Like stepping into a time machine and turning it back to 2006, the iconic notes of Madonna’s global hit single “Vogue” serve as the foundation of what’s to come from the rest of the movie. In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Andy Sachs,  (Anne Hathaway), takes on the bustling world of fashion again. 

   The movie came to theaters on May 1 and took number 1 in the box office immediately, surpassing the original The Devil Wears Prada’s (2006) entire worldwide run on the charts in just two weeks. The sequel follows Andy Sachs as she navigates life after being let go from her long-time journalism job, and how she gets a shocking offer from her old coworkers at Runway magazine. 

   I personally felt the overall vibe of this movie did not come near the original’s effect, which was so ahead of its time with carefully crafted references to 2000s fashion. The original was all about working for a popular fashion magazine, which at the time was the dream for many girls, while the sequel fell short because fashion magazines aren’t cared for as much today.

   This was one of the major plot points as the Editor-in-Chief of Runway, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), attempts to keep up with the ever-changing digital world and its negative impact on print magazines. Her character also fell short of the original; in the first movie, Miranda is a sharp and unempathetic character who will do what it takes for her magazine to succeed. In this sequel, I thought her character needed more of that drive depicted in the first Devil Wears Prada.

   Anne Hathaway’s character Andy also showed no personal growth in confidence, which she lacked in the original. She still takes everything Miranda says to heart. This is something I would’ve expected to see her grow out of. After having a notable job in journalism for 20 years, she still lacked any sort of emotional strength in the sequel. 

   The sequel is a cute and lighthearted movie, but it really did not need to be created. It comes across as a subpar money grab compared to the untouchable cult-classic that is the 2006 The Devil Wears Prada.