Early Rotten Tomatoes scores for The Devil Wears Prada 2 suggest a well-liked sequel with strong performances, especially from Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, even as some reviews say it lacks the sharp edge of the original.
rotten tomatoesThe Devil Wears Prada 2reviewsMeryl StreepAnne HathawayEmily Bluntsequelfilm criticismlegacy sequel
Rotten Tomatoes is giving The Devil Wears Prada 2 an early boost, and that alone has made the sequel one of the most closely watched movie openings of the moment. With critics landing in the 70s and a Certified Fresh label in the mix, the film is off to a solid start by the standards of legacy sequels. The reaction points to a movie that works best when it leans on its stars, its fashion, and the familiar bite of its world, even if some reviewers think it plays things safer than the 2006 original.
The basic setup returns Miranda Priestly to the center of the story, now facing a changing media landscape and a former assistant turned rival executive. That premise gives the sequel a built-in tension that fits the franchise well: power, image, ambition, and the uneasy mix of glamour and cruelty that made the first film endure. Early reviews suggest the new movie understands that formula, but not everyone agrees it fully sharpens it. Some critics call it a fun reunion with characters that remain easy to watch, while others say the sequel softens Miranda too much and loses some of the original's sting.
What stands out most in the early Rotten Tomatoes response is how often the performances are singled out as the film's main strength. Meryl Streep's return as Miranda is repeatedly described as the reason to see the movie, with several reviews arguing that her presence still carries the character's icy authority and comic precision. Anne Hathaway also gets strong notices for giving Andy more depth and maturity, while Emily Blunt's return as Emily Charlton appears to add another layer of rivalry and wit. Stanley Tucci remains part of the appeal as well, helping preserve the ensemble chemistry that made the first film so memorable.
The critical split is less about whether the sequel is enjoyable than about how much it justifies existing. Some reviewers see it as a polished, witty continuation that updates the story for a changed media world, with print journalism, prestige branding, and corporate power all folded into the plot. Others describe it as a nostalgia-driven return that has style but not enough substance. One common complaint is that the film feels more polished than daring, more commercially efficient than emotionally risky. That tension may be exactly what keeps it from matching the cultural force of the original, even if it remains easy to recommend on the strength of its cast.
Fashion, naturally, remains part of the conversation. The sequel appears to double down on the visual language that made The Devil Wears Prada such a durable reference point: sharp tailoring, high-end labels, runway spectacle, and the constant sense that clothing is part of the storytelling. Several early reactions say the film looks sumptuous and carefully designed, even if a few viewers find the color palette flatter or the styling less striking than expected. In other words, the wardrobe still matters, but it is not automatically enough to carry the whole movie.
That mix of admiration and hesitation is reflected in the numbers. An early Rotten Tomatoes score in the mid-to-high 70s suggests a broadly positive critical response, while Metacritic lands lower, closer to the low 60s, pointing to more mixed overall sentiment. That gap is not unusual for a sequel built on nostalgia and star power. It usually means the movie is being rewarded for getting the essentials right while being docked for not taking enough risks. For fans, that can still be a good sign: a sequel does not need unanimous praise to be worth seeing, especially when the original cast is back and the world still has enough sharp edges to support another round.
There is also a broader reason Rotten Tomatoes matters here. The first Devil Wears Prada became a long-running favorite because it outlived its era and kept finding new audiences. A sequel now has to satisfy people who loved the original, viewers who know the characters only through cultural memory, and audiences who simply want a stylish, funny movie with recognizable names. Early reviews suggest The Devil Wears Prada 2 is threading that needle reasonably well. It may not reinvent the formula, but it seems to understand why the formula worked in the first place.
That may be enough for a film like this. The strongest reactions so far describe a sequel that is entertaining, polished, and occasionally sharper than expected, even if it stops short of fully recapturing the original's edge. The weakest reactions call it pleasant but undercooked, a legacy sequel that looks expensive and sounds clever without always feeling essential. Both views can be true at once, and the Rotten Tomatoes score reflects that balance: a movie that is winning enough approval to look like a success, but not so much that anyone is confusing it with a classic.
For now, the early verdict is clear. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not being dismissed, and it is not being hailed as a miracle either. It is being treated as a stylish, star-driven sequel that gives audiences much of what they came for: Miranda, Andy, Emily, and a world where ambition is measured in hemlines, headlines, and power moves. If the first film was a perfect fit, this one looks more like a tailored compromise. Rotten Tomatoes says that compromise is good enough to matter, and for a sequel this familiar, that may be the most important review of all.
