinema.
But with bigger stakes come bigger demands, and Prada 2 can’t escape some common issues found in modern sequels. The cameos are fine, but so much happens that it begins to feel like the film has multiple endings. Toward the end, it also seems a bit lost in what it has been building toward, leading to rushed payoffs—which, to be fair, still work if you don’t look too closely at those decisions.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a fun yet poignant sequel that audiences will appreciate and enjoy. While fans may still return more often to its predecessor, it’s commendable how director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna bring these iconic characters into the modern era. Not groundbreaking, but still lingering. 3.5/5.
