The early election season is in full swing and you know what that means: Cutting political satire on Saturday Night Live.
The season premiere featured Alec Baldwin as host and opened with an 11-minute send-up of the endless GOP debates. There were some choice moments (Jon Huntsman sliding into "person taking phone orders at Chinese restaurant" mode, Bobby Moynihan doing anything as Newt Gingrich) but Tina Fey as Sarah Palin this wasn't.
Our biggest problem is the second-rate portrayal of Texas governor Rick Perry by Baldwin. How is it that Baldwin, a New York native, can accurately nail the peculiar Boston patois but descend into Foghorn Leghorn territory in interpreting Perry's Texas twang? And while Baldwin is an attractive man in his own right, it turns out not everyone can rock the Perry coif with flair, and Baldwin looked jowly in comparison.
What a Perry imitator needs is that macho swagger and a cocksure smile that holds up even if the words coming out of it don't make any sense, like Will Ferrell's spot-on impression of George W. Bush. Actually, give Ferrell a better wig, a gun and a less squinty posture and he's got Rick Perry in the bag. Come on, Will, America (or at least SNL) needs you!
When it comes to playing Texan candidates, relative newbie Paul Brittain as Ron Paul rocks it, capturing Paul's cadence and body movements with a comically large head.
As a host, Baldwin was only a one-off Perry impersonator — at least I hope. What did you think of the impression? If the Perry campaign continues, who on Saturday Night Live should step into the governor's cowboy boots?
Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada 2.
When The Devil Wears Prada came out 20 years ago, it was a sensation for essentially two reasons: The showcase of the glamour of the fashion industry, and the performance of Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly. Streep’s withering glares, disdain shown toward Priestly’s subordinates, and delivery of several instantly iconic lines rightfully earned her an Oscar nomination.
Two decades later, the gang has come back together for The Devil Wears Prada 2, trying to recapture some of that magic. Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), freshly fired from her job at the fictional New York Mirror, is brought back into the fold at Runway magazine to be their features editor. Miranda is still in charge and as standoffish as ever, but Nigel (Stanley Tucci) welcomes her back with open arms.
Like everything else, Runway has had to change with the times, going mostly digital and having to kowtow to advertisers to keep the money flowing. That includes sucking up to Miranda’s former assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt), who’s now the head of the New York branch of Christian Dior. However, even Andy's incisive writing and Miranda’s keen eye for the next fashion trend may not be enough to keep the magazine afloat.
The filmmaking team of director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna have also returned, and they have done a good job of keeping the tone of the original film without relying too much on nostalgia. Most of the main characters have aged/changed in reasonable and appropriate ways, and it’s initially fun to see them all interacting again. The fashion side of things keeps the film feeling high-class, even if most regular people can’t afford most of what’s on display.
The filmmakers have lots of ideas on how to update the characters for the modern world, but the follow-through on those ideas is not as great. Because there is no longer the same power dynamic between Andy and Miranda, Frankel and McKenna go in search of other conflicts, none of which work as well. The two-hour film ends up feeling like a bunch of individual scenes that are tenuously held together by the barest thread of a story.
Strangest of all, though, is the film’s treatment of Miranda. She remains somewhat imperious, but her influence has diminished in multiple ways. In trying to make her change with the times, including bowing to politically correct terminology, the film has neutered what made her such a great character. There is rarely a point where she feels in charge, and the story choices made because of that weaken the film overall.
In 2006, Hathaway was just barely out of her Princess Diaries phase, and she has gone on to become a major, Oscar-winning star with no fewer than five different films coming out in 2026. She remains the heart and soul of this film, and she elevates every scene she’s in. Streep is hamstrung by the changes in her character, but she still brings her unique presence to the role. Tucci remains a delight and has great chemistry with Hathaway, but Blunt is underserved by a role that keeps her apart from the others for large stretches and tethered to an annoying character played by Justin Theroux.
As with many sequels, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is enjoyable just because it allows fans to spend time with some favorite characters again. Even though the filmmakers don’t utilize those characters in ways that are as memorable as the first time around, the film is still a fun time at the theater that gives moviegoers a glimpse at a world many can only dream to be in.
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The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens in theaters on May 1.
