So what do I have in common with the people who went to the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2 April 20?

I saw it before the rest of North America did.

I was planning to see the movie before I was going to Hong Kong, then realized I’d be in town when the film came out, because here, it was released April 30, a full day before North America gets to see it.

Nanny nanny, boo boo!

I’m gonna gloat, because rarely do I have the chance to do it. But as someone who is growing more interested in fashion and developing a style for myself, I had to see this movie because I saw the first one in the theaters, and at that time, I was working for someone who had her own magazine. She wasn’t as bad as Miranda, but she did splurge on things I thought she could have saved money on. An SUV for example. She could have just as easily rented a van for the one week a year she actually needed a larger vehicle, instead of investing $10,000 in upgrades before buying the monstrosity that she HAD to use on a regular basis in order to make it a tax write-off.

Anyway. About the movie.

It was good. Not as funny as the original, but they had lots of little throwbacks to lines and scenes in the original script. They did it without making the movie feel like it was the same old thing again. The four main characters, plus the screenwriter and the original director came back, so I had hopes, and I was right.

SPOILERS!

It’s now 20 years later, and Runway is still going, but not as strong as it once was. The movie opens on Andy Sachs getting an award for her writing. Right before her name is called, she finds out she and her fellow journalists were fired. Via text. As she accepts her award, she gives an impassioned speech about the unfairness of it all.

After crying the blues at dinner (in a scene reminiscent of the original, when Andy’s phone is kidnapped by her “friends”) she is offered a job at Runway. Not having lots of other options, she accepts the job (offered to her by Elias-Clark head Irv Ravitz after her impassioned “I was fired” speech goes viral) and walks back into Miranda’s office. Miranda doesn’t remember who she is until Nigel explains she was one of the Emilys.

Speaking of Emily, she now works for Dior.

Miranda approved a glowing article about Speed Fash and how great it is, only to find out it’s a sweatshop. Andy’s first job is to do some PR damage control. Andy writes a great piece apologizing for the error. She still flounders a bit, and in a throwback to the first film, Andy has to figure out what exactly Miranda wants—and if you’ve seen the first film, you know that’s something you just can’t ask Miranda—you have to figure it out yourself.

Emily seems to hold a bit of power in this one. Dior is a big advertiser, and makes some demands of the magazine. And also turns out to be a bit of a villain.

Meanwhile, Andy scores an interview as well as an exclusive from a reclusive celebrity, and finally gets the hang of what the readers want. As she improves, Miranda (who wasn’t aware that Irv had hired her in the first place) eventually warms to Andy.

But there are twists and turns in this one. Miranda is hoping for a promotion but SPOILER ALERT! Irv ends up dying at his 75^th birthday party. His son, Jay, played by B. J. Novak, has ideas for the publication, and he and his Millennial staff tell Miranda the way it’s going to be. Gutted.

It’s Andy’s nerdy assistant who drops her phone and deliberately leaves it under Miranda’s chair, where the meeting with Jay and his buddies take place in the Elias-Clark cafeteria of all places, and records everything being said, so Andy finds out what’s going on.

The climax comes at a fashion show in Milan, where some favors had to be called in. Lady Gaga provides the music, or else she won’t get another cover. Andy shared her plan with Miranda, and phone calls are made. In a sort of “passing the torch” moment, Miranda realizes she can’t be in two places at once, and, nudged by Andy, asks Nigel to give the speech she had intended to give. Miranda claims Nigel won’t do it, but realizes that in her treacherous fashion world, Nigel is her rock. He’s always put up with her shit and never said anything, was loyal to the core—and he’s finally, finally rewarded.

There’s another twist at the end, but despite fast fashion, Wish, Temu, Shein, and technology, the good guys win. Andy turned down a $350K book advance about working at Runway (even the book deals aren’t seven figures anymore) to not hurt Miranda, but of course, Miranda knows about it and encourages Andy to write the book anyway—the resulting warts-and-all memoir might actually buy Miranda a few more years at the top.

The film closes with an exterior shot of Miranda, Nigel, and Andy all in their individual offices, all on the same floor.

Yes, I cried. If the first one was a coming-of-age story, this one also deals with jobs and what you sacrifice for them, and if those sacrifices are worth it. Andy has better friends, this time around, although Tracie Thoms (Lily) still likes free handbags, but at least she offered Andy a job at her gallery. Andy has a budding romance with a contractor, but thankfully, it doesn’t take precedence over everything else that’s going on in her life. Miranda is on husband number whatever, but they seem to be happy. The movie showed happy endings are possible, especially at the expense of outwitting villains.

Looking at you, Emily.