I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a film on here (looking back this is my 3rd in 10 years) but after all the hype of the release of Devil Wears Prada 2 waiting until it was released on cable to watch it, I needed a little bit of a rant. If you want to watch it and haven’t yet, my advice, wait until it’s £2.99.

I read the reviews before paying Amazon Prime €16 euros to watch the sequel to the classic Devil wears Prada on holiday, which like the Holiday, Bridesmaids, Pretty Woman, Educating Rita (favourite of my mothers from the 1980s) and My Best Friends Wedding, (I love the “Say a little prayer scene, Rupert Everett makes me howl) all films that for me can be watched on repeat I am almost word perfect on.

Don’t get me wrong, the film is cute, and probably way better if you never saw the original. That’s probably everyone with a date of birth later than 2000.

The problem with Devil Wears Prada 2 for true fans of the 2006 original was it’s a dupe. Same lines, same scenes in different costumes, right down to Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) giving gallery friend Lily played by Tracie Thomas a free handbag, only this time it’s an upgrade from Michael Kors to Valentino.

The set up at Runway magazine where Andy gets a new job as feature editor after being fired from her old job at serious newspaper Vanguard (for double the salary) after being presented with an award for journalism, somehow starts the film off with a yeah right and it doesn’t get much better on the credibility scale.

Everything about Devil Wears Prada 2 for me was 70% of the original, even Andy’s drippy love interest Australian property developer whose name escaped me was more drippy than Nate Adrian Grenier, the only original cast member left out of the remake. The career writer twenty years on with her kids, frozen embryos in an egg bank, was a particularly ick moment in the script. It didn’t feel like Andy Sachs of old would do that somehow, an impoverished career journalist wouldn’t have been able to afford it for a start.

Miranda Priestly Meryl Streep had softened, now mad about new love interest played by Kenneth Branagh and Nigel Stanley Tucci had lost his edge too with scene repeats of dishing out the clothes in the magazine closet, admiring Andy’s transition to a new much more stylish team member and the scolding for wanting recognition were all present and correct.

The best line in the whole movie he delivered was a reference to Andy’s clothes “Look What TJ Maxx Dragged in” which was hilarious

For me Emily Blunt as Emily saved the film.

Here the revival of hard as nails first assistant and Andy Sach’s boss in the Devil Wears Prada original really worked and her scenes were constructed with comedic genius and style. She’s was the only one who looked like she worked in fashion to be fair.

Whilst the styling and the fashion on the first film are a reason to watch, the sequel fell way short in the fashion stakes for me, ugly clothes much, (what was that grey checked, belted ballgown) that even cameos from Hollywood stylist Law Roach (who obviously wasn’t consulted when it came to the costuming and styling selections) and pop icon Lady Gaga, couldn’t rescue.

Watch it for curiosity sure, it’s not the worst movie ever, Sienna Spiro’s music definitely helps but it’s not going down in the greatest fashion movies ever history books, some things just cannot be reincarnated and for me Devil Wears Prada was a moment.

You don’t have to take my word for it. I’ve put a link to review from the Film Maven, way more articulate than mine but saying pretty much the same thing.