The main title sequence begins with an electric guitar to set things in motion and synthetic dubs that accompany a powerful brass nine -note motif which includes an extremely masculine male choir. With the inclusion of the electric guitar it seems apparent that Alan Silvestri is attempting to appeal to the younger demographic that would see the picture, and to a degree he is successful, but it does often make one reminiscent of John Debney's work on the Scorpion King which employed the electric guitar to great effect. Even with that being said the instrument isn't used often, and fortunately so, the nine-note motif is used heavily through out the film and it's quite stirring and packs one hell of a punch. It anchors the entire album, and provides a strong bass for Silvestri to return to when Beowulf is performing a heroic act in the film. A good example is when Beowulf attempts to reach into the Dragon's chest to rip its heart out-the nine-note motif gently enters the scene right before he accomplishes his goal and creates a powerful moment for the character. Seduction enters the film when Beowulf must deal with Grendel's mother. As masculine as Beowulf's theme is the theme for Grendel's mother is quite the opposite. The texture of theme is very soft, mysterious, and the echoing effects used in the two seduction tracks add a layer of sinister intent.
It's a solid venture for Alan Silvestri and his 12th collaboration with Robert Zemeckis, however the drawbacks of the music are that at times it sounds like weak variations of previous Silvestri scores. Bombarding the listener with eruptive music which is similar to Van Helsing, and the percussion used in certain tracks like "Beowulf Slays The Beast", and "Second Grendel Attack" brings back memories of Predator, but unfortunately doesn't quite capture the same power of the two aforementioned scores--make no mistake--this is far better than most of the action music appearing in Hollywood these days.
Rating : ***1/2
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