Latest news with #TramellTillman
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Mission Impossible X Reviews: Tom Cruise's MI swansong is as impressive as the press tour led fans to believe
Tom Cruise is back doing what he does best — running through chaos, dangling from impossible heights, and trying to save the world one explosive stunt at a time. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning marks the eighth and final entry in the beloved action series, and with its global theatrical release last week, fans and critics alike are weighing in on whether this swan song sticks the landing. From the get-go, the film delivers everything you expect from a Mission: Impossible movie: secret identities, exotic locales, and a driving score that never lets up. But while many fans are calling it a spectacular finale, others feel the movie is weighed down by its own ambition. On social media platform X, one user raved: '#MissionImpossible the Final Reckoning is ONE OF THE BEST ACTION MOVIES & PEAK of Tom Cruise's action career. The sum of all his stunt work have lead to this. Biplane stunt is the BEST STUNT I'VE EVER SEEN. A 3 hour CINEMATIC FEAST for movie fans & LOVE LETTER TO THE FRANCHISE!!!' Another chimed in with a more specific moment of appreciation: 'I will say despite all my issues with Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning there's a line reading by Tramell Tillman that made me impulsively start clapping out of how perfect it was.' Another comment read, 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING is exhilarating, suspenseful, and features some truly breathtaking sequences; the submarine one is right up there for best of the year. This one is definitely for the fans and your mission is to see it on the biggest screen possible!' However, the praise isn't universal. Some early viewers pointed to pacing issues and a story that didn't quite hit the emotional or narrative highs of earlier entries. 'I liked Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, didn't love it. Strange editing choices, feels like things set up or established in the last one don't fully pay off, uneven pacing, but man when the movie is working, there's nothing else like it. The last half is fu**ing insane,' said one. Another claimed, 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is too long & overstuffed to the point it's boring at times. They drip fed the audience especially at the start. Lazy storytelling & questionable editing in places. The action of the final act is spectacular but it was too late.' Directed by Christopher McQuarrie and co-written with Erik Jendresen, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the follow-up to 2023's Dead Reckoning Part One. It features the return of Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt alongside franchise regulars Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett. The story picks up the escalating threat from a rogue AI system known as the Entity and follows Hunt as he grapples with loyalty, trust, and the weight of his past decisions. The Final Reckoning might not be the flawless goodbye some hoped for, but there's no denying its ambition or the sheer scale of its action. For many fans, it's a fitting tribute to an era of practical stunts and old-school espionage thrills. For others, it's a film that needed tighter editing and a more focused story. What did you think about the movie?
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Tramell Tillman's journey from "Severance" to facing off with Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning"
Actor Tramell Tillman, known for his role in the award-winning series "Severance," makes his action franchise debut in "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning," playing Captain Bledsoe, commander of a stealth U.S. submarine. Director Christopher McQuarrie specifically sought out Tillman for the role after becoming a fan of his work on "Severance." "He reached out and said that, you know, there's a role in it for you," Tillman said. "I mean, it was kind of bizarre. I didn't know exactly what he wanted." When McQuarrie shifted the conversation from "Severance" to the Mission: Impossible project, Tillman had to make a practical decision. "I did have to check my schedule, that was not a lie," Tillman said." "But as soon as I hung up with Christopher McQuarrie, I called my team and said, we have to figure this out." Internally, Tillman said he was thrilled. "It's like, yes, it's finally happening," he said. Critics have taken notice of Tillman's performance, with reviews calling him "the real standout" who "steals every scene." Working alongside Tom Cruise presented unique challenges. "I had to compete with a shirtless, wet Tom Cruise," Tillman joked. "He does not skip a day in the gym. So I had to make sure I was on my up game." Tillman also praised Cruise as a collaborator. "So Tom is so generous as a scene partner. He really cares about the work. He is committed to the craft, and he cares about the crew. He gives people the space to learn and to have the resources they need to tell the story." How Tillman became an actor Tillman's path to Hollywood wasn't conventional. He initially studied to become an orthopedic surgeon at Xavier University before switching careers after his freshman year. "I was in chem lab and I was bored to tears," Tillman recalled. "I said, you know, I wanna follow my dream. I wanna do the thing that lights me up." That dream was acting, which began for Tillman at age 10 in church plays. As for the surreal nature of his current success, Tillman remains grounded. "It doesn't feel real," he said. "I'm kind of waiting for the shoe to drop a little bit, but I'm really honored and doing my best to take it all in, day by day." "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" is distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS' parent company, Paramount Global. The film hits theaters on Friday, May 23.
Miami Herald
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Jackson State Alum brings HBCU band culture to Apple TV+
Apple TV+'s Severance wrapped up its Season 2 finale with an unforgettable tribute to HBCU marching band culture. Jackson State University alumnus Tramell Tillman ('08) delivered a performance that had viewers buzzing and comparing the moment to Beyoncé's HBCU-inspired Coachella performance. "I graduated from Jackson State University, and their band is the Sonic Boom of The South, the best marching band in the entire world," Tillman told TV Guide. "This is an opportunity to highlight my culture, to highlight the significance of HBCUs - the marching bands, the showmanship, the pageantry, the discipline, the excellence, the Black joy." Tillman's passion for authenticity was evident in his dedication to making the scene as true to HBCU culture as possible. "I'm a perfectionist. I kind of grind, because I want to get it pristine," he said during Severance's PaleyFest panel in Los Angeles. "I picked up on it very, very quickly." The inspiration came from years of watching bands like Jackson State University's Sonic Boom of The South, Bethune-Cookman, and Florida A&M. "I was in the marching band in high school. It is different from HBCU. But because I went to Jackson State University, I had the Sonic Boom of the South. Spent so much time watching them. I had to go back and look at the tapes," Tillman told Us Weekly. "I was watching Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M to get inspiration, and I hope I did them justice." Tillman's journey to Jackson State University began after transferring from Xavier University of Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. He switched his major to mass communication and graduated summa cum laude in 2008. His time at JSU, surrounded by the excellence of the Sonic Boom of the South, became the foundation for the sequence featured in Severance's finale. "These are stories that I dealt with myself being in corporate America or just being Black. So I wanted to bring credence to it and be very cautious of how we did it. It was a risk, and I'm glad that we had the license to be free and explore and let it be authentic," he told Us Weekly. The performance was more than a scene; it was a declaration of HBCU culture's excellence. As Tillman continues his acting journey. He remains committed to uplifting his roots and honoring the legacy of institutions like Jackson State University. The post Jackson State Alum brings HBCU band culture to Apple TV+ appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Severance Star, USC Marching Band Make Quite an Entrance at PaleyFest — Watch
Mr. Milkshake is bringing the USC band to the yard. Fresh off the Severance Season 2 finale, Tramell Tillman is showing off his real-life talent for 'choreography and merriment.' The actor on Saturday led USC's marching band into the show's PaleyFest panel at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, channeling his character's own finale plotline. (Watch video below.) More from TVLine Severance's Dichen Lachman Dissects Finale's 'Heartbreaking' Twist, Season 3 'Possibilities' for Gemma - Watch Severance's Bloody, Brilliant Finale Gives Us Some Long-Awaited Answers - and Another Huge Cliffhanger Severance Renewed for Season 3 at Apple TV+ Tramell Tillman leads a marching band into a #severance finale event at PaleyFest LA — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 22, 2025 For the uninitiated, Tillman plays Mr. Milchick, who is sometimes called 'Milkshake,' in the Apple TV+ drama. The Season 2 finale, which dropped Friday, saw Milchick lead a full marching band and drum line in honor of Innie Mark's big achievement. And for fans of the show, the spectacle was no big surprise. Tillman's character has already demonstrated an appreciation for this kind of pageantry: He notably gifted Helly a 'Music Dance Experience' to lift her spirits in Season 1. The Severance panel kicked off this spring's PaleyFest series, which will also include Q&As with the casts of Cobra Kai (Saturday at 2 pm PT) and Agatha All Along (Saturday at 7 pm PT), Matlock (Sunday, March 23), The Handmaid's Tale (Wednesday, March 26), Hacks (Friday, March 28), and Poker Face and Amy Sherman-Palladino (Saturday, March 29). Watch the videos above and hit the comments with your reaction to Tillman's real-life parade! Best of TVLine Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More 'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
