We know the fate of many sequels. Especially movie sequels. An initial production may be so successful that its creators want to manufacture another one that gains at least equal acclaim to the first. After all: if one is good, two are better, right? And in trying to replicate (and to even outdo) the uniqueness and the fire of the first, they all too often fail with the second. You can probably predict where I'm going with this thread.

We have known for months that The Devil Wears Prada 2 was set for release in May 2026. We were besieged with preview ads. We saw actors Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci make the rounds of the interview shows. And now the big day has finally arrived! Hmm. Is it what we expected? Or what we wanted?

It's been 20 years since we last saw these characters. In the interim: Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) pursued and found success with an adjacent career in journalism after leaving Runway magazine. But alas! The 21st century tends not to be kind to journalists. Andy and her co-workers are fired without warning.

At the same time, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) is facing challenges of her own. She and Runway have to deal with negative publicity about their use of materials supplied by third-world sweatshops. "We didn't know" just won't cut it. Publisher Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) hires Andy to return to Runway as the features editor to repair the damage -- without informing Miranda ahead of time. Oops! And it turns out that Andy's nemesis Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) is now the head of a major high-end fashion retailer. Their paths immediately cross, and it's somewhat of a nasty meeting, at that. Oh, this will all work out swimmingly, won't it?

The opening credits DO claim that this movie is "based on characters developed by Lauren Weisberger" in her three best-selling books. While this fact is technically true, this new story is not based on any of Weisberger's novels. Instead, it's a slightly altered rubber stamp of the first film. You'd like to think that the characters have matured over time, in their own ways. Miranda has changed a bit, possibly for the better. But she ends up diminishing her power in the process. Is this realistic? Andy has transformed into a confident and award-winning journalist in her time away from Miranda. But once she comes back and faces her again, Andy retreats into her role as a stuttering apprentice. Really?

The one constant is Nigel, portrayed brilliantly by Stanley Tucci. He still injects his casual jibes and sardonic comments into any discussion. He remains the calm in the storm and the antidote to the fashion frenzy that surrounds him. Any scene with Nigel in it is automatically like a breath of fresh air.

Whenever I decide to review a new movie, I plan to watch it twice. I go to the theater on opening night, if I can. I write quick notes on paper, in the dark. Afterward, I do my best to interpret my hasty scribbles and write a preliminary draft with a summary and my opinions. Then I go back the next day to watch the movie again, to make that sure I got the details right and that I didn't miss any important concepts or people. I spend a bit of time polishing off my review, then I submit it to the editor. Boom.

I don't need to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 a second time to know how it left me. It's enjoyable enough to drop in and to be in the same place with these characters again. The story is mildly entertaining. It's predicable in at least one spot and is unpredictable in a few others. It does supply a fairly satisfying resolution, if you can untangle the multiple entanglements.

But mostly, it's busy. People bustle around with presumed-to-be important responsibilities. (Except for Nigel.) And then they enjoy tearing each other down. Near its height, during an international fashion show, it trots out a number of mid-list celebrities as show attendees, as well as one famous entertainer whom they convinced to sing during the festivities. These brief appearances don't do anything to advance the presentation. I'm not sure that the rock star's fans will endure sitting through most of the movie just to be able to catch a few seconds of their favorite performer at the tail end. What were they thinking?

Choose The Devil Wears Prada 2 ONLY if you are a fan of fashion, or if you are fans of the three main actors, no matter what the circumstances are for their characters. Meryl Streep naturally does a great job with the material that her character was given. Emphasize: With the material that her character was given. Once this film hits the ground on streaming services or in DVD format, we'll be able to fast forward to get to Nigel's scenes. Too bad we can't do this in the theater. At least this time, the popcorn was fresh, hot and buttery.