p r e f e r r e d r e v i e w e r s :
 |
 |
|
You haven't selected any preferred reviewers. To learn more about customizing your experience, click here.
|
|
|
 |
 |
o t h e r r e v i e w e r s :
|
|
|
DokBrowne [ 7.5 ]
[ add to preferred ]
[ email this review to a friend ]
Legacyquels aren't always easy to pull off (looking at you, woefully abysmal "Beetlejuice 2" that everyone inexplicably loves) but I think they got it right this time; seizing upon the enduring (still growing?) popularity of the first movie, they re-assemble an iconic and partially heretofore hibernating cast (the main two of whom - Hathaway and Streep - each haven't even appeared in a major theatrical release since pre-Covid times), trusting that we want to revel in their character dynamics again (and we do, the four on the poster over there carved out great roles in this IP that I for one was eager to check back in on), then drape it in all the latest fashion trends, find a sensible way to get Hathaway back under Streep's employ without just re-tracing steps, address many modern issues like A.I., the death of print media, the damages of consolidation, etc. as a way of acknowledging the passage of time between both films and adding believable weight to the emotional stakes of the new plot conflicts, make sure to include some twists and burns to keep it all sizzling, not to mention a ladle of remember-that-bit? fan-service references because that's just the law of sequels and you can get away with it if your movie has more to offer than these obligatory reminders of why the previous movie was good (and this one does), and lend some evolution and closure to some business from the first film.
The actual plot mechanics aren't that sophisticated (Lucy Liu is quite the convenient device) and I found the new additions to the supporting cast pretty lacking: no offense to Liu, Justin Theroux and Patrick Brammall but they seem very TV-budget-level when a movie this glamorous and confident could have used more star power in those crucial parts; then again, B.J. Novak and Rachel Bloom, both also TV celebs, seem aptly chosen, and on the flip side, scoring Kenneth Branagh turns out to be a whiff because he barely exists in an ill-defined position - he's her boyfriend, right? But also seems like her loyal butler?
But the film does find that old zest again in its tone and wit. It gives the characters new contours to explore while letting them cast their old spells again too. At first I chafed against the relative lessening of Miranda's mystique this time around but then I realized, her mystique was what helped make the first movie special. It doesn't need to be exactly that way again; obedient status-quoing is often the downfall of sequels, and besides she still gets many many moments to be a queen again in part 2. We're just seeing more sides of her now, like you might if "Devil Wears Prada" were an ongoing series. The script navigates that challenge well.
Ultimately it's overcast with a thematic pall about how we're all getting older, older, older, things are changing, loss is imminent, but we adapt best we can to the circumstances and find new means of success, partnership and purpose along the way. Good message, both in-movie and meta, for any moment in time that this sequel might have chosen to be made.
*there's a list of like 25 names in the end credits under a special section labeled As Themselves and I'm weirdly proud to say that I didn't recognize a single one of them during the movie. This movie must play fairly differently for those familiar with these famous figures. Glad that didn't affect my experience one way or another.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Weighted Rating | : 6.8 |
| No. Ratings | : 1 | |
| No. Reviews | : 1 | |
|
|
|
|