"Power never goes out of style."
20 years since "The Devil Wears Prada" was released and became a cult classic, the original cast (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci) reunite for a glossy sequel.
Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway; "Ocean 8," "Interstellar"), Runway Magazine's iconic editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly's (Meryl Streep, "The Giver," "The Iron Lady") formerly awkward assistant is now an award-winning journalist. She's traveled the world and covered serious stuff.
During the journalism award ceremony night, Andy and the rest of her colleagues from her newspaper found out that they had lost their jobs via text messages due to a company buyout.
Andy's impassioned speech about the importance of journalism caught the attention of the billionaire owner of Runway Magazine, who decided to bring her in to be the publication's features editor, and fix the magazine's woes.
Runway Magazine is in deep trouble due to a glowing story they ran about a fashion company that turns out to be running their operations like a sweatshop.
The mighty Miranda is being parodied online and the magazine is hearing an earful from advertisers and losing ad dollars. Miranda needs to work overtime to earn back the trust of advertisers, especially Dior, its biggest advertiser.
When Miranda, Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci; "Spotlight," "The Hunger Games" series) and Andy go to Dior, they are greeted by, who else, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt; "The Fall Guy," "Jungle Cruise," "Mary Poppins Returns," "The Girl on the Train," "Edge of Tomorrow," "The Adjustment Bureau"), another former assistant of Miranda, now a Dior executive.
It's fun to see the quartet back together, bonding and butting heads. The frenemy chemistry, acerbic quips, humorous groveling and approval-seeking, as if two decades haven't passed.
Even before the sweatshop scandal story broke, Runway Magazine is not what it used to be. Print magazines are in decline, and the prestigious fashion magazine is not immune to the digital wave sweeping the media landscape globally.
What used to be exclusive news are now digital, downloadable and streamable. Viral content for clicks and likes is queen. Budget studio photoshoots have replaced far-flung exotic locales. Economy class is the norm, not private jets.
Miranda is mellower; she has had to tone down her old-fashioned, devilish ways to modern human resources standards. As an HR professional (my full-time profession), those little moments are really chuckle-worthy.
Amid the fabulous clothes and sensational shoes, bright lights and camera blitz in the world of high couture and luxurious locations, as well as nostalgic songs and cool cameos, the story deals with the state of journalism, decline of print publishing, high-flying careers and power plays in business.
It shows how precarious even high-flying careers could be. Professional pinnacle could flip overnight. Enviable stability and longevity could end at any time at the whim of a company's owner or any other variables totally unrelated to merit. It's also nice to see Andy's sweet connection with Nigel and her relationship with Miranda matures.
Like a fashion magazine spread, the plot depth is paper thin, but everything's pretty and you'll be in for a stylish ride. "The Devil Wears Prada 2" remains in style, both with glamorous fashion and power dynamics.
