NIGHT OUT ESSENT i ALS

Alexander Wang • Berluti • Burberry • Camilla • Chopard filmmaking is in the choreography and special effects.

We know he also has the acting talent to back up his love of stunts, and so do most of the actors he recruits for his beloved film series, including in their newest assignment of Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning, Part 1

Here in Dead Reckoning, Part 1, we channel all the way back to the movie that took a popular CBS TV show from 1966-1973 and made it a mega blockbuster: Brian de Palma’s Mission: Impossible (1996).

De Palma isn’t back, but the overthe-top editing and direction, as well as stagey exposition, remind us of his style, which will either be effective or polarizing depending on the viewer. There’s even a flashback to young Ethan Hunt (Cruise) with shadows and sil-

Though the visual direction of M:I has always been the main draw, we do still get some character development over the course of Agent Hunt’s missions (i.e., Michelle Monaghan occasionally appearing as Ethan’s estranged wife).

Cruise continues to shine as Ethan all these years later, and he plays off the new and old supporting actors naturally. Atwell and Klementieff are solid additions, especially with their Marvel backgrounds, but Kirby is barely in the film. My biggest issue was McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen’s script utilizing a very outdated trope for Ferguson’s character, who is now rendered a cliché.

But, as mentioned earlier, Mission: Impossible is about good guys fighting bad guys at the end of the day, and Dead Reckoning, Part 1 delivers on that front the same way Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick (2022) did last year. SC

Christian Louboutin • Coach • COS • Dior • Dolce&Gabbana

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Kate Spade New York • Loewe • Louis Vuitton • MAC Cosmetics

Max Mara • Montblanc • Oscar de la Renta • Porsche Design

Reiss London • Saint Laurent • Sandro • Sephora • Stella McCartney

The Webster • Thom Browne • Tory Burch • Zara • Zegna partial listing

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GUEST OPINION | Life’s a Beach by Shelley Murphy