This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Meryl Streep, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from "The Devil Wears Prada 2." (Macall Polay/20th Century Studios via AP)

At the start of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Andy (played by Anne Hathaway) is an acclaimed journalist who has been downsized and forced to take a job writing at Runway, the snooty, extravagant fashion magazine from the first film.

The soft-spoken but venomous Miranda (Meryl Streep, once again channeling Anna Wintour), the egotistical but helpful Nigel (Stanley Tucci) and, for truly contrived reasons, even Miranda’s former assistant Emily (Emily Blunt) are all back.

The original was released 20 years ago during the height of reality TV and personality-driven game shows in which contestants desperate for fame and money competed against equally shameless opponents to appease a belligerent “boss,” everyone from Simon Cowell to Anne Robinson to Donald Trump.

I’m not nostalgic for this era of bad television, with its exploitation of desperate, willing-to-do-anything competitors suffering at the whims of their catty, rich and rotten hosts. “The Devil Wears Prada” played into that, and so does the sequel, which was made for audiences who still watch “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

Considering how neatly the original wrapped up its story with no hint of a follow-up, there was little need for a sequel. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” isn’t bad, but it’s a movie that matters so little, I forgot about it the moment I arrived back at my car. Most of the film is a travelogue that reduces its leads to a walking clotheshorse. The movie it most resembles is “Sex and the City 2” (2010).

The best running gag is that Miranda doesn’t even remember Andy after all these years. On the other hand, it’s bizarre seeing Andy so excited to reacquaint herself with the verbally abusive Miranda. Andy presumably got PTSD and needed dozens of therapy sessions after the events of the first film.

A mild controversy arose from the reveal that Andy now has an Asian assistant, played by Helen J. Shen. Some have said the character is a stereotype, which would be more noticeable in a film where every single character isn’t already a broad caricature. Far more annoying than Shen’s cheerful character is the outspoken billionaire clod played by Justin Theroux, sporting a prosthetically enlarged forehead.

Streep is looser here than in the original and still marvelous playing a character who is fascinating but also deserves comparisons to the devil. Indeed, the title is on point. Hathaway works every scene and is still a vibrant comic performer, but I greatly preferred her Lady Gaga-inspired performance in the recently released “Mother Mary” over this. Speaking of Lady Gaga, she makes a welcome cameo as herself, while a set-up is made for a Hugh Jackman appearance that strangely never occurs.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Branagh has been cast as Miranda’s husband and has almost nothing to do and Patrick Brammall is also ill-used as Andy’s new love interest. Tucci easily steals the film, while B.J. Novak plays a laugh-free version of his role from “The Office.”

At one point, Andy declares that she wants to save Runway before it is “rebranded and soulless,” which fits as an instant critique of the film. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is different enough from the original but has no heart, as it’s been sold to the highest bidder.

The conflict of the first film was how far Andy would go to appease her awful boss and compromise herself. Here, everyone happily sells out, as a trip to the Hamptons is treated like the greatest thing anyone could achieve in life and all things materialism are idolized.

It’s hard to think of a worse time for a film like this, as everyone onscreen is wearing extravagant and garishly ridiculous attire, and product placements for lavish fashion brands are visible in nearly every scene.

The one lingering question the film never answers isn’t whether Andy will sell her soul to Miranda but whether Miranda has ever been to Epstein Island. In other words, these characters are atrocious and, more now than before, caring about them is nearly impossible. That’s all.

(2 out of 4 stars)

Barry Wurst II is the founder of the Hawaii Film Critics Society and teaches film classes at University of Hawaii Maui College.