Tonight's Movie: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)

Things are starting to get back to normal here after our recent unexpected evacuation. It's hard to believe almost a week has past since that incident began.

Our original plans to see THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (2026) over the holiday weekend had to be cancelled, but we were able to catch up with it today.

I'm a fan of the MANDALORIAN TV series and reviewed the very first episode here back in 2019. In 2022 I also shared photos from our visit to Star Wars Celebration: The Mandalorian Experience.

One of the reasons the series appeals to me is it's basically a "space Western," as the late Jeff Arnold described in a 2019 column at Jeff Arnold's West. That likeness was never more apparent than in the new movie, which was, in essence, a STAR WARS "B" Western.

The plot finds the Mandalorian, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal, THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS), and his adopted son Grogu working for the New Republic.

The Mandalorian tracks down holdouts pushing for a return of the Empire, and as part of that he is tasked by Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) with rescuing the kidnapped Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), son of the late Jabba.

The hope is that by returning Rotta to his family they will in turn share valuable information about someone on the colonel's "most wanted" list. Perhaps not surprisingly, nothing goes as planned...

At the outset I'll say that the movie doesn't even attempt to reach the heights of the very best STARS WARS movies, and that's most apparent with the poor score by Ludwig Goransson. Some majestic Williams-esque music would have gone a long way to heighten the excitement and underline the character's relationships. We occasionally hear the faintest thread of an original STAR WARS theme, but that music always fades away after a few bars.

The cinematography by David Klein is also quite dark, an annoying trend in recent years.

From the standpoint of those issues, it's rather lazy filmmaking, as the movie could have been much more. That said, I try to review what is, rather than what I wanted, and what did end up on screen is a perfectly pleasant "popcorn movie," rather akin to the TV series.

The film reminded me of lesser "B" Westerns, in which character interactions are very frequently interrupted by our heroes riding around on horseback and shooting it out with the bad guys. There's a lot of "riding around and shooting" in this movie, but those scenes are interspersed with some delightful moments.

What can I say? I'm a big fan of Grogu, colloquially also known as "Baby Yoda." Everything about Grogu is charming, including his incessant need for snacks and the way his eyes light up during exciting adventures with his "dad." Because of my Grogu fandom, my overall review comes down closer to that of Erik Kain of Forbes, who calls the movie a "hilarious little space Western."

You have to love Grogu running up a tab at a snack stand run by an informant (Martin Scorsese, of all people, in a funny performance) or being fed by Rotta. Rotta, it turns out, wants to be as different from his evil father as possible, and he dotes on Grogu, one of the film's more charming aspects.

I also laughed every time the tiny Anzellan mechanics referred to Grogu with names such as "the horrible baby," followed by those same Anzellans determined to rescue the imperiled Mandalorian "for the baby." Every aspect of the Anzellans' relationship with Grogu is adorable.

And of course, I love the ongoing relationship between father and son. One might question the Mandalorian taking a "baby" into very dangerous settings, but such is the world they live in, and this baby is growing smarter and more powerful all the time, to the point he can care for his father as much as his father protects him.

The fact that one of the main characters wears a helmet and one is actually a puppet, yet they have a moving and endearing relationship, is rather remarkable, really.

Circling back to the Rotta character, I also enjoyed the echoing of Luke Skywalker's relationship with his own father, underscoring once more that family history doesn't have to repeat itself.

Another plus is that some of the neon set design calls to mind San Fransokyo of BIG HERO 6 (2014), while a swampy sequence with Grogu and a fisherman calls to mind not only Yoda's THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) swamp but...the beginning of Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride?!

There's a nice callback to both the MANDORIAN and AHSOKA series with the return of Paul Syung-Hung Lee as Captain Carson Teva. Steve Blum plays the Mandalorian's pilot friend Zeb.

Although he's unseen, John Wayne's grandson, Brendan Wayne, once again wears the Mandalorian suit, with Pascal voicing the character and appearing in a brief helmetless sequence. (Those "in the know" understand that Mandalorians don't typically remove their helmets.) Lateef Crowder wears the suit for stunt scenes.

THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU was directed by Jon Favreau, who cowrote the script with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. (Filoni can be spotted in a cameo as Trapper Wolf, his character from the TV series.) The movie runs 132 minutes.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13. It's a STAR WARS movie: Lots of non-gory shoot-'em-ups, alongside positive themes about family and doing the right thing.

A trailer is here.

In the end, enjoyment of THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU will probably come down to expectations and whether a viewer can enjoy a "lesser" STAR WARS film. As a "glass is half full" viewer I found it an enjoyable time at the movies, and I will return to it in the future.

To put this film into context with my overall feelings on STAR WARS movies and series, the original three films are among my all-time favorite movies, probably all in my Top 10. I also appreciate ROGUE ONE, SOLO, and ANDOR...but I will never, ever watch the half-dozen prequel or sequel films again!

Related reviews: ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016), STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017), SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (2018), STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (2019).

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Tonight's Movies: Song of the Range (1944) and Louisiana (1947) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Very exciting news for fans of last year's Monogram Matinee Volume 1 collection from the Warner Archive: Two more volumes have been released this spring, in less than a month's time!

The Monogram Matinee Volume 2 collection, featuring SONG OF THE RANGE (1944) and LOUISIANA (1947), came out at the very end of April, and Volume 3 was released just yesterday, on May 26th.

SONG OF THE RANGE is a quick little 55-minute film starring Jimmy Wakely and Dennis Moore.

The late Western historian Les Adams offers the information at IMDb that the SONG OF THE RANGE script by Betty Burbridge is a reworking of PALS IN SADDLE (1938), a Three Mesquiteers "B" film she wrote with Stanley Roberts.

The SONG OF THE RANGE plot is frankly a bit confusing, with Denny (Dennis Moore, seen here) unjustly accused of murder. There are multiple identities galore as Denny's pal Jimmy (Jimmy Wakely) and secret agent Dale Harding (Cay Forester) are on the trail of gold smugglers, while saving Denny's life.

Much of this black and white movie was filmed by Marcel Le Picard with group shots of multiple players, and given some of the cast members' generic looks and costumes, much more frequent use of closeups might have been helpful to help keep the characters straight!

That said, what I felt really mattered in this film was the music, and there is plenty of it, with nine songs performed by the cast. The singers include not just Wakely, but also Lee "Lasses" White, the Red River Valley Boys, and the Sunshine Girls. I love Western music, and it's quite beautiful here, while being worked into the story in a natural way.

SONG OF THE RANGE was directed by Wallace Fox. Location shots were filmed in Santa Clarita.

I admit to being a bit skeptical when I read the premise of the 85-minute LOUISIANA, but it ended up being quite an interesting curiosity for several reasons.

My attention was immediately captured by the information that it was directed by Phil Karlson, who made quite a number of Westerns and film noir titles I've enjoyed. Karlson's films include THUNDERHOOF (1948) and KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952), to name just two.

Jimmie Davis, who also starred in MISSISSIPPI RHYTHM (1949) in the Volume 1 collection, stars in a fictionalized story of his life.

Davis, one of 11 children of poor sharecroppers, loves learning; despite his family's poverty he manages to work his way through college and land a teaching job.

Davis also has a great love for music; he was a composer, most notably of the standard "You Are My Sunshine," and performed on radio and in the movies. He was elected governor of Louisiana twice, in 1944 and 1960, and is billed with his title in the opening credits.

The script by Jack DeWitt, from a story by Steve Healey, is pretty interesting. The earnest, naturalistic performances of Davis and others in some cases are close to being hokey at times, yet they never quite cross the line. It's a refreshingly different kind of film which holds the attention.

The cast includes Margaret Lindsay as Davis's wife Alvern. Also in the cast are John Gallaudet, Charles Lane, Lee "Lasses" White, Virginia Dale, Eddy Waller, Ralph Reed, and Joseph Crehan. Favorite character actress Mary Field plays Davis's mother. The film is narrated by Reed Hadley.

The movie was filmed in black and white by William Sickner.

There are no extras on the disc, but they are both very nice, crisp Blu-ray prints with excellent sound. The prints are 1080p HD masters from 4K scans of nitrate fine grains.

Optional English captions are provided.

This is an enjoyable disc of nicely presented films which will be appreciated by fans of Westerns, "B" films, and Western music.

Coming soon: A review of the Monogram Matinee Volume 3 collection!

Thanks to the Warner Archive and Allied Vaughn for providing a review copy of this collection. This set may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: The Sheep Detectives (2026)

When I first saw the trailer for THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (2026) a few months ago, I was intrigued, as it looked both amusing and refreshingly different.

I've now seen the film and am happy to report it was an enjoyable afternoon at the movies, thanks to a strong cast and a creative premise which nicely balances humor and pathos.

George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd in rural England who enjoys winding down at the end of the day reading murder mysteries out loud to his flock of sheep. Little does he know the sheep are actually hanging on to his every word...and that they discuss the plots among themselves once George retires for the night.

George chooses to live an isolated existence in a trailer not far from a small village. He's tender with the sheep but not especially social when it comes to humans, though he sends letters to a mysterious woman named Rebecca (Molly Gordon) and invites her to visit.

Given his quiet life, it's a shock when Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), one of George's favorite sheep, discovers him dead.

Lily initially thinks George is playing a game, but another, wiser sheep, Mopple (Chris O'Dowd), breaks the bad news that George is no longer alive.

Although sheep have a magical ability to choose to block painful experiences from their minds, they realize it would be wrong to forget about George and his death. Instead, they need to put what they've learned from his mystery novels to work and find out who killed him -- especially as the village police officer, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), has no experience with murder cases.

With its CGI characters and talking animals, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES has touches of films such as BABE (1995) and CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (2018), and like those movies it works equally well for both adults and children.

Indeed, it was a pleasant surprise that the film is rated only PG, rather than PG-13; despite being centered around a murder, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES is what one thinks of as a "cozy" British mystery, with its gentle tone and smalltown setting. Gore and bad language are absent.

The film has some really marvelous humor, thanks to both the sheep and particularly Emma Thompson as a businesslike, brusque attorney. Alongside the chuckles, the film explores some profound themes about love, loss, belonging, and remembrance that cause misty eyes along with the laughter.

Some moments manage to be funny and profound all at once, such as when Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) attempts to explain God to Lily: "He's a shepherd. And a sheep." He goes on from there and ultimately had me sputtering with laughter as he discusses God with the confused Lily.

I especially liked Braun as the police officer. The movie avoids initially expected cliches such as him being a jerk or a dimwit; instead, as time goes on we find that he's innocent enough to be open to the strange goings-on when the sheep send him clues.

I'll be honest and say that I would have liked a voice other than Louis-Dreyfus for Lily, but that's more an issue of personal preference regarding the sound of her voice, rather than anything overtly wrong with her vocal performance. Perhaps it will grow on me over future viewings.

Other sheep are voiced by Patrick Stewart, Tommy Birchall, Regina Hall, Rhys Darby, Laraine Newman, and Brett Goldstein, who plays rambunctious twins.

My only real issue with the film is that at times the setting feels what I can only describe as "plastic." Perhaps this is owing in part to the CGI needed to animate the sheep, but despite some location shooting, I was always aware it was a "movie village." That said, this issue doesn't detract overly much from a very well-done entertainment.

The story and screenplay for this 109-minute film were by Craig Mazin from the novel THREE BAGS FULL by Leonie Swann.

The movie was directed by Kyle Balda, filmed by George Steel, and scored by Christophe Beck.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week...

...will not appear this weekend.

Unfortunately, we are among the 40,000 people who have had to evacuate due to a serious HAZMAT situation in our city.

We've left with our cat and are safe at our son and daughter-in-law's home several miles away.

At present we're unclear if we'll be back home later today or away for several days. I will update this when we're able to return.

For recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my May 16th column.

May 26th Update: We have been able to return home thanks to the evacuation zone being reduced to a smaller area after experts determined a "worst case scenario" explosion is no longer a concern.

The site is still an active problem with a smaller-scale explosion or leakage possible; we are in walking distance of one edge of the zone so we will be keeping a close eye on developments.

After a very stressful few days, I am planning to take time off work this week and hope to resume blog writing in the near future.

Thanks to all for the kind comments and emails!

May 27th Update: Good news, most of the remaining evacuation zone was scaled back last night. Only a very small area around the facility continues to be blocked off.

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Tonight's Movie: Night World (1932) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

NIGHT WORLD (1932), an entertaining 58-minute pre-Code from Universal Pictures, has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

The movie, directed by Hobart Henley, starts with a fantastic opening montage of nighttime in New York City.

The screenplay, written by Richard Schayer from a story by P.J. Wolfson and Allen Rivkin, then zeroes in on one specific place, a nightclub run by Happy MacDonald (Boris Karloff) and his unfaithful wife Jill (Dorothy Revier).

A great deal happens in a single night at Happy's club, including threats to Happy from racketeers; a rich but troubled society man, Michael (Lew Ayres), falling for a sweet dancer, Ruth (Mae Clarke); and the doorman (Clarence Muse) fretting over his hospitalized wife.

The movie's tone veers all over the place, including comedy, drama, romance, and shocking violence; believe it or not, there's even a musical number designed by Busby Berkeley!

Yet somehow it all works, keeping the audience on its toes; for instance, there's a lovely marriage proposal, quickly followed by a genuinely disturbing murder sequence.

There's an interesting cast on hand, which also includes George Raft as a man trying to corner Ruth into dating him; Hedda Hopper as Michael's evil mother, who murdered his father, and Dorothy Peterson as his late father's mistress; and Robert Emmett O'Connor as a genial policeman.

Smaller roles are filled out by Florence Lake, Jack LaRue, and Harry Woods.

The performances by Clarke and Muse are especially good, very natural and likeable. I especially loved an early scene with Muse and O'Connor chatting in front of the club; given the era, the genuine friendship and respect O'Connor's white policeman conveys toward the black Tim is refreshing. And indeed, Tim proves to be the most mature and dignified character in the film.

The print is an HD master from a 2K scan of the 35mm fine grain. The disc does a nice job showing off the black and white cinematography of Merritt Gerstad. There are minor speckles but for a film of this vintage, it's in great shape, with a clear soundtrack free of skips and jumps.

Since the movie was so short, I restarted it with the commentary track by Jeremy Arnold as soon as it finished. Arnold provides a great deal of context, including on the careers of Clarke and Muse; Muse's career lasted decades longer, ending with THE BLACK STALLION (1979). 

Arnold comments on the film's admirable treatment of Muse's character, the performances (justifiably pointing out the weakness of Hopper's scene), and details on the rest of the cast.

My second look at NIGHT WORLD with the commentary track also gave me a greater appreciation for just how engaging the film manages to be in its brief running time; as Arnold notes, this little movie has entertainment value exceeding that of many films which run far longer. Between that and the inclusion of not one but two commentary tracks, this disc is a great pickup for fans of pre-Codes.

The second commentary track, which I look forward to hearing, is by Tim Lucas and Joe Busam. There's also a trailer gallery for six additional films available from Kino Lorber.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...I was away the past two weekends, first at the TCM Classic Film Festival and then at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. I'll be posting overviews of both festivals as soon as possible, but in the meantime, here is a gigantic news roundup!

...The Warner Archive Collection has announced its June Blu-ray releases. Titles include ROSE-MARIE (1936), STRANGE CARGO (1940), COME LIVE WITH ME (1941), THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO (1944), NIGHT AND DAY (1946), and, best of all, LETTY LYNTON (1932).

...Upcoming June Blu-ray releases from Kino Lorber Studio Classics include James Garner in A MAN COULD GET KILLED (1966), Marcel Bozzuffi -- a familiar face in numerous French noir films -- in VERTIGO FOR A KILLER (1970), and Gregory Peck in MACARTHUR (1977).

...And coming in July from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: Denzel Washington in FLIGHT RISK (2012) and the Brit Noir Collection III.

...Over at 50 Westerns From the 50s, Toby Roan reports there's a rumor THE BOUNTY HUNTER (1954), starring Randolph Scott and Marie Windsor, may possibly be coming to Blu-ray.

...I reported in February that one of Film Masters' upcoming releases is Shirley Temple in A LITTLE PRINCESS (1939). Home Theater Forum says it will be a new scan; there will not be extras but that it will be close-captioned. I will be reviewing this disc in the next few weeks.

...I'll insert a note here that, after being gone much of April and early May, I have a great many pending disc reviews; some discs are already here and others are on the way to me. Stay tuned! First up will be NIGHT WORLD (1932) from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, which will be released this week.

...I wish I could visit the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York this summer, as the museum is hosting a fantastic series of Universal Westerns from June 5th through July 3rd. The lineup includes the delightful, rarely seen TRAIL OF THE VIGILANTES (1940) with Franchot Tone and the terrific APACHE DRUMS (1951), produced by Val Lewton. Toby Roan lists some of his favorite picks from the series at 50 Westerns From the 50s.

...Actress Eve Plumb has a new book: HAPPINESS INCLUDED: JAN BRADY AND BEYOND, from Kensington Publishing. Related story: Tours are now available of the actual Brady Bunch home, which as been meticulously reconstructed. 

...The Hollywood Reporter has published a great interview Chris Yogerst conduction with Charlotte Barker, director of film restoration at Paramount Pictures. I've had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte, and she deeply loves movies and knows her stuff.

...The June streaming lineup for the Criterion Channel includes a trio of James Bond films and memorable movie weddings...I also want to recommend a Criterion essay by the always-great Imogen Sara Smith, "Far From Home: Three Noirs by Jacques Tourneur," published in conjunction with a current Criterion Channel collection.

...The latest CineSavant Blu-ray disc reviews from Glenn Erickson at Trailers From Hell include CRACK-UP (1946) from the Warner Archive Collection, the Brit Noir Collection I from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, MILLION DOLLAR LEGS (1932) from Universal Pictures, and THE BIG COMBO (1955) from Ignite Films. I was particularly interested that Erikson liked CRACK-UP much more than he did when he last saw it in 2010; I like it quite well myself.

...As a fan of the Fast and Furious movie series, I enjoyed this new interview with Jordana Brewster. The eleventh and final film in the series, FAST FOREVER, is due out in March 2028.

...A public hearing was held on the closed Cinerama Dome theater in Hollywood last week. Variety and IndieWire have reports.

...Also from IndieWire: "The Golden Age of Repertory Cinema is Now."

...Anne Hockens, Communications Director of the Film Noir Foundation, has put together a list of French film noir recommendations at Letterboxd...Incidentally, there's a fun shoutout from Anne and Eddie Muller in their latest "Ask Eddie" conversation on YouTube, around the 28-minute mark...And did you know that Anne puts together a Letterboxd list of all the films she and Eddie discuss in their chats?  Here's the May 14th list.

...More recent film reviews I've enjoyed reading: James L. Neibaur has reviewed the new Kino Lorber Blu-rays THE MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD (1934) and BEND OF THE RIVER (1952)...Colin's latest review at Riding the High Country is of FLAMINGO ROAD (1949)...at Comet Over Hollywood Jessica Pickens has reviewed TWO THOROUGHBREDS (1939) and I'LL GET BY (1951)...at The Hannibal 8 Toby reviews the Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection...Tynan of 4 Star Films reviews the fondly recalled SUMMER SCHOOL (1987) starring Mark Harmon..and here's a look at movies watched in April at Phyllis Loves Classic Movies.

...This summer the Academy Museum's David Geffen Theater will host a 16-film VistaVision series from August 20th through 31st.

...Stay tuned to the Cinecon website for news on this year's festival, to be held Labor Day weekend, September 3rd through 7th, at the Nuart Theatre.

...Sadly, the Columbus Moving Picture Show has announced their 2026 event -- to be held from May 21st through 24th -- will be the last one. The announcement cited the current hotel location eliminating its event staff, along with "an aging base, increasing costs, and lack of viable venues."

...Notable Passings: I was sorry to recently learn of the passing last fall of film historian Les Adams, whose 1978 book SHOOT-EM-UPS, cowritten with Buck Rainey, was an early addition to my film book library. I shared a little about the book a couple years ago in one of my Western Film Book Library columns at Classic Movie Hub...Ted Turner has died at 87. He had a widely varied life and career, but for classic film fans the most important aspect of his history was the creation of Turner Classic Movies...Film critic Rex Reed has died at 87. Here are obituaries from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

...More Notable Passings: Mariclare Costello, who played teacher Rosemary Hunter on THE WALTONS from 1972-77 (as seen here), has died at 90.  She was the widow of actor Allan Arbus...Broadway dancer Bambi Linn, who created the role of Louise in the original production of CAROUSEL (1945) and danced on screen in both OKLAHOMA! (1955) and CAROUSEL (1956), has passed on at 100...Actress-singer Claudine Longet, the one-time wife of Andy Williams who was embroiled in an infamous shooting in the '70s, has died at 84...Former ONE LIFE TO LIVE actress Jennifer Harmon, who also acted on Broadway, has died at 82...Child actor Dennis Rush (MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES) has passed on at 74.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my April 25th column.

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Quick Preview of TCM in June

It's become increasingly challenging to share advance information on upcoming Turner Classic Movies schedules due to less information being accessible ahead of the complete schedule being published.

Some readers will remember when I was able to preview schedules weeks, if not months, in advance. That is currently not an option, but between several sources, including a TCM press release, I've been able to cobble together a preview for the June schedule. There's quite a bit of interesting information to share!

Marilyn Monroe will be the June Star of the Month, in honor of her centennial.

Monroe was born June 1, 1926, and TCM's series will begin on her birthday, then continue for the next two Mondays, June 8th and 15th.

The TCM Spotlight will feature disaster films on Wednesday evenings.

The June Noir Alley films are THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946), BLACKOUT (1954), THE MAN I LOVE (1946), and STOLEN FACE (1952).

More notably, Noir Alley's Eddie Muller will be hosting "Summer of Darkness: Eddie Muller's Top 25" on Friday nights in June and July.

Regular TCM viewers will fondly recall the Summer of Darkness title from a series Muller hosted a decade or so ago. This time around Muller will be hosting his "personal selections of the greatest film noir titles ever made." This is a series which will be greatly enjoyed by many of us.

Also coming in June will be an evening with Steven Spielberg and a "Summer Romance" series on Sundays.

Filmmakers receiving multifilm tributes in June will include Mel Brooks, George Roy Hill, and Andy Griffith.

June programming themes will include literary adventures, "blues" in the movies, '60s musicals, musical biopics, Edith Wharton, dobermans, and neo-noir.

If I learn any additional information of import in the near future, I'll update this post; otherwise be looking for complete information on TCM's June schedule here around June 1st.

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Tonight's Movie: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

In the very early days of this blog I reviewed THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006).

It seemed almost surreal this week to revisit the same characters, two decades on, in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 (2026).

Although I sometimes tire of the frequent lack of originality in current cinema offerings, I must admit that I really looked forward to this sequel, and I'm glad to say I found it quite enjoyable.

The movie isn't on a par with the original -- among other things, it's not as funny, though there are some nice chuckles scattered throughout -- but I found it engrossing and I enjoyed spending more time with the familiar characters.

The entire main cast is reunited: Meryl Streep as imperious magazine editor Miranda; Anne Hathaway as her former assistant, Andy Sachs, who is now a journalist; Emily Blunt as another former assistant, Emily, who now works for Dior; and Stanley Tucci as Miranda's reliable righthand man, the sarcastic yet kind Nigel.

Also returned is Tracie Thomas as Andy's best friend, the artistic Lily. Miranda's twins (Colleen and Suzanne Dengel) can even be briefly glimpsed during a party scene.

However, there's no sign of Andy's one-time boyfriend Nate (Adrian Grenier), which means she's available for a tentative new relationship with Peter (Patrick Brammall). On hand for the first time, along with Peter, is Kenneth Branagh as Miranda's supportive husband, Stuart.

The plot, in a nutshell, finds Miranda's RUNWAY magazine in dire need of a smart writer/features editor just when Andy is unexpectedly out of a job.

The film delves into our current-day media scene, with its bankruptcies, mergers, cost cuts, and other changes, in a way that seems timely. One may question whether a fashion magazine is worthy of all the energy the characters spend on saving it, but Miranda, Andy, and Nigel think so, and their dedication makes things interesting.

I have a feeling I wouldn't care a great deal for Andy were I to meet her, as she can be annoyingly self-absorbed, but like Streep's fascinatingly obnoxious Miranda, she's interesting. I'd add that none of the main characters in the movie seem particularly happy with life, including leading lady Andy.

Blunt's Emily is especially fun, given that she's now in a position to make Miranda's life difficult as she threatens to withdraw Dior advertising from the magazine. She's also now the divorced mother of two children, who are mostly offscreen; in this way she seems to be following in Miranda's footsteps. Emily's interactions with Andy are among the most enjoyable scenes in the movie.

For me the MVP of the film, as with the first film, is Tucci, who is by turns biting, funny, supportive, and touching.

Lucy Liu is way underused as a wealthy woman interviewed by the magazine, and Justin Theroux is her ex, best described as a dumb tech genius.

Like the original movie, this sequel was written by Aline Brosh McKenna based on the characters created by novelist Lauren Weisberger. Director David Frankel and cinematographer Florian Ballhaus have also returned.

The movie runs 119 minutes.

Parental Advisory: This film is rated PG-13 for profanity.

A trailer may be viewed here.

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Tonight's Movie: Maigret Sees Red (1963) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

I've returned from spending most of two weeks at back-to-back film festivals, and coverage of both fests will be coming as soon as possible.

First, though, a couple of film reviews!

Regular readers know that I've fallen under the spell of French film noir and crime films, mostly thanks to an ongoing series of releases by Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Kino Lorber's latest release in this genre is MAIGRET SEES RED (1963), known in France as MAIGRET VOIT ROUGE.

The film is a police procedural starring Jean Gabin as Police Commissioner Jules Maigret. It's actually the third film in a series, and Kino Lorber will release all three films in June as part of a three-film Maigret collection. MAIGRET SETS A TRAP (1958) and MAIGRET AND THE ST. FIACRE CASE (1959) will be boxed with MAIGRET SEES RED.

I won't know until I watch those first two films if I missed anything significant ahead of viewing MAIGRET SEES RED, but it didn't feel like it. I enjoyed the film from the first moments, as a car drives through a gleaming black-and-white Paris, accompanied by a jazzy score. (The composers were Michel Legrand and Francis Lemarque.)

As the movie begins, a group of American mobsters gun down a man on a Paris sidewalk -- but when the police arrive, the body is gone. This strange happening is compounded when police inspector Longnon (Guy Decomble) is briefly kidnapped and beaten to tell what he knows of the incident.

Commissioner Maigret (Gabin) is soon heading the case, aided by Longnon, Torrence (Marcel Bozzufi), and other hardworking members of the police force. As the body count grows, Maigret gradually uncovers a plot by the mobsters to kill an important witness.

There may be nothing particularly remarkable about this film, directed by Gabin's longtime collaborator Gilles Grangier, but I found it a very pleasing 87 minutes.

In my review of TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954) I mused on what makes Jean Gabin so interesting to watch, saying in part "...he commands attention. There's a certain confidence to his performances...including the sense that his characters know a great deal."

That was certainly the case here. This quiet, burly man, passing middle age, should ostensibly not engender such confidence in the viewer, but he certainly does. It's clear from the way he carries himself and speaks to others that he has a wealth of knowledge and knows what he's doing.

I love the way he's gently encouraging with Lognon, who is embarrassed by having given the bad guys information as they started to knock out his teeth. In contrast, one of my favorite scenes comes late in the film when he's being tailed by the gangsters; he calmly heads into a business and calls his station, barking out orders for the plan he's instantly put together.

There are some really interesting odds and ends in the film, such as the bowling alley patronized by Americans and a cash register which pops up a coded signal on multiple occasions. I also enjoyed the glimpses of the era; when Maigret visits the American embassy, there's a portrait of JFK in the background.

The American mobster angle means there's quite a bit of English in the film, including interesting multi-lingual exchanges between Maigret and his old friend, diplomat Harry McDonald (Paul Carpenter), another unusual element.

I found this film, which on one level is a fairly ordinary police procedural, completely enjoyable, with a very "noir" tone. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will watch it again, and I'm very much looking forward to the other two films being available in the near future.

The Blu-ray print is a 4K restoration from Studiocanal. It looks terrific, showing off the black and white cinematography of Louis Page, and sound quality is good as well.

This is a Special Edition with a cardboard slipcase. Extras consist of a trailer; a gallery of trailers for nine other films available from Kino Lorber; and a commentary track by Simon Abrams.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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