High expectations were set for the next James Cameron and James Horner collaboration since their last project had reached an unfathomable height of success (Titanic). Unfortunately for fans they had to wait 12 years until they would eventually work together again or at least until their new project had finally been released into theaters. Cameron's film Avatar had been conceived during the mid 90s and from what I understand was set to begin production shortly after Titanic but the technology simply wasn't at the level where Cameron had thought it should be. Work on the film didn't begin until The Lord of The Rings had been released and the Canadian director had seen the character Gollum on screen that he finally chose to begin work on his pet project. James Horner had about 18 months on which to write material for the film. An unusual amount of time was given to Horner and that should be more than enough for any capable composer to write something with plenty of substance and style. Cameron had requested that Horner not work on any project while composing for Avatar when he approached the composer, so Horner was able to devout his entire time to this one movie.
Even with all the time given to work on the film Horner once again references several of his previous compositions. By this point it should be abundantly clear that this is something Horner does and even in situations where he is given an incredible amount of time to conjure up something new he'll still reach into his old bag of tricks and that's where the disappointment lies. Not simply because he rehashed his old material but the fact that he was allotted a large amount of time and wound up using his aged pieces of cloth once again; Titanic, The Spitfire Grill, Mighty Joe Young, Willow, Glory, Four Feathers and even Apocalypto make appearances through the film not to mention several others.
As expected when dealing with a film that's about a journey to a new world the music is developed into a sense of wonder and freedom for the paraplegic antagonist, Jake Sully. Being given his ability to walk again due to the "avatar" given to him (a clone mixed with human and Na'vi blood) the score enhances the exploration that Jake and the audience take once things get underway. A large degree of manipulation is employed unto the material that's presented by Horner, familiar as they are most have been altered to such an extent they may not be immediately recognizable with the exception of a few moments. Auras of excitement and discovery first occur in "Pure Spirits Of The Forest" and in one of the highlights of the score "The Bioluminescence of the Night." These two tracks convey feelings of traveling through water, and a sparkling land of beauty and quite possibly the most beautiful pieces of music presented in the film. One thing that will probably take most peoples attention is the fact that a very wet sound exists through out these pieces and is extremely reminiscent of Hans Zimmer's Beyond Rangoon, and James Newton-Howard's work on Waterworld which is not a bad thing. A very touching and warm violin solo is utilized at the 2:41 minute mark of "The Bioluminescence of the Night" this solo plays a very important part in the score towards the conclusion.
Another strong highlight of the album is "The Destruction of the Hometree" the very famous or infamous (depending on who you ask) four-note danger motif makes an extremely strong appearance. It's played with sadness, obvious sinister underlinings and reaches its height during the final thirty seconds of the track. The four-note motif even makes its first stamp during the opening of the album and if you're sick of hearing this wonderful but unquestionably overused technique then it might be best to avoid the album all together but aside from that it's wonderfully integrated into the film and album. The finale track is titled "War" which is what will catch most peoples attention and rightfully so since it's a pure adrenaline rush. With choral chanting and percussion banging at around the 3:37 mark traces of "Glory" become evident and aren't really to much of a distraction due to the quality it's presented. The 5:28 mark has the choir, brass, and percussion reach its zenith and remains on that level up until the 8:00 mark which eventually leads to reappearance of the violin with a contemplative solo which ends the album on a somber note.
The music by James Horner is by no means a fresh piece of work despite what Horner may have said in interviews but it's undoubtedly a wonderful listen and one of the best scores of 2009. More originality would have been nice especially since Horner had a great amount of time to work on the film but alas that didn't happen. Whether you adore James Horner or detest him it will be hard to dismiss this score as an utter failure since it succeeds on so many levels. The only drawback being the constant re-usage of material that Horner chose to engage in for this project and it is frustrating that a man of his talents would do it for this enormous and groundbreaking film which I must say isn't exactly highly original either in terms of plot. If you're able to forgive Horner's repetition of his past work and can appreciate the complexity of his writings and the emotional grip that he provides for Avatar then you wont be disappointed. Is this a Magnum Opus? Possibly, but if it isn't then it's damn close.
Rating : *****
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