Polychrome Opus

Tron: Legacy

2011-02-14T13:41:00.001-08:00

Upon hearing that Daft Punk would be scoring the sequel to Tron I quickly imagined them creating something similar to what Vangelis might conjure up. My thought process wasn't to far off, but surprisingly enough they seem to have also molded their score after some of the work that Basil Poledouris had created for the film Cherry 2000 . The music that Daft Punk did indeed make for the film isn't exactly revolutionary by any means, but it's certainly competent enough to fit the film and its stunning visuals and one probably can easily imagine the group having fun with this type of project they were participating in. Most of the music is very melodic and streamlined, nothing to complicated is created, however despite its simplicity at times it is very forceful and emotional. "The Grid" which is the second track in the score opens with a solid narration which adds a sensation of awe as the listener enters into a grand and ever expanding world. "Rectifier"and "Recognizer" are emphasized by brute force and simple repetition --for the latter--through out the tracks entirety. The main theme is simple enough to be remembered and strong enough that people would probably be able to hum it once they turn off their mp3 players or stop watching the movie altogether. "Tron: Legacy End Titles" releases Daft Punk's truer roots since it returns to the more dance oriented flavored music their best known for, it's an understandable maneuver by them considering that the films end credits typically allows artists to have more freedom since most individuals are no longer sitting down and watching the film. The score is a solid triumph for Daft Punk as they were able to blend traditional orchestrations and synthesized music in one of the most original concepts in recent years.

Rating : ****

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgkxlQyw03A

Mao's Last Dancer - Becoming a Dancer

2010-01-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

Christopher Gordon is someone who's been making a name for himself during the past 10 years. Granted the amount of work he's produced for films hasn't been much but most would agree that they're quite impressive efforts. His best known score to date probably stems from the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World which he worked with Peter Weir, this time around he's being employed by Bruce Beresford who's best known for the film Driving Miss Daisy. Mao's Last Dancer is an autobiography by Li Cunxin who was born into poverty in China during the 1960s and at the age of eleven was selected to join the Beijing Dance Academy, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed ballet dancers in the entire world.

Hearing a Western orchestra playing Chinese influenced music is somewhat of novelty for some people-primarily myself-so hearing the music rendered so well is a joy. The opening of the score ("Out of the Well") starts off with the use of the dizi flute for the first 37 seconds of the track which eventually segways into the use of the Erhu and finally the incorporation of the pipi lutes, those three instruments have been a staple in Chinese music for a long time, similar to how the trumpet is used in scores involving the USA, and each of the three instruments are used heavily for the film. Following the track "Out of the Well" a very solid opening, "Village of Life" enters with the pipi lutes proclaiming their presence, the three instruments are used enormously for the first six tracks. They're incredibly effective in making one feel embedded in the Chinese culture, and the standout piece of the six is the "The Archer" and this once again involves all three of the mentioned instruments, but the erhu is what steals the show in this particular piece and does provide a greater emotional sensation for the listener. "Madam's Model Ballet," and "Becoming a Dancer" are definite highlights, both contain a unique buoyant quality and many will gravitate towards the latter as being the best cue of album I suspect. Judging from what you've already heard after the first twelve pieces presented, just by looking at the title "Becoming a Dancer" you already get the sense that the track is going to provide a transcending moment. The final portions of the score offer a darker emotional edge about feelings of tragedy and serious consequence they're presented in a most delicate manner in "The Consulate" and "Brush Dance - Zheng Ban Qiao." "Break Up and Reunion" allows for any tension to be relieved after the saddening two aforementioned tracks and eventually leads into the stunning conclusion "Village Dance and Finale."

This is probably Christopher Gordon's most accessible score in terms of listen ability. The score is structured in a very lyrical manner and tells an emotional story quite effectively with out even having to witness the film or read the autobiography. If you're interested in learning about Gordon's work then this score is probably the best place for you to first become acquainted with the man.

Rating : ****1/2

Le Petit Nicholas-une balade en forêt

2010-01-12T23:03:00.000-08:00

The quality of work that Klaus Badelt has been producing for the past couple of years has been astonishing. Especially when you consider the standards by which he set for himself after his work on The Time Machine. That score was not a highlight of originality but it was an enormously fun ride and few would deny that. Expectations of Badelt after that particular score were pretty high for a while until more and more of his music began being churned out and mostly what audiences were treated to were lack luster synthesizers and rehashing of old Hans Zimmer ideas most notably his work on Pirates of the Caribbean. It would be about three years after Pirates of the Caribbean that Badlet would actually create a piece of work that would grab some positive attention and when it did it came as a large surprise. Not only in the particular film he had been hired to score but in the overall quality of his work and one could make a very strong argument that his music for The Promise wound up being a masterpiece and possibly the best score of 2006. Ever since that film his work has been at a remarkable high rate of quality with films such as Rescue Dawn, TMNT, Pour Elle, and now Le Petit Nicholas.

The overall product is truly a lovely treat since it's laced with plenty of colorful instruments and different types of musical styles. Badelt mixes Jazz, French, and a Latin flavor just to make things even more interesting; guitars, xylophones, whistles, chimes, and children's choir are all employed to a marvelous degree which aid this score in becoming a delightful meal for the ears. Le Petit Nicholas is one of the rare instances that a Media Ventures composer basically abandons all of the tendencies he or she may have acquired while at the Zimmer composer churning factory and does something particularly new at least for a former Zimmer pupil. It's a buoyant, colorful, and extremely quirky little score that's been made here and if it doesn't put a smile on your face then maybe you're one disturbed individual. There are some real moments of beauty to be hold in this score such as the tracks "un jeu drôlement compliqué," which introduces the lovely children's choir and then it merges gracefully into the following track "une balade en forêt" which has a very ethereal aura based around it and further utilizes the choir that was presented in the previous track and they're guitars briefly used which have a western sensibility as well whistles towards the end of the track which have a mischievous flair.

The quality of the score isn't exactly the surprise here especially considering how well Badelt's work has been for the past few years, but the sheer amount of versatility that he's shown on this particular score is what may catch people off guard. It mixes in several different genres, instrumentation, and utilizes them in such a quirky manner it's hard not to be infected by sublime personality. If there is one drawback it's that the score is probably going to be a bit to upbeat for some people to tolerate but really that's only a minor grievance, and one that shouldn't bother most soundtrack collectors due to quality that's presented here. This is a triumph of originality for Badelt who's career didn't exactly start off on that side of the bed and as the years have gone by he's progressed rather inconstantly, but he's seems to have been coming around nicely as a solid composer and hopefully he can continue to create this kind of music more often.

Rating: ****

Avatar-The Bioluminescence of the Night

2010-01-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

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 : *****

Beowulf - "What We Need Is A Hero"

2009-12-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

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

Lesbian Vampire Killers-Vampires? Lesbian Vampires!

2009-11-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

Having a movie with the title "Lesbian Vampire Killers" is sure to grab plenty of attention. A film with that name promises plenty of fun, and possibly an interesting canvas for a composer to work with. The first track "Centuries Ago" certainly is an attention getter with the films main theme stated ever so boldly with pounding brass, and a Gothic choir--it's a pure bliss.This is a very much full blown Gothic score from the beginning to the very end.

The music begins with a very eerie and Gothic tone, and then moves into a more comedic sense with segment "Adventure." It lets the listener know that there's going to be more to this score than straight up horror (if you didn't already gather that from the films title). Suspense and action make their appearance in "Have you been hanging out with Vicars?" the action material is subtle at first and then begins to really romp about towards the end of the track. The atmosphere that's created is truly something to take note of because it's one of the best assets this score provides. The brass isn't held back at all and has a tendency to pound your ears into submission which is very much welcome. The tracks "Vampires? Lesbian Vampires!", "Full -On Lesbian Attack", and Lesbian Vampire Killers" really let the brass loose.

This is a mammoth gothic horror score that's been created, and it's a real treat, however most of the material heard is heavily inspired by other composers pieces of work. One wonders why a composer of Debbie Wisman's talents would do such a thing, but then again the directors may have requested her to not deviate as much as possible from the temp tracks placed in the film. As good as the score is most of the material does sound like it's been borrowed from Alan Silvestri's score to Van Helsing and Danny Elfman's work on Sleepy Hollow. The gothic choir is extremely reminiscent of latter, and the melodies appearing at the 1:30 mark of "Vampires? Lesbian Vampires!" does sound quite a bit like the formers work; "Carmilla, The Vampire Queen" couldn't make a case any more clearer that it's deftly born from Wojciech Kilar’s score for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Despite all of these misgivings and they're quite apparent, the score holds the listeners attention through the entire length of the album (which runs over 54 minutes). It's not the most original piece of work by Wisman and there is no denying it's a wonderful ride but the heavy employment of other artists' work does hamper the album.

Rating : ***

Baby: Secret of The Lost Legend - The Rescue

2009-08-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Baby : Secret Of The Lost Legend, was re-released in 2008 with a running length of over fifty three minutes. This was the second release of the score, another version of the score had been released back in 1993, but it didn’t have the same amount of music presented on the album as this new release does. This isn’t regarded as one of Jerry Goldsmith’s best albums, but it is a lot of fun, and it does serve as a precursor to some of the material that Jerry Goldsmith would use for his more lauded works (Legend, First Blood Part II, which were also released during the same year) . Disney is known for being extremely difficult when it comes to the release of film scores for their movies, unless it’s for a movie currently in theaters it’s practically impossible to get them to release anything at all. However Intrada record company was able to get through and negotiate a proper release of this score, and it was released as a limited edition with only 3,000 copies created, and they were quickly snatched up in roughly two days, which is quite shocking I must say.

The music does have similarities to other Goldsmith scores, most notably, Legend, Rambo II, and Under Fire ; even some familiar sounding material which you wouldn’t hear until five to ten years down the line for Total Recall, The Ghost and The Darkness, and even Congo. Synthesizers are used heavily through out the score to represent the baby dinosaur and it comes off as an attempt to make it sound ultra cute, and at times it can be very annoying ; it also should be added that these synthesizers are indications of how Goldsmith would use them for his score to Legend. The theme also does bare a strong resemblance to the main theme herd in Under Fire, and it’s explored heavily in the track “Dragon Breath” and the constant use of synthesizers in this track does become a bit tiresome and annoying for my taste, but it serves it’s purpose fine, for the most part. The more pleasing area of the score is the action material that Goldsmith wrote for the movie, the action theme is first heard faintly in the track “The Sketch” (The Title Theme), but it doesn’t fully appear until the track “The Family” and it does make quite an impression when Goldsmith uses the Trombones and then the French Horns ; obviously playing at the forte sound level. In this section you’re given a precursor to the material that Goldsmith would use in Rambo II. The title theme which eventually becomes even more developed and fatter sounding with the tracks “The Jump” and “The Rescue” (the latter being the highlight of the score and the track that most people will notice) ; the former blends the cute sounding synthesizers with what you could almost describe as a lighter version of Rambo sounding material, it’s a solid action cue, but it serves as an appetizer for what you will eventually hear in the track “The Rescue”. This track is clearly the highlight of the entire album, and will have most people returning it several times over. It does show once again that no one could quite score an action sequence even in a family friendly film like Jerry Goldsmith, in this aspect of his career no one could touch him. It does sound like a lighter version of Rambo II, but that doesn’t detract at all from it’s undoubted fun factor, this is where the main title theme is heard in its fully developed state and it’s clearly clicking on all cylinders. It’s a fine score by The Master, but it isn’t great, this does pale in comparison to Legend, and Rambo II, but it’s still a solid entry into Goldsmith’s prolific career.

It should be noted, if you’re ever interested in hearing the beginnings of the material that Goldsmith would use for films before Legend, Rambo II, Total Recall, The Ghost and The Darkness, and even Congo ; this score should be picked up.

Rating : ****

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince (Revisited) - Ginny

2009-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

What am I to think when I listen to the music over and over again? The new score to the Half-Blood prince is practically lifeless, and devoid of any emotional grip. It just chugs along barely making any noise at all and when it does it's so brief that there's no real impact.

I am angry about the quality of music that's been created for the past two Harry Potter movies, the franchise deserves better than this lackluster crap that has been dished out by Nicholas Hooper. In some ways I'm happy that he has made an attempt to distance himself from John Williams themes because going in a new direction isn't a bad thing. As much as I like John Williams he tends to stick to his own themes so rigorously most of the time that it becomes rather annoying, and I do yearn for him to break out of it and make some great alteration the original thematic ideas he created like Jerry Goldsmith would do when he worked on sequels.

Patrick Doyle came in for the fourth film and I think he succeeded in creating a score that was worthy of the franchise, and in my opinion is probably the best (however many would not agree, John Williams fanatics) . However, Hooper just creates an underscore which just acts as background noise and doesn't dare to offer anything exciting. At first I thought I was being to harsh on the score, but after a second listen and even a third, it became clear that there wasn't much to get excited about with this score for Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.

Public Enemies - JD Dies

2009-07-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Elliot Goldenthal's last real venture into the world of film music was in 2003 for the film "Swat". He did work on his wife's picture "Across The Universe" but he mostly served as a person who helped arrange the songs that were by the Beatles. His return has generated much excitement, and obviously has people foaming at the mouth to listen to what he's created for the new Michael Mann movie "Public Enemies. The album itself is a typical Michael Mann soundtrack, it's littered with songs by various artists and has material from the films composer. Otis Taylor's song "Ten Million Slaves" kicks off the album and generates a fantastic aura of coolness from the get go, and it suits the time period strangely well, most of the album consists of blues/jazz songs from the likes of Billie Holiday, Diana Krall (who's song Bye Bye Blackbird plays an important part in the movie.)

Sometimes my expectations may get set far to high, and if they're not met I end up getting set up for a massive fall into a giant hole. As I'm sure most people were excited about Elliot Goldenthal's return to the big screen, and the fact that he was scoring a Michael Mann picture made it all the more sweeter. I was slightly disappointed by the movie and the score itself, but I did enjoy them although not as much as I had hoped. Most of the score is very somber, and plays with a certain sadness most of the time, enhancing most of the tragic scenes presented in the film.The most powerful moment in the score was the climax when Johnny Depp's character is shot down (JD Dies), and when Billie is told about the final words that came out of his mouth (Bye Bye Blackbird). It did remind me greatly of Michael Collins, and that bothered me a great deal, but it worked very well emotionally, however it is weak when you compare it to Micheal Collins. There's virtually no score to speak of when you buy the album that's available, just over 15 minutes of music from Goldenthal.

Neither the move or the score are bad, but I was expecting so much more from such a talented group of people, both are good, but aren't great, however I think the movie is edging greatness--the music however is not.

It should be noted that this isn't Goldenthal's only foray into the world of film music for 2009, he'll be back again in "The Tempest" which is another film being directed by his wife. I'm sure that score will at least be an interesting listen especially when you consider how "Titus" turned out, it wont be boring.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince - Malfoy's Mission

2009-07-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Hooper was given a double edged sword when he got the assignment to score "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix". On one hand it's a once in a lifetime chance for any composer to come from working on small television projects to working on a major motion picture which will undoubtedly be a success at the box office, and having your work exposed to a wider audience. Of course there's also the other side of the blade which can cause some serious injury, having to follow in the footsteps of John Williams and Patrick Doyle isn't an easy task, and Doyle did receive some harsh criticisms from fans for not integrating enough of Williams' theme into his score (although I must admit Doyle's score is my favorite). Hooper's score for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was not considered to be the highest point for the music in the franchise of Harry Potter, and I found it to be a rather adequate piece work, and it did pale in comparison to Doyle's and Williams' material.

Hooper returns for the following film "Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince" and in doing so he creates a much darker score which does resemble the turn that the franchise has been taking since the third installment. Hooper once again disregards most of what Doyle and Williams had done previously and reinstates most of his own material from the previous score such as the Weasley's theme (which sounds very out of place in "The Order of the Phoenix" and "The Half-Blood Prince") . John Williams very popular "Hedwig" theme makes two appearances, but they're brief, the first is in "Opening" but it's barely noticeable, and "Ginny". The total amount of time the "Hedwig" theme is given is probably less than 20 twenty seconds when you combine both tracks, which is a shame I think. The other theme that's from John Williams is the Quidditch fanfare, but Hooper injects plenty of his own material into it that it muddles the theme entirely in my opinion. Hooper does create something new for the score and it's reprised in different forms through out the score "In Noctem" (of the night) it's a lovely little Latin choir piece. “Dumbledore’s Speech” and “Dumbledore’s Foreboding" are two of the tracks where the lovely piece makes its reprisals, but the choir is toned down a bit in those two tracks and the piano melody shines through much more than it does in the track "In Noctem", it also appears in the track "Journey To The Cave", but it's barely noticeable in my opinion.

There's a depressing theme created for the character Malfoy which is titled "Malfoy's Mission" it uses synthesizers to enhance the already mournfully sounding track (a highlight of the score). The romance elements in the score are handled well, but it mostly just adds to the score's monotone feel, “Harry and Hermione” and “When Ginny Kissed Harry” sound nice from the outset but don't bring any real emotion to the table. They sound as if their scored by a harp, and an acoustic guitar, which would sound promising but not much is done with them that it really fails to impress. A good chunk of the score just chugs along, on what seems to be a monochrome of color, never really changing, but only briefly will things brighten up, but they'll quickly fade back into grey. The more exciting portions of the album occur in the final couple of tracks, "The Drink of Despair" uses synthesizers to enhance the eerie whispers presented in the track but they do tend to become annoying during their brief appearance. "Inferi in the Firestorm" is a track (which is the highlight in the album I think), it's unsettling from the start and hints at impending doom, and has a thrilling climax which eventually leads into "The Killing of Dumbledore" which is similar to most of the album, not much that's impressive about it-it provides moments of dissonance on string instruments to incite great fright, but again it doesn't seem to achieve it's goal. "Dumbledore's Farewell" is another mournful sounding piece and it's enormously effective even though the cello solo, and overbearing sound of the orchestra does seem a bit cliche, it works quite well.

Most of the score doesn't make much noise, and it seems as if Nicholas Hooper is taking a very conservative approach to the franchise. I do believe the album is a huge disappointment and more was expected for the franchise of Harry Potter, and if anything Hooper's efforts just highlight how impressive John Williams', and Patrick Doyle's contributions to the franchise were. Maybe it was due to the fact that Hooper has never really undertaken something of this magnitude, or maybe he simply is afraid to really let loose and write something that will turn peoples heads, either way his music for the two Harry Potter movies aren't very exciting or impressive. It seems as if he may return to score the final few Harry Potter movies since David Yates will be returning to direct them as well. John Williams did state that he wanted to return to the franchise, and I'm sure many people would rejoice if he did return. Who knows if he will come back to the Harry Potter movies (to be honest I'd prefer if Doyle would come back) but it's certainly possible if WB forces the hand of David Yates. From a money making standpoint it would make sense, since Williams isn't working as much as he used to (probably due to his age and wanting to concentrate on more important things in his life) having him return to a franchise that's incredibly popular would surely boost sales and make the studio even more money (which I'm sure they already thought of). Hooper's score isn't necessarily bad, but it does nothing to really distinguish itself from the work created by Doyle and Williams. There's some good music to be heard in the score to "Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince" but there's not enough of it to consider this a great album or even a good one, it's just a bland steak which unfortunately doesn't have enough seasoning to make it taste great, plenty of substance, but not enough style.

Transformers : Revenge Of The Fallen - Heed Our Warning.

2009-06-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

The first score to the blockbuster Transformers, wasn't exactly considerded to be great art by most people, but it did find an audience, and the audience is one of the main reasons why the score got an office release. It's incredibly popular by movie fans, and most don't seem to realize just how much material in the Transformers score originated in other pieces of work by Hans Zimmer, and Trevor Rabin. Either way, a sequel to the hit film (which seemed to have surprised most people with its success, shockingly) was inevitable after it crossed the $300 Million mark, and so most of the main cast of players returned, and that includes Steve Jablonsky, who has worked on three Michael Bay movies up to this point. Jablonsky's popularity mostly stems from his work on Bay's movies, and these last two films (Transformers 1 & 2) just add to his popularity.

Just like the movie, the score is big, loud, and fun (although not as much as the first), but one thing is surprisingly missing, most of the material heard in the first movie is all, but gone. One main element from Hans Zimmer returns, and two new ones emerge, which weren't heard in the first movie, one being the use of choir which is similar to "King Arthur", the other two weren't present in the previous movie, and that's the very familiar sounding "Gladiator", and the most recent score by Zimmer, "Angels & Demons". I also must say, it sounds as if Jablonsky, completely took a page out of Ennio Morricone's score to "The Thing", since the track "Heed Our Warning" starts off with the same kind of pulse beat that The Thing had, and then it goes into an "Angels & Demons" sounding chant. "Infinite White", a track which is fun, but once again sounds like something by Hans Zimmer, and you'd be hard pressed if you didn't hear the similarity between it and the work on Zimmer's score to "Gladiator". The music from Hans Zimmer's, "King Arthur" seems to be most apparent in this score, it really shines through in the tracks, "The Fallen's Arrival", and "Forrest Battle". "King Arthur", is a score that could shatter your ear drums if you're not careful, and it's a ton of fun, but it's use in "Transformers" isn't very unique, and it sounds rather dull, and uninspired. Of course it should be mentioned that by now hearing Zimmer's thematic ideas so many times can only generate so much excitement, it's bound to sound like a complete bore, eventually. One thing that will probably stand out in this score is the rock band, Linkin Park, their participation in the score will certainly bring more attention to the music, and add to the popularity of the score. Their participation is a bit out of place I think, their music doesn't sound very good in the score, it only appears for a brief time but in my opinion it's sounds quite harsh and seems as if it was only applied in the score just as a marketing tool. It appears in the movie when you first see the military group known as "Nest" which is also the name of the track that Linkin Park provides their music for, and in the movie it sounds so out of place, and horrid I wish it hadn't been included.

If there is one thing I could say about the first score for "Transformers", it's that the music is loads fun, despite it's unoriginality. However, with this new score, all the fun is gone, and once again it's not very original, it's just more material from Hans Zimmer. This is a different score though, it's a darker, more brooding score than the first, but something is lost (the fun factor), and it undeniably hurts the score.

Jablonsky's career is really at a high point in terms of popularity, but I'm sure he must realize that his popularity at the moment is due to the movies he's worked on and most of themes he wrote aren't his, which he undoubtedly knows. He is a solid talent, but he has rarely shown it at all with the mainstream films he's been able to work on. If anything the two Transformer movies show what is completely wrong with Hollywood, both in the movies, and the music for the films. Much disappointment surrounds the franchise in my opinion since there is so much fertile ground for something new, Transformers has huge potential for some fruitful storytelling, but it just seems to be wasted by the people in charge. In some ways this is a better score than the first, but in a lot of ways it isn't, either way both scores aren't much to get excited about, and are best to be considered as guilty pleasures, and nothing more.

Transformers - Autobots

2009-06-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable that a “Transformers” movie would be made once technology had reached a point that it could convincingly render a robot transforming into objects of mammoth or small proportions. One also had to realize the enormous potential that the “Transformers” franchise had, not only in the obvious money making scheme (which is the main reason why Michael Bay reconsidered directing Transformers) but also in the story telling aspect. Judging by the first movie it’s easy to tell (even in the hands of Michael Bay) that there is fertile ground in the “Transformers” history to unleash a wealth of fruitful ideas for a story. It was briefly touched on in the “Transformers” movie, and one wishes that more of it was explored, but unfortunately mostly you are treated to a routine Michael Bay movie (although he does seem to poke a little fun at himself). Steve Jablonsky, reunites with Bay for the “Transformers” movie, and essentially he picks up where he left off in “The Island”.

Jablonsky’s score is a lot of fun, but it’s mostly what’s wrong with Hollywood music now, most director’s or maybe it’s the studios who are mostly responsible, seem to request a score from composers that’s safe, and wont turn audiences away (a notable example being Gabriel Yared‘s rejected score to Troy). Innovation seems to be dying out (although this is not completely true) with scores like “Transformers”, and “The Island”, most of which seem to come from Hans Zimmer’s company Media Ventures/Remote Control. In “The Island”, Jablonsky, used a lot of Zimmer's traits, and the most sought out track of that album “My Name Is Lincoln” , was a variation off of Zimmer’s “Now We Are Free” which is from Gladiator (it‘s excruciatingly obvious). Now, with “Transformers”, Jablonsky, takes it another step further by taking even more of Hans Zimmer’s work and incorporates it into his own score. He slightly modifies each theme so it’s not a blatant copy, most will probably recognize the Batman Begins rhythm, and two note motif (it appears in the first track “Autobots, and most notably in “Arrival To Earth“), but that’s just the beginning. The Kraken theme from “Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” is even incorporated into the track “Skorponok”, not to mention the constant use of Hans Zimmer’s score to “Crimson Tide” (the choral effects are always employed), portions of that score somehow manage to bleed into every single score by a Media Venture/Remote Control, composer. There are even traces of Trevor Rabin’s work here from his score to (in the track “Optimus”) “Armageddon“, and one becomes curious, why does so much work from other composers find it’s way onto “Transformers”? Is it a request by Michael Bay? It certainly seems as if it might be, because we were treated to something similar on “The Island”, and Jablonsky has shown his talent before (Steam Boy, being the composers high point in his career so far). If this score had been created about 15 years ago it would rightly deserve high praise, but most of material here has been used before, and far more effectively I believe, and it’s grown tiresome and boring to constantly hear several times over, and not to mention rather insulting, that a composer will try to pass such re-hashed material off as their own work.

Even with all the borrowing that goes on in this score (did I mention that it also has the choral elements of King Arthur?) it is a lot fun, and it’s hard not to get swept up in some of the tracks. Some of the music is uplifting, and does fit the film well at certain times, “Arrival To Earth”, and “Skorponok”, work extremely well in their presentations on album and especially in the movie. I suppose the borrowing of Hans Zimmer’s work will only bother those who are familiar with his music, but even those who aren’t very familiar with his work are bound to recognize some of the music in the movie and one may think that they are either using music from “X” movie, or they in fact stealing, either way it can be very distracting, and I’m sure most people noticed the “Batman Begins” rhythm being used frequently through most of the movie.

Most of the album is mixed together to such a degree that it sounds as if almost everything is synthesized, and at times it’s quite enjoyable, but other times sounds very cheap, and uninspired. The use of the staccato chants for the Decepticons is a lot of fun to hear, and does come off as being very menacing and evil, and is cleverly used in “Sam On the Roof” (a highlight of the album in my opinion). The movie was met with a fairly positive response from critics, mostly due to novelty factor, I believe, it’s hard not to become giddy when you see giant robots smash each other into bits, no matter the age of the individual. The music was received quite well by fans, but it does have plenty of detractors and that’s mostly due to the albums lack of innovation and heavy reliance of themes created for previous movies.

Transformers, has it’s high points and several low points, it’s extremely unoriginal, but it is fun, and it’s hard to deny that. Steve Jablonsky, is a true talent, but this score hardly reflects it, and I hope he stops falling back on material created by Hans Zimmer, because Jablonsky, is capable of so much more.

Coraline - End Credits

2009-06-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

The month of February isn’t known for being a great time to release a movie, it’s mostly known as a month where movies go to die. So, it was rather odd that a film like Coraline would get a release during that month, and judging by the content of the movie it would be best if it was released in October. The movie itself was met with a very warm reception and it was made by the man who directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas“, and “James, and The Giant Peach”, and like those movies this is another stop motion animation picture which took years to make. A movie like Coraline would seem like a perfect fit for someone like Danny Elfman, but for whatever reason he was not chosen to score this movie. In comes Bruno Coulais who creates a score that is fun, mostly original from what I can tell, and outright rather unsettling, and even disturbing at times. The score starts off with a mesh of what I believe to be French and a fake language, they would be used through out the first track which is oddly enough the “End Credits“, and through out the album as well, English is also included on album. “End Credits”, sounds very devious, and gives the impression as if something wicked is is always around. The same could said about the following track “Dreaming”, however it doesn’t come off quite as mischievous, but rather more buoyant and fun, and it might make you feel as if you're floating on a cloud.

Most of the score doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before, although I should note it does remind me of a few other scores here and there, but a good chunk of it sounds very original. Also I should probably state that I have not heard any other score by Bruno Coulais, so I cannot say just how much material here has been imported from his previous scores (could be a lot or hardly anything at all). There seem to be hints of “A Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Hellraiser” (yes that’s right and I emphasize hints), and most apparent is Thomas Newman’s “Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events”. One cue might make fans of “Sigor Ros” smile, “Coraline Fly” sounds like something they would have created for one of their albums. Most of the score does sound very original and only in very brief moments does it resemble those other pieces of work, however it's not hard to believe that Thomas Newman could have created something like "Coraline".

The choir is used frequently through out the score, at times it evokes joyful feeling while there are instances where it’s just down right frightening. Harps, Chimes, and even a Glass Harmonica are used in the score and their use is at times rather odd, and they help create a sense of dark beauty and gloom on the horizon. This is really a bizarre piece of work, and the strangest score you’d probably find for a mainstream movie. The final nine tracks on the album is where most of the unsettling material can be found. The cues “Dangerous”, “Coraline Despair”, and “You Know I love You” are clearly the most deranged tracks on the album, and it could make anyone scratch their head and wonder what the hell “Coraline” is all about ; they would actually fit perfectly in a horror movie.

Most of the score is rather unique and mostly unsettling, the beginning sounds fun and devious while the middle hints at impending gloom, while the ending pretty much brings about misery and fright. It’s a wonderful listening experience but I doubt that many would care to actually spend time hearing this score in its entirety over, and over. It may not find an audience like “The Nightmare Before Christmas’, but it will find a select few who enjoy this type of score for its unsettling quality. If anything hopefully this is will bring in more work for “Bruno Coulais”.

X-Men Origins : Wovlerine.

2009-06-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

The X-Men franchise is largely responsible for the onslaught of comic book movies that have been released during this decade. With each comic book film comes the great potential for some unique music to be created for the complexity of the characters and the worlds in which they live in. For whatever reason the X-Men franchise caused a large growth in the comic book genre; the genre had been tapped into before (most notably with Batman, and Superman) but rarely did they have the success that the X-Men franchise had and in all likelihood will continue to have. As with anything popular the saturation of the product will occur and that’s certainly what has happened to the X-Men Franchise and comic book genre; both the films, and music have had their high points and low points. A great (average, bad) movie doesn’t always carry a great score (the music involved with the film, typically the orchestral portion) or vice versa, John Williams’ score to Superman, and Danny Elfman’s work on Tim Burton’s Batman are considered to be high points in film music for the comic book genre; both scores are also widely regarded as having the definitive themes of the characters in any medium they may inhabit. The X-Men franchise has never quite reached the level of popularity that Superman once had or that Batman is currently having, but the films, and music have been able to maintain a certain level of quality throughout the course of nine years, and four films.

For each new X-Men movie a new composer has come along, and created a fresh new score which does at times echo the music for the previous film, but only in a faint passing. Generally the new composer disregards most of what the previous composer had done and creates something mostly new, and in turn adding a great lack of continuity in the music. Michael Kamen (Die Hard, Brazil, Band of Brothers), was brought on board to score the first X-Men film, and the only reason for this being, John Ottman (The Usual Suspects, X2-X-Men United, Superman Returns) was busy with his directorial debut with Urban Legend : Final Cut's; he’s normally Bryan Singer's (The Usual Suspects, X-Men, Superman Returns, Valkyrie) composer of choice, but Singer went with Kamen instead, as a last minute replacement. John Ottman, would finally come on board to score the second film, and he created a more distinctive theme for the franchise which did stray off from what Kamen had done (a wonderful opening suite was created although it does sound as if Ottman is pining to be John Williams). John Powell (X-Men: The Last Stand, Happy Feet, The Bourne Identity) would be the next composer for the third film in the franchise, and he once again like his predecessor abandoned most of what had been done before and created a score with his own themes, albeit his score does echo what had been previously done, but once again only in a faint passing. Now, Harry Gregson-Williams (Kingdom of Heaven, The Chronicles of Narnia) (a good friend of John Powell, and both pupils from the same composer churning factory Media Ventures/Remote Control) comes on board to score the spin off movie X-Men Origins : Wolverine.

Despite the lack of continuity with each score the music for the X-Men franchise has been able to avoid mediocrity and has been able to maintain a solid level of quality (however I'm not to fond of Ottman's score ; it works well in the movie, but not much to praise about on album). If there has been a composer who has recently taken the mantel away from Klaus Badelt (Pirates of the Caribbean, Rescue Dawn, The Time Machine) for the most inconsistent composer from the Media Ventures/Remote Control (the title is due to a name change in the company) group it would have to be Harry Gregson-Williams, there are times where he can create a masterful piece of work (Kingdom of Heaven), and then create something so lackluster (Number 23) it can be extremely frustrating. John Powell is generally regarded as the most consistent composer from Media Ventures/Remote Control, Harry Gregson-Williams is the total opposite-creating a great piece of work for one film, and then creating something incredibly mundane for the next film-and what we‘re given with his score to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is like Gregson-Williams’ career-inconsistent. Due the nature of the film, an origin story, a prequel, there’s not much room at all for continuity with the scores that have been created already. The characters in the X-Men franchise have never had very distinctive individual themes (possibly due to the sheer amount of characters) but they were generally given an overall theme. This film gave Harry Gregson-Williams a chance to develop one sole primary theme for the title character (since this time Wolverine was obviously the main character); there's not to much here to really rave about, but there is enough here to enjoy, and it does once again display some classic Media Ventures/Remote Control traits (Good and Bad). The main theme heard at the very beginning of the score in "Logan Through Time" is very tragic, and appropriately fits Wolverine's character in my opinion, but it also has electronics, and a brooding choir (which comes into play at around the 35 second mark) which is later accompanied by a horn theme (enters in at the 54 second mark), at this point it is rather tiresome to hear over, and over again in nearly every score from a Media Ventures/Remote Control composer, but it is effective despite its clichéd sound. The score is very industrial at times and evokes scratches, and sounds of a motorcycle (which Wolverine does use in the movie hence the reference probably) engines revving up, and it adds a unique flavor, even though it does seem as if Williams is trying to hard to make Logan's (one of Wolverine’s other names in the movie) theme sound masculine.

The album is littered with the composers traits from other scores, at times I could have sworn I was hearing Déjà Vu (A film directed by Tony Scott, and scored by Harry Gregson-Williams) because of the electronics used, and the sudden stops in the orchestra, and not to mention the annoying backward edits of notes placed throughout the score. I also don't understand why nearly every single Media Venture/Remote Control score (Harry Gregson-Williams is not part of that company anymore I believe although it‘s easy to tell where his roots comes from) must include the chopping sounds when an action scene is going on, it has been employed since Crimson Tide (1995) (Hans Zimmer’s score, and the co-creator of Media Ventures) and I wish it would stop by now. A large highlight of the score is the love theme developed in the track "Kayla"; it's a piano melody and it adds a lovely touch of warmth and gentleness to the score that is a wonderful welcome, and shows the true talent of Williams. "Kayla" (Wolverine‘s Love interest), is one of the few moments where there is actual beauty in the score, and it re-emerges in the tracks (towards the end of the three tracks) “Victor Visits” (when Victor apparently murders Kayla) "Two Towers Collapse" and "Memories Lost" (when Logan faintly recognizes Kayla). Hearing the theme at the end of "Memories Lost" is a wonderful addition, and implies the note of a fading rendition, and it does generate a sense of sadness when Logan cannot identify his one time lover laying on the ground as the piano melody gently enters the scene, and then slowly dissipates.

The score is not without its problems, but there is enough good material in the score to consider it a weak, but still, a solid piece of work. There are moments of harshness, and true beauty in my opinion, but most of the music does sound generic, and something that Williams can write in his sleep. I do wish he would have expanded a bit more on the themes for Wolverine, and Kayla, since the material for them are the highlights of the score. The movie and the score certainly aren’t on the same pedestal as Superman (1978) or Batman (1989) but it‘s clearly above some of the drek that has been released in recent years, not only in the comic book genre (Iron Man, it contains such a god awful score), but in the film medium in general (Transformers, 300, two highly unoriginal scores). If they make another X-Men movie, I have my reservations about Williams returning, but I wouldn't balked at the possibility of him scoring another X-Men movie. Much like the film itself the score met with plenty of people who were sorely disappointed, but I maintain that this score isn't a loss, there is some solid material here to be found.

The 13th Warrior - End Credits.

2009-06-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's been ten years since the release of the 13th Warrior, and while the movie bomb at the box office the score did quite well, and became one of Jerry Goldsmith's more popular pieces of work. The movie did have its fair share of difficulties to overcome while it was being made, one big problem was the constant fighting that Michael Crichton, and John McTiernan would have during the making of the film. The budget sky rocketed and the movie was put on the shelf for some time before it was finally released. As the movie production chugged along McTiernan would eventually be fired and Crichton would take over as the director. The movie had a very long troubled history and took forever to be completed, and that also includes the score to The 13th Warrior, which was originally helmed by Greame Revell. Crichton had his own idea on who should score the movie (Jerry Goldsmith, a close friend of Crichton) and Revell, was not the man he had in mind. From what I've heard Crichton didn't even hear Revell's score completely before tossing it aside and bringing in Goldsmith.

When Goldsmith, came aboard the release of the actual movie was nearing, and Goldsmith was brought in on short notice. Rather odd he would accept because after Air Force One, Goldsmith, did state that he wouldn't work on another movie with a short time period ; maybe it was due to the fact that he was friends with Cricton that he accepted the job, either way I, and several film score fans are glad he took the job. The 13th Warrior, is not a score that beams with originality in fact, it's far from it, but it does have the incredible ability to entertain and enthrall the listerner. Many believe this to be Goldsmith's last great score, and his best score in 1999 (which many also believe to be his last great year as a film composer before battling cancer) but even though the score gets such high praise most of the time it is rather unsettling that a composer of Goldsmith's caliber would re-use so much of his own material. The Arabic theme that's used here is a virtual copy and paste from The Mummy, and there are even traces of Legend, that seep through. The most unsettling aspect is in fact the main theme, which sounds as if it was molded after Hans Zimmer's Crimson Tide, despite this it is still a solid and noble theme, although a bit overly heroric. The re-usage of material by Goldsmith, is nothing new and he had done it frequently during the 1990s, but here in this score and I suppose through out the decade it would foreshadow just how Goldsmith would score movies during his final four years a life (massive re-usage of material). Goldsmith's score cannot be fairly compared to Revell's work because he scored a much different movie, from what I've read (rumors obviously) the original cut of the movie was around 3 hours long, and compare that to the 90 mintues that Goldsmith scored, each of the composers work is bound to be different in nature.

Revell's created the better score in my opinion when you get down to its technical merits, but Goldsmith's music is a far more exhilarating than Revell's work. Despite it's unoriginality the score does captivate the listener and it's hard not to get caught up in the sheer ferocity of "Horns Of Hell", "Fire Dragon", and "Valhalla Viking Victory". Now the "End Credits" track was not included in the commercial album, and I don't quite understand why, but the commercial release of The 13th Warrior is a fine album, but it could have benefited from the inclusion of the "End Credits" suite. The "End Credits" doesn't really offer any new material but just a mixture of themes presented through out the score. It starts off with a slightly altered version of "Old Baghdad" and then transitions into a slightly altered version of "Exiled".

The original album ends on the track "Useful Servant" which appears when Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan is writing down the events that took place at the end of the movie. The "End Credits" can be found on the bootleg copy of the score, and I do wish it was included on the commercial album, but either way both the commercial and bootleg copies of The 13th Warrior score are fine albums.

Eaters Of The Dead/Rejected Score to The 13th Warrior.

2009-06-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is the tenth track to the rejected score to The 13th Warrior. The name of the movie was changed because the studio heads believed that the name Eaters of the Dead would prove to be to off putting for the general audience, this is one but many problems the movie would suffer and it was a small one when compared to the others. The original score which was composed by Graeme Revell, never officially received a release but a bootleg of the score popped up almost immediately after The 13th Warrior, (a score by Jerry Goldsmith) was released. Much to the surprise of many the quality of this score and the sound quality is of a high caliber. The album is over an hour long and has a total of 27 tracks and none of which have any names other than the track numbers. So I simply assume that they are in film order. To make any attempt to place them in the theatrical version of The 13th Warrior would be futile since Revell, scored a film that differed greatly from what Goldsmith had to tackle.

The score is better than Goldsmith's when you get down to its technical merits. It's more diverse and at times can be more interesting however one draw back is that most of the score does consist of atmospheric tracks and the first nine tracks a good example of this; it isn't until the tenth track that things really do start to pick up. Several unique instruments were used for this score duduk, pan pipes, shakuhachi flute, uilleann pipes, whistles, ney, and even the use of heavy electronics. Revell really pulled out all the stops for this baby and it's probably the composers best score of his entire career so it's very unfortunate that it had to be rejected.

Crichton had his own mind made up on how the movie would be scored and who would do it. Crichton possibly didn't even listen to the entire score before throwing it aside and choosing to bring in Goldsmith. In the end I think Goldsmith did a better job but if you're looking for more originality or the use of more varied instruments you should make an attempt to seek out Revell's score.

Star Trek XI - End Credits.

2009-06-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

Similar to what David Arnold did with Casino Royal, Michael Giacchino uses the original Alexander Courage theme for the end of the movie (the end credits) and I must say while it's nice to hear it again it certainly sounds dated and a bit forced. I don't think that the theme fits with the movie either, but a part of me is glad they used and only for the end credits. The theme eventually segways into Giacchino's theme for the movie which sounds like a mutated version of Courage's theme, and then it return's to Courage's theme (a long with the 8 note opening fanfare) which is treated with some nice choral work.

The Vulcan theme is presented after the main Star Trek themes and it's a new theme that has been given to the Vulcans', and I find it to be very distracting. I believe the Dizi Bamboo Flute was used as the instrument to create the Vulcan theme and it's an interesting choice of an instrument to use and it's rather innovative but it sounds so out of place in the movie and in the album itself. The following theme to arrive is the Nero theme which is bombastic and menacing (even if it is a little predictable) and it does suit Nero's ship quite well, and offers a very heavy weight sound to the score, but it's inclusion in the end credits is brief.

The End Credits segment finishes off with somewhat a reprise of the track "Enterprising Young Men" (A Highlight of the score) and then it follows through with the original opening of the Star Trek theme (the 8 note motif) and promptly returns to Giacchino's theme concluding the track and the album.

I will say this is a nice album but it does pale in comparison to Goldsmith's, Horner's, and Eidelman's pieces of work for Star Trek. It's good but not great score by Giacchino, and one thing should be noted as well, not all of the music was included on the album. The Main Titles aren't included which is odd since every single Star Trek with one exception (Star Trek : Nemesis) has included the Main Titles segment.

Note : The 8 note motif does appear before the End Credits, but on the album it is separated into two tracks. "To Boldly Go", and then "End Credits".

Terminator Salvation - Opening

2009-06-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

There have been huge gaps in time with the Terminator franchise. It took seven years for there to be a sequel to the original film, and then twelve for the second sequel, and six for third. Terminator Salvation brings us a new director and a new composer to the franchise. McG, (whom most people were not happy with as the director of the new Terminator movie) chose to bring Danny Elfman to score the new Terminator film. If you look back on each of the composers resume's Elfman certainly appears to be most talented and easily the most experienced composer. Brad Fiedel's synthetic music for first two movies were extremely effective in the film, but on album, many would come to the conclusion that it was sorely lacking. Most of Fiedel's score on album sounded cheap and in my opinion almost as if a middle school band was scoring a major motion picture. However, Fiedel was able to create a very memorable theme, which sounds heavily inspired by Amazing Grace, and the recognizable Terminator drum beat. .

Marco Beltrami would be hired for the third movie, and he brought a more tradditional approach to scoring the movie. Most of the score was handled by an Orchestra with some synthesizers included along -- it was a better success on album than it was in the movie. It just didn't have the right emotional fix that Fiedel was able to create with his music despite Fiedel's limitations as a composer. Beltrami didn't even use the memorable main theme which Fiedel created until the end credits of Terminator 3. While I think Beltrami did an admirable job with the theme it would have been nice if it had appeared in some form in the movie.

Now, Terminator Salvation arrives and so does veteran composer Danny Elfman. This being the second franchise film Elfman takes over from Beltrami (First being Hellboy) he once again abandons everything that Beltrami did in the previous movie and starts from scratch. Elfman, did say he would attempt to employ Fiedel's themes if possible but he also remarked that he is never sure what he will do once he gets started. That being said the album itself does leave out some of the material heard in the movie, most notably some of the material that Elfman incorporated from Brad Fiedel's score (Terminator Drum Beat). The main theme however is no where to be found on album or in the movie instead a new theme is brought in which is actually imported from Elfman's score to Hellboy. This theme (which appeared only once in Hellboy II -- track 16 : "A Dilemma") is employed heavily through out the score, and it becomes the focal point of the score. Traces of "Planet of the Apes" seep through when you hear the descending synthesizers, and when they are used as action elements, there are moments that will recall Elfman's score to the "Hulk". Despite the fact that the score has these traces of those three albums (most of all Hellboy II obviously) the score is quite effective in the movie and on album.

I think this is easily the best Terminator score to date, even though that's not saying much. One thing that does bother me is the complete abandonment of the main Terminator theme, and I do wonder why the Terminator Drum Beat which did appear in the movie but, was left off from the album. The main theme wasn't even used for the End Credits, but the album doesn't have an end credits suite either which is just another punch in the gut. Elfman is a fine welcome to the franchise and if they make any more Terminator movies (which is up in the air at the moment due to the box office and reviews) I would be more than pleased if he would return. However considering how Beltrami has improved as a composer since T3, I wouldn't mind him coming back either. This is a good score, but it's not quite great, it's edging on it but it doesn't quite get there.

Star Trek : The Motion Picture

2009-06-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

Star Trek has always been known for very good music, and with the first film Robert Wise would enlist the talents of Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith, originally was set in place to write the music to the television show for Star Trek, but due to different reasons (scheduling conflicts I believe) he wasn't able to commit so, Alexander Courage wound up getting the assignment. He, and Goldsmith were very good friends and that would be one of the reasons but clearly not the main one as to Courage's involvement with Star Trek : The Motion Picture. The franchise's revival owes a lot to Star Wars, if it wasn't for the huge success of that franchise we may have never seen a Star Trek movie(s). The film suffered through several delays, retooling of the special effects, and script, and even constant meddling by Gene Roddenberry would cause the movie to suffer. In the end the movie was never complete (the special effects) and it that would be it's major hindrance or one could argue that it placated far to much to the core fans of Star Trek than the general audience. Goldsmith would forever be attached to the Star Trek family, and he became the most prolific composer in Star Trek history.

The title theme has become the most recognized theme in Star Trek lore, but it was not a theme that Goldsmith easily created. He did have much difficulty coming up with the title theme we now know and associate Star Trek with the most. The film Goldsmith had been scoring was not complete and he didn't complete it until a few days until the movies release, and even during the long showcasing of the Enterprise, Goldsmith had to return to re-write material. Jerry, himself said that Robert Wise did enjoy his music but he felt there was no true theme, and Jerry went back and re-did the scene again and the creation of the track "Enterprise" came about (obviously not without it's difficulties). The theme has experienced a severe case of over-exposure and partly due to the fact that it became The Next Generation's main theme as well when the television show was created. Hearing it every single time the main titles played for the television program is bound to reduce the theme's impact. However taking the time to listen to it once again in the original film really shows how great it really is. The only wish I had was that Goldsmith would have gone on and experimented more with the theme with the later films, but alas not much was changed after Star Trek V. Still, this remains easily the most memorable of the Star Trek themes, and it's difficult to imagine the franchise with out it.