By Brett Blake & Breanne Brennan With the year a little more than halfway done, we've decided to take a look back at a crop of 2017's film scores--some noteable, some underwhelming, and some flat-out fantastic. Read and take a listen... Alien: Covenant Music by Jed Kurzel A tremendous horror score, albeit not an aggressively downbeat or morose one. Jed Kurzel is definitely one to keep on your radar after notable work on MACBETH and ASSASSIN’S CREED. In some ways, this score exists as a heartfelt tribute to Goldsmith’s ALIEN score, illustrating that Kurzell himself is “one of us,” a fan of classic scores of the past. Kurzell fuses his own sensibilities for ambient textures with a splash of pulsing electronics and a healthy dose of ferocious brass. It also can’t be overlooked that he liberally incorporates Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from the original ALIEN; he doesn’t use the Goldsmith material as a crutch, though, but rather incorporates that wonderfully mysterious theme into new settings that feel totally at home with Kurzell’s modern approach. A must-listen for any horror music buff. The Book of Henry Music by Michael Giacchino A tale of two scores. On one hand, we have playful and openly emotional material that would feel right at home in an Amblin film from the 1980s. On the other hand, we have dark, ominous suspense material that feels more akin to Giacchino’s work on things like LOST and LET ME IN. In that sense, it’s a score at war with itself. The movie’s main theme is a good one, though somewhat underwhelming as it’s a clear variation on two similar themes he wrote for STAR TREK BEYOND and ROGUE ONE last year; he does often apply interesting instrumentation to the theme which helps (a little) to give it its own identity. The darker material is occasionally interesting, though the album lingers more on that stuff than it needs to. All told, this mostly feels like Giacchino on autopilot. It’s okay, but not great. The Circle Music by Danny Elfman It’s great to hear quirky Elfman again. His synthy tech-like tunes here are almost reminiscent of MEET THE ROBINSONS, with evocative synthetic textures and electronic rhythms propelling us through. It’s a more upbeat score than not, complete with some trademark Elfman quirk, though it lacks the sweeping and lush melodic undercurrent at which he’s best. And like the movie itself, which really pulls its punches, the score could have benefited from going to more overtly dark areas, something Elfman would no doubt have been quite capable of pulling off. Still, it’s fun to hear Elfman in such a predominantly electronic setting. A Cure for Wellness Music by Benjamin Wallfisch A somewhat madcap score befitting the utter insanity of the film itself. Wallfisch is clearly an adherent of the adage “Go big or go home,” because he goes all the way with this one, crafting a pair of memorable themes in the process. He puts his themes through their paces constantly, shifting between pathos, menace, sympathy, and bombastic grandiosity when appropriate. At its best, the score will remind listeners of the likes of Danny Elfman’s darker Tim Burton collaborations, and that’s meant as the highest compliment. This is a monstrously entertaining score. The Great Wall Music by Ramin Djawadi Textbook Djawadi, for better and worse. He’s improved considerably as a composer since his early days, and this score is not without a few significant highlights, particularly the main theme, which incorporates an eastern flavor (complete with frequent Chinese choral elements) that is appropriately reverent and uplifting. The action writing often falls into fairly nondescript territory, but there are a few stirring moments of heroism and sacrifice which Djawadi handles well. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Music by Tyler Bates Bates returns from the first film with core thematic ideas in place, and he relies on those heavily for VOL. 2. Rather than simply regurgitating, note-for-note, stuff from the previous movie, Bates gives us new variations on that stuff, eventually culminating in a finale cue (called "Dad") of grand and emotional proportions, and which is one of the best standalone cues of the year. It’s very much a continuation of the first score rather than some reinvention, so if you enjoyed that first movie’s music, you will find things to enjoy with this score. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Music by Daniel Pemberton Pemberton has been on our radars for a while, and his effort for this film is one of the more interesting musical takes on King Arthur we’ve ever heard. Totally modern, it eschews stereotyped nobility in exchange for rough-around-the-edges, rock-infused rhythms, and Pemberton couples that with strong harmonic sensibilities which make the score a strangely compelling listen. The ballad, “The Devil and the Huntsman,” provides some additional flavor to the already solid score with its rumbling low brass and sharp vocals. Kong: Skull Island Music By Henry Jackman Easily the least interesting King Kong-related score since the 1960s, Henry Jackman contributes a “just okay” score that lacks any sort of distinctive personality. It has one really good main theme (which conveys an appropriate sense of mystery), but it’s a theme that would be equally at home in a superhero movie or any other action film, really. So, too, is the action writing exactly the sort of chaotic, blaring brass that has (unfortunately) become the norm for many big blockbusters. Don’t get me wrong, there are some nice moments (the writing for strings and solo trumpet is often particularly effective, as are the quieter, more exploratory sections), but it just doesn’t feel idiosyncratic enough. The Lost City of Z Music by Christopher Spelman Spelman’s simple score has some evocative cello themes, and ambient string themes that suggest a sense of wonderment and mystery. While Z is not one of the more standout or memorable scores of 2017, it’s successful in presenting some subtle melodies that pair well with the atmosphere of the film. The Lovers Music by Mandy Hoffmann What a nice change of pace. Were you to listen to the score before seeing its associated movie, you might think it was something out of an old Hollywood romance or a fairy tale, given its lush, lilting Golden Age-style orchestrations. This overlooked score is worth repeated listens for anyone looking to escape the blare of Summer action movie scores. Old fashioned in the absolute best way, the music here is superb evocation of a style of scoring that has mostly fallen out of fashion. Unabashedly dripping with a classic sensibility. THE MUMMY Music by Brian Tyler So far, it’s one of the best scores of the year so far, which is a kind of shocking accomplishment for Tyler, as the film itself is incredibly flawed. Tyler divests himself of the more rock-and-roll impulses which often crop up in his scores and instead delivers a traditional, symphonic epic, complete with big themes and huge orchestration. Interestingly, Tyler’s score manages to walk the line between horror and adventure better than the actual movie does, as he’s not afraid to take things in overtly sinister directions while also selling a sense of tremendous scale and providing a fun, heroic action theme to balance out the darkness. The quiet moments are interesting and mysterious (and almost always exploring some kind of melodic idea), while the big action moments are dense and complex without losing a sense of structure or thematic identity. Tyler has done good work in the past, but this is his crowning achievement as of this point in his career. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Music by Geoff Zanelli In short, it’s a typical PIRATES score. With a fifth installment and a new composer, Zanelli brings some great stuff to the table. Not only does he revive almost every one of the franchise's themes and motifs (in appropriate moments), but he also introduces a handful of fantastic new themes to the menu, including a terrifically swashbuckling new action motif and a wonderfully evocative melody for the story’s central quest. Villains often get memorable themes within the series, and Salazar’s music cue here is particularly menacing and fitting. The score doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s shamelessly entertaining, and one of the best of the series. Spider-man: Homecoming Music by Michael Giacchino Michael Giacchino’s second score for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film (after last year's terrific DOCTOR STRANGE) is absolutely fantastic, and a very worthy entry in the canon of cinematic Spider-Man music. He gives Spidey a very memorable theme, one brimming with youthful optimism, and also supplies the villain, The Vulture, with a menacing motif that is equally catchy. The orchestrations are often playful and fun, underlining the good-hearted teenage heroics of the character, and the action scoring is some of the best of Giacchino’s career, never descending into mindless noise and mayhem but instead almost always focusing on a thematic throughline. This is another one of 2017’s best scores so far. War for the Planet of the Apes Music by Michael Giacchino Giacchino’s certainly been busy this summer, and his latest APES score is arguably one of the best action movie scores of the year so far. Deep, rich chorales from the previous film are carried over and enhanced with driving animal-like percussion. The orchestrations are relatively restrained for an action score, and the main waltz-style theme shines in delicate piano sequences, offering perfect emotional contrast to its more forceful renditions. Wonder Woman Music by Rupert Gregson-Wiliams The highlight here is Wonder Woman’s gnarly electric guitar theme carried over from BATMAN v. SUPERMAN, which is a welcome sound to Gregson-Williams often brass-heavy score. On the plus side, he does add a nice regal theme in the opening that manifests throughout, but on the whole, most of the score is nothing we haven’t heard for a superhero movie: bombastic brass, choral voices, loud drum hits, etc. A few recognizable notes from other scores (we’re looking at you Danny Elfman’s BATMAN, and Klaus Badelt’s PIRATES) make their way into this one, and it’s difficult to ignore for the avid movie soundtrack listener. While much of the score is perfectly serviceable and works within the context of the movie, everything else is by-the-book, bog-standard, over-the-top blockbuster scoring, with an emphasis on portentous brass statements and thundering percussion. The Zookeeper’s Wife Music by Harry Gregson-Williams Nothing notable from Gregson-Williams here. It’s one of those somewhat pedestrian drama scores that are “nice to listen to,” but don’t break any new ground. Nevertheless, he still provides some beautiful, moving piano and woodwind themes that give the score its heart.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|