Overview of 2013 Scores Part 3 of 3

For reference, I don’t think there’s actually that much difference in quality among scores #10-#2. They’re all within a hair of being superb.

10. Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)

The score for Saving Mr. Banks is Thomas Newman squarely in his comfort zone, but what a comfort zone it is. He combines his always-unique and distinctive instrumentation with lush orchestral themes, recalling some of his best scores: Shawshank Redemption, Meet Joe Black, Lemony Snickett’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Angels in America. While not quite as superlative as these stellar works, this score is still ripe with signature Newman moments. “Travers Goff” opens the score with an expansive string melody, but Newman’s characteristically driving piano soon enters. This melody is reprised in “Beverly Hills Hotel” and expanded upon in “Ginty My Love.” “Walking Bus” contains colorful instrumentation, recalling A Series of Unfortunate Events in particular, while “Jollification” takes this quirkiness further, becoming American Beauty-esque. “Leisurely Stroll” brings wonderful string swells to the forefront, reminiscent of Finding Nemo. Repeated piano notes propel “Whiskey” and Newman twists his style into a quasi-jazz cue for “Mrs. P.L. Travers.”  “Mr. Disney” is Newman’s idiosyncratic take on a fanfare, with a more majestic take in “The Magic Kingdom.” Finally, “Saving Mr. Banks (End Title)” closes the score with an eloquent orchestral melody. The score is not quite the perfection Newman has achieved with other scores, but it’s close.

9. Oz: The Great and Powerful (Danny Elfman)

Sure, the main theme bears an uncanny resemblance to “O Canada!” and the witches’ theme is straight out of Elfman’s tried-and-true toolbox. But the composer still manages to concoct a delicious fantasy score with indelible moments, from the majestic “Main Titles” and the dynamic “Preparation Montage” (Elfman is ever the master of the montage) to the wondrous “Bubble Voyage” and the heartbreakingly tender “China Town.” The playful composer even contributes a wacky “Munchkin Welcome Song,” recalling a similarly titled opus from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Unfortunately, much of the final battle music is not on the CD. But the frenetic, almost impossibly frenzied final 45 seconds of the penultimate track, “Time for Gifts,” is pure film music pleasure of the highest order, almost like a condensed version of the “Main Titles” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (sans electronics). I for one am glad that Elfman and director Sam Raimi made up (though Christopher Young would probably have done a good job as well). Coming up for Elfman (pun very much intended) is Fifty Shades of Grey, which should be…interesting.

8. Iron Man 3 (Brian Tyler)

I wrote a bit about the score to Iron Man 3 here; more than half a year after that post, I can now say that Tyler wrote probably my favorite theme of the year for this film. It’s an unabashedly muscular, heroic, robust anthem, the kind that Man of Steel should have had (in terms of memorability, effectiveness, and grandeur, not necessarily in terms of musical style). Plus, it’s pliable enough to play morosely in “Isolation” and funky in the rocking throwback end title track “Can You Dig It?” Much of the score before the lengthy finale is actually rather subdued and doesn’t use the main theme much. That’s primarily why this score isn’t placed higher. But once the climax kicks in (comprising the tracks “Dive Bombers,” “Battle Finale,” “Stark,” “Heat and Iron,” and “Hot Pepper”), the score finally comes into its own as a massive action opus. One of my favorite moments is the build-up from 1:20-1:27 in “Stark.” Like the entire score, it’s simple, yet stunningly compelling.

7. The Book Thief (John Williams)

The Book Thief was a surprise assignment for the world’s reigning maestro, but certainly a welcome one. Far from Star Wars and Indiana Jones in nearly every aspect but quality, the score still retains Williams’s peerless compositional voice. While he doesn’t embark on any new avenues, his painstakingly precise writing is as sublime as ever. Choice moments are legion: The tender introduction of the main theme in “One Small Fact” preceding a surging restatement of the same, the rich string writing in “The Train Station,” the emotionally overwhelming simplicity of the oboe tune in “Max and Liesel,” and the effortlessly flowing recapitulation of the theme in “Learning to Read.” By the time the “Finale” and the suite “The Book Thief” roll around, Williams has more than proven his mastery—as if he needed to at this point. Even more than Lincoln, however, this score requires attention and patience to appreciate the subtleties of its craft. Less engaging passages do exist, and there isn’t quite the sense of freshness of War Horse or The Adventures of Tintin, and these reasons are why this score isn’t higher up on my list. But John Williams is still the man.

6. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Howard Shore)

Howard Shore’s middle score to the most drawn-out trilogy in history improves upon its predecessor, but still lags behind the scores for The Lord of the Rings. The main problem is the shortness, obscurity, and relative un-memorability of Shore’s new themes. They certainly aren’t lacking in quantity: we have several Bilbo themes, a Gandalf the Grey theme, a handful of Erebor/Thorin themes, themes for Mirkwood, the Wood Elves, Tauriel, Bard, Laketown, Smaug, and more. The jaunty tune for Laketown is neat, and I like the mesmerizing instrumentation and percussion of Smaug’s primary theme (apparently he has more than one theme), even if I can’t recall the actual melody. My two favorite themes are the ones having to do with Tauriel, the female version of Link for those uninitiated with Peter Jackson’s version of Middle-Earth. Her fluttering theme works great as an action fanfare in “The Forest River,” a track that proves that Shore has improved his action writing since The Lord of the Rings. The theme for her relationship with Kili (Aragorn Jr.) is simple yet enchanting. Time will tell if There and Back Again will allow Shore to return to the heights of the Original Trilogy. (Mr. Williams welcomes you to the club, Mr. Shore.)

5. Thor: The Dark World (Brian Tyler)

Brian Tyler’s main theme for the second Thor film isn’t as original or good, frankly, as Patrick Doyle’s themes for the original or Tyler’s own theme for Iron Man 3. But somehow, Tyler uses this basic theme to craft the most entertaining, solid start-to-finish score for a Marvel Studios film. The main theme is an almost overblown, epic fantasy tune complete with furiously chanting choir and simple harmonies. Yet Tyler includes orchestral flourishes and clever motifs to keep the tune from becoming yet another Remote Control remnant. The theme actually has three distinct parts; the second part is often used as a love theme and the third (girded by a gliding electronic tone) is used for traveling to Asgard and especially heroic moments. “Into Eternity” includes a heartfelt, tragic rendition of the first part of the theme, and “Asgard” features yet another theme that isn’t really used in the film itself (it plays in the credits right after the first bonus scene). Loki’s sinuous, serpentine theme underscores his obviously deceitful nature, but also plays in a heroic action setting in “Convergence.” And Tyler’s incorporation of Alan Silvestri’s Captain America theme in “An Unlikely Alliance” makes for one of the most delightful film music moments of the year. The entire score almost never lets up, enthralling fantasy-action moments filling it up to the brim. Now, if only Marvel could get Brian Tyler to score Guardians of the Galaxy instead of that other Tyler….

4. Planes (Mark Mancina)

Mark Mancina hadn’t scored a major film since “Imagine That” in 2009, and Planes marked a very welcome return. The film allows Mancina to write plenty of action, an area where he has always excelled. Cues such as “Start Your Engines,” “Running on Fumes,” “Get Above the Storm,” and “Skipper to the Rescue” certainly reveal Mancina’s musical history as one of the earliest of Hans Zimmer’s protégés. But his command of the orchestra is stronger than many of those from the Zimmer school, and the music is slightly reminiscent of Mancina’s rollicking action cues for Tarzan. “Dusty & Ishani” uses Indian instrumentation that is almost certainly not authentic, but is nevertheless extremely attractive and well written. The theme for Skipper is a noble anthem that Mancina transforms into an outright chorale in the moving “Skipper’s Theme (Volo Pro Veritas).” However, it is the stirring main theme that serves as the score’s highlight; Mancina can add another notch to his belt for great themes. The noble, soaring trumpet melody has five phrases; the third and fourth are my favorite, as they seem to convey a sense of yearning as-yet unrequited. The drums and guitar add an appropriate sense of energy without going over the top. Best heard in “Dusty Soars,” “First Place,” and “Planes,” this is my second favorite theme of the year (behind Iron Man 3).

3. Escape from Tomorrow (Abel Korzeniowski)

There are two weaknesses to this score: first, it’s too short at 20 minutes. Second, two of the tracks consist of meandering electronic textures. But Korzeniowski composed 15 minutes of singular elegance for this offbeat film about a family’s breakdown at the Disney parks. And indeed, the music would be perfect as background music for the parks themselves. The end of “Fantasy Girl” has a stately, brassy optimism characteristic of the music played at Epcot. “Gates of Tomorrow” and the two “Magic Kingdom” tracks feature gorgeous themes while “The Grand Finale” closes the score with resplendent, soaring flourishes. “Fireworks” is the kind of crazy track I like. (Yes, there is crazy music I don’t like; see “Martian Mambo” from John Powell’s Mars Needs Moms.) It opens with a complicated string line before expanding into a portentous action track, complete with chimes.  Then, an unsettling children’s choir enters, keening an eerie five-note ostinato. Speaking of children’s choir, they return for a final song, “Imaginate!” lampooning “It’s A Small World” with subtly twisted lyrics and malignantly jaunty woodblock accompaniment. The composer, choir director, or conductor even manages to make the kids sing in a slightly demented tone. One only wishes that Korzeniowski had been allowed to develop his musical ideas further.

2. Kick-Ass 2 (Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson)

When I saw this movie in the theaters and the Kick-Ass theme started playing under the studio logos, I grinned inside (I admit to being on the phlegmatic side outwardly). Henry Jackman’s reaching, heroic melody for the wannabe superhero has become one of my favorite themes, and the best parts of this sequel score use this theme. Margeson appears to have actually written most of this score, and I honestly think his new themes for Hit-Girl and the Motherf*cker (the former Red Mist) are just okay. At least he keeps them both in same musical ballpark as the themes from the first film; the first two notes of Hit-Girl’s theme are the same as the first two of Big Daddy’s, and the Motherf*cker’s theme is backed by an electric guitar line that is also a more simplified version of Big Daddy’s theme. “Mindy’s First Date” display’s Hit-Girl’s theme in its emotional guise, while “Dave’s Field Test” uses it heroically. “Cemetery Attack/Hit-Girl is Back” and “Warehouse Showdown” are the best action tracks, often using a persistent electronic beat under the Kick-Ass and Motherf*cker themes. “Hit-Girl’s Farewell” recalls the sublime blend of grandeur, triumph, and coolness of “Flying Home” from the first film, but the orchestral arrangement sounds thinner. “Justice Forever” is a highlight (it’s the track that plays under the Blu-ray/DVD menu), electric guitar and electronics building to a brassy fanfare of the Kick-Ass theme, moving on to a full orchestral statement of the theme that precedes an eruption of drums and a stirring string line. “Main Titles,” which plays under the logos, starts out with a soft orchestral statement of the theme as a bass pulse grows and grows, becoming massive as more bubbling electronics enter and the theme transitions to synthesizer. It’s pure musical heaven. Another one of my favorite tracks is the sadly unused “Last Resort,” in which a gargantuan statement of the Kick-Ass theme starts on electric guitar before exploding into orchestra and choir as the theme ascends to its zenith. As a whole, this score is more cohesive than the original, but with fewer highlights. However, it’s still the most flat-out fun, consistently entertaining score I heard this year.

1. Romeo and Juliet* (Abel Korzeniowski)

Korzeniowski was a last-minute replacement for the famed James Horner on this score. But unlike the score for Ender’s Game (where Horner was replaced by Steve Jablonsky), the score for Romeo and Juliet likely exceeds what Horner would have done based on his recent track record. Korzeniowski’s simple themes are bolstered by exquisite orchestrations and opulent bursts of heavenly beauty. Although it is a close companion to the composer’s score for W.E. with its lush strings, piano, and semi-minimalistic writing, a sense of inevitable tragedy permeates the score and provides it with its own character. “Forbidden Love” starts with a tender build-up laden with anticipation before the celestial main theme pours out from the strings. The end of “First Kiss” is rapturous in its emotional intensity, while “A Thousand Times Good Night” explores the wondrous main theme further with piano lines that are both pounding and euphoric. Similarly masterful piano writing imbues “Juliet’s Dream” with romantic aching. “Fortune’s Fool” and “From Ancient Grudge” hint at the kind of furious action Korzeniowski excels at (and has sadly only really been able to explore in his score for Battle for Terra) while keeping within the score’s partially minimalistic idiom. The two “Crypt” cues are more subdued until the end, leading into the divine final cue, “Eternal Love.” Here, a solo female voice sings an elegy for the doomed lovers before leading into a final beatific statement of the main theme. Korzeniowski’s sumptuous score is a splendid achievement and my favorite score of the year; it just hits the spot for me.  In fact, while listening to it again for review purposes, I really fell in love with it even more and upgraded it to asterisk status (just below the absolute highest rating of two asterisks). While Korzeniowski excels at these romantic scores, I hope he will be allowed to explore more styles and genres.

Overview of 2013 Scores Part 2 of 3

20. After Earth (James Newton Howard)

Howard can usually be counted on to write superb scores for the films of M. Night Shyamalan, but for the first time, we have to settle with a merely OK one. The middle of the score is undoubtedly the weakest, filled with mostly uninteresting atmospheres. But the beginning and especially the last three cues (“Ghosting,” “I Wanna Work With Mom,” and “After Earth”) hint at the kind of music that made me fall in love with JNH’s scores 14 years ago. No one can do mystic grandeur quite like Howard can, but there are only traces of that beauty in this score.

19. Rush (Hans Zimmer)

After writing an underwhelming score for Man of Steel, Zimmer partially redeemed himself with his score for Ron Howard’s Rush. The score harks back to his “glory decade” of 1988-1998, with effective, memorable themes, propulsive action music, and moments of haunting simplicity. It starts out with entertaining, rock-based cues before moving on to the more serious action and intense emotion of cues such as “Nürburgring,” “Lost But Won,” and “My Best Enemy.” Though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Zimmer’s best, it’s still his best score since Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

18. Monsters University (Randy Newman)

Newman’s score for Pixar’s first prequel is almost completely different from his score for Monsters, Inc. Eschewing the jazz angle he employed for the first film, Newman writes a noble tune for the university, new themes for Mike and Sulley, and marching band music, complete with drum corps. I happen to love the sound of marching band drums, and the upbeat cue “Rise and Shine” uses them to brilliant, rip-roaring effect (despite the end of the melody resembling John Williams’s theme for 1941). The score lacks the emotion of the original (namely Boo’s theme) and the action music is a little haphazard, but it definitely has its highlights.

17. Frozen (Christophe Beck, songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)

This was my first time hearing a feature score from Christophe Beck (I had only heard Paperman previously), and his score for this remarkable Disney film is solid, yet I can’t say there are any particular highlights. What brings it up are the songs—especially “For the First Time in Forever” and “Let It Go” (the Idina Menzel version), with “Love is An Open Door” and the melody for “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” not far behind. Though not on par with the best of Alan Menken, they are still surprisingly potent. My favorite track, though, is “Vuelie,” a choral track using the melody by Forde Fjellheim; its use under the film’s opening logos and title seems to herald a magical event.

16. Jack the Giant Slayer (John Ottman)

Ottman has never been one of my favorite composers, but this score proves he’s come a long way from the bland noodlings of X2. Ottman writes a commendably adventurous theme, though it still suffers a bit from his characteristic nebulosity. His action music is fine and frenzied, though somewhat diminished by references to other composers’ music. “Logo Mania,” underscoring what I presume is the logos, is my favorite cue of the score (much like the logo music for Frozen, Charlotte’s Web, A Beautiful Mind, and Kick-Ass 2).

15. Turbo (Henry Jackman)

Creating a score that merges full-bodied orchestral optimism with techno and dubstep beats may seem like a disaster from the pen of any film composer not named Elliot Goldenthal. Yet the versatile Henry Jackman manages to create a highly entertaining score that doesn’t skimp on either the orchestra or the electronics. The sheer delight and enthusiasm of the orchestral themes in cues like “And It Looks Like the Winner Is” combine with the high-octane beats of tracks such as “Indy 500” and “Supersnail.” “Turbo,” the final track, features a confluence of the two qualities in a score that is brought down only by its slight themes. It’s no Wreck-It Ralph, but it’s still impressive. Turbo-tastic!

14. The Croods (Alan Silvestri)

Alan Silvestri has three great themes in this colorful score: the Croods family theme, the cave painting theme, and a theme based on the film’s song “Shine Your Way” (though the attribution of these themes in the film itself is somewhat arbitrary). The song features a bridge that matches the structure and shape of the cave painting theme; both are laden with the poignancy that Silvestri habitually delivers in scores such as Forrest Gump, Contact, Stuart Little, and The Abyss. The family theme is more malleable, often molded into a more lighthearted guise and featuring an opening horn statement drawn right out of Back to the Future III. The major weakness of the score is that, until the third act, Silvestri barely uses any of these themes, opting for the cartoony, stop-and-go type of music that Randy Newman, the old scoundrel, is so inveterately fond of.

13. Star Trek Into Darkness (Michael Giacchino)

Giacchino’s score reflects the wall-to-wall action in the film and, to be truthful, the composer has written better action music. But he has set such a high standard for himself that one can forgive him for writing something less than sublime. His anthemic main theme is fully established now, and he pushes Spock’s yearning theme into darker corners. The Klingons are treated to vigorous choral blasts in “The Kronos Wartet” while John Harrison (one need only read the back of the Blu-ray or DVD to find out his true identity) gets a slithering, percolating winner of a theme.  Unfortunately, the complete “Ode to Harrison” track is not available on the CD. Instead, we get a hideous track called “The Growl” (thankfully not composed by Giacchino) that is a disgrace to electronic music. “Warp Core Values” and “Buying the Space Farm” provide ample doses of pathos, and the frantic “San Fran Hustle” includes the rather infamous fight music from the original TV series composed by Gerald Fried. There are no chances in the film for wonder and awe, which is a shame as I know Giacchino could write grand cues for such moments. But as it is, he delivers a great action score.

12. Now You See Me (Brian Tyler)

Let’s get this score’s weakness out of the way: it’s incredibly repetitive. Yet the prolific Tyler composes an invigorating, stylish main theme that’s more magical than the rather flat movie it accompanies. Churning low strings, a catchy ostinato in higher strings, economic use of electric guitar, a mystically yearning melody, and top-notch drum-kit work performed by Tyler himself combine to create an irresistible theme. Some of the action tracks, like “Battle of the Cards” and “Bridge Pursuit,” do feature more varied work, highlighting more of the composer’s impressive percussion writing and performance. If you don’t like the main theme, you won’t like the score. But I did. (Sorry, no pithy comment).

11. Epic (Danny Elfman)

The opening track, “Leafmen,” recalls some of Elfman’s more sprightly work on Charlotte’s Web and Black Beauty. An acoustic guitar backs a patented Elfman jig before introducing the main theme. The strengths of this score are the beautiful, ethereal moments found in cues like “Tara’s Chamber,” “Tara’s Gift,” and “False Start” as well as the thrilling action of “Pursuit,” “Escape,” and “Epic Final Confrontation.” Elfman uses choir better than probably any other Hollywood film composer alive, and choral passages are liberally strewn throughout the score. There’s nothing as striking as Alice in Wonderland or Edward Scissorhands, but there’s still much to feast on. As expected, Elfman puts his theme through the wringer, playing it in various settings to reflect different moods and developments in the story (I assume; I haven’t seen the film and don’t plan to). My appreciation for Elfman continues to grow after every score of his I hear; even if a score isn’t a divine masterpiece, it always has moments of quality.

Overview of 2013 Scores Part 1 of 3

I’m probably listening to the wrong scores, but in 2013, I can’t claim to have heard any scores that I classify as desert-island scores. If you look at my ranking of my top scores of 2012, you’ll notice that I listed five scores with asterisks (almost the best) and one score with two asterisks (the cream of the crop). This year, sadly, only one score I listened to merited one asterisk and none deserved two asterisks, though there were plenty (14 to be exact) that almost made it there. (Though looking back at the 2012 list, I would probably take away the asterisk from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and move Wreck-It Ralph ahead of Rise of the Guardians and maybe even Frankenweenie). Come to think of it, this year’s crop of films wasn’t so hot either, though again, I’m probably seeing the wrong films.

There were some scores this year with spectacular, moving cues, but only one of them as a whole reached the apex of sublimity. After having a stellar 2012, Michael Giacchino and Danny Elfman decreased their output, and James Newton Howard wrote his first score for M. Night Shyamalan that was not absolutely magnificent. More positively, Mark Mancina made a glorious return to film scoring, Abel Korzeniowski penned two exquisitely wondrous scores, and Brian Tyler is starting to score films that actually don’t suck.

A few brief notes on scores I heard in the film only: Oblivion (Anthony Gonzalez and Joseph Trapanese) was mostly nondescript, sounding like an inferior cousin to Daft Punk and Trapanese’s Tron Legacy. The Wolverine (Marco Beltrami) was one of the lesser scores for the X-Men franchise, consisting of haphazard action music and dull, meandering underscore. Beltrami’s Carrie was better, with a surprisingly touching theme for the title character and some unsettling electronic effects. Elysium (Ryan Amon) was indistinguishable from lesser Remote Control scores, apart from a neat, ascending string effect.  The World’s End (Steven Price) was mostly overwhelmed by the song selections; the most memorable music moments are the uses of the choir passage from the Sisters of Mercy song “The Corrosion.” David Arnold’s score to Hot Fuzz remains the best score for a Cornetto Trilogy film by far. Pacific Rim (Ramin Djawadi) was barely passable, with an earworm of a main theme. But the action music is loud without being interesting, and the theme for Mako sounds almost exactly like the theme for the kaiju. It’s better than Djawadi’s abominable scores for Iron Man and the Clash of the Titans, but that doesn’t make it good, or even average.

This year may have been a mixed bag, but there are still some good moments to be found. Here are some thoughts on the 27 scores I listened to this year (Part 1 will cover 27-21, Part 2 will have 20-11, and Part 3 will comprise 10-1):

27. Man of Steel (Hans Zimmer)

Even without making any comparisons to John Williams’s score to the 1978 film, this score lacks depth, appeal, and dramatic complexity. While the score in the film is not quite as obtrusive as Inception’s score, it still does not do the loud, simplistic film it serves any favors. The action music is deplorably cacophonous; the quieter, piano-based music fares better, but is still extremely repetitive with little variation.

26. Captain Phillips (Henry Jackman)

Director Paul Greengrass apparently created a nightmare for the whole scoring team for this film. He rejected cues left and right, tracked in music from other films, and had a serious case of temp track love. Hans Zimmer was brought in to write a few cues, and it’s difficult to say how much of Jackman’s score remains in the film or album. The final score sadly doesn’t rise above average, though the pulsating action music is not actively obnoxious. It is definitely a lesser entry in Jackman’s otherwise impressive career, but that may not be his fault.

25. GI Joe: Retaliation (Henry Jackman)

Jackman didn’t use any material from Alan Silvestri’s guilty-pleasure score for the original, choosing instead to go heavily electronic. The sounds he uses do create a sense of macho-ness, and the simple main theme is admittedly quite catchy. His music for the ninja sequence in the mountains is more orchestral and fluid, and is my personal favorite part of the soundtrack. Jackman’s experience in the underground electronica world serves him well here, even if the final product is not as good as Silvestri’s score for The Rise of Cobra.

24. Gravity (Steven Price)

Most of this score is necessarily unpleasant and grating—someone on the Internet (I forgot who) characterized it as the THX logo music blaring for an hour. While it is admirable how Price was able to create and manipulate the acoustic and synthetic sounds, it’s still far from an easy listen. The final three cues, however, use an “epic” yet simplistic power anthem to close out director Alfonso Curaon’s remarkable cinematic journey.

23. Toy Story of Terror (Michael Giacchino)

For this half-hour special, GIacchino took over scoring duties from Randy Newman, who scored the three Toy Story features (Mark Mothersbaugh and Henry Jackman scored the shorts). Giacchino’s score matches the pleasant yet anonymous music Newman wrote for the features, but without using any of the themes. It is not until the track “Iguana Be Kidding Me” that Giacchino introduces a stirring, martial theme of his own. Overall, though, it is not one of the talented composer’s better works.

22. Red 2 (Alan Silvestri)

Perhaps to reflect the geriatric nature of the film’s heroes, Silvestri uses dated-sounding synthesizers alongside the orchestra (though it’s certainly not as dated-sounding as his score for Flight of the Navigator). There aren’t any strong or memorable themes, but Silvestri keeps the energy and momentum up for the most part. The best track is probably “Paris Chase,” where one can hear unmistakable Silvestri-isms that make his action writing so relentlessly exhilarating.

21. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (James Newton Howard)

JNH improves a bit upon his score for The Hunger Games, this time creating a melancholy vocal melody for Katniss and some truly propulsive action cues with “The Fog” and “Monkey Mutts.” There’s nothing that matches the outright pathos of “Rue’s Farewell” from the first score, though “The Tour” and “The Arena Crumbles” come close. Although I have come to appreciate the scores for these films, I still think Howard could take them even further; his exemplary track record proves that he can.

Christophe Beck

Canadian Christophe Beck studied under the brilliant Jerry Goldsmith. His first major assignment was for Joss Whedon's classic TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; while Beck did not compose all the music for every episode, he was the primary composer for seasons 2, 3, and 4. In film, Beck has mainly composed for frivolous comedies such as Cheaper by the Dozen, Garfield, A Cinderella Story, Ice Princess, The Pink Panther remake, Fred Claus, Tower Heist, This Means War, Movie 43, and RIPD. Foremost among his comedy assignments in terms of popularity is The Hangover trilogy. However, Beck has also branched out with scores like Elektra, the first Percy Jackson film, and RED. Recently, he has scored a few prestigious Disney films: The Muppets, the animated short Paperman, Ant-Man, and Frozen. For this last film, Beck delivered a solid score and worked on the arrangements of the songs composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2011's Winnie the Pooh, The Book of Mormon, and the Finding Nemo musical at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom). Especially enchanting in Frozen's score is Beck's arrangement of the song "Vuelie," which plays under the film's opening studio logos and title.

Ant-Man
Frozen (Songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
Paperman

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Rodgers and Hammerstein's names are often seen together but, shockingly, they are not the same person. Each had lives and careers before they met each other and each had a different role in the musicals they collaborated on: Rodgers wrote the music and Hammerstein wrote the book and lyrics (except for The Sound of Music, for which Hammerstein wrote the lyrics only). Before meeting Rodgers, Hammerstein worked with Jerome Kern, most notably on Show Boat. Rodgers worked with Lorenz Hart on shows such as A Connecticut Yankee and Babes in Arms; after Hammerstein's death in 1960, Rodgers wrote a few more musicals, most notably Do I Hear a Waltz? with Stephen Sondheim. But together, Rodgers and Hammerstein were unstoppable, churning out the classics Oklahoma, Carousel, State Fair, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music. Even one unfamiliar with these musicals has almost certainly heard songs like "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," "Oklahoma," "Some Enchanted Evening," "I Whistle a Happy Tune," and "Shall We Dance?" Fans of the Liverpool football club (that's soccer to Americans like me) hold the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" near and dear to their hearts--but how many of them know that it's from Carousel, a musical that opened in 1945? Furthermore, how many of these hardcore fans know that the writers of that song also wrote "I Whistle a Happy Tune?" In any case, a football club with a Rodgers and Hammerstein song as its anthem is laudable, and can only add to Liverpool's merits.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's final collaboration was The Sound of Music, the film of which I must admit has a lot of nostalgia value for me. The exuberant songs "The Sound of Music," "Maria," "I Have Confidence," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "The Lonely Goatherd," and "So Long Farewell" are almost frighteningly catchy and irresistible. They are topped off with the stirring "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Edelweiss," the former a transcendent anthem and the latter, which is an original song by Rodgers and Hammerstein and not based on any Austrian folk song, a moving ballad haunting in its subtly graceful simplicity. Okay, so Christopher Plummer didn't like "Edelweiss" because he thought it was too saccharine--as Jiminy Cricket says, "You can't please everybody." If there is one criticism that malcontents have leveled at Rodgers and Hammerstein's songs, it's that they are too syrupy and schmaltzy. I suppose they are guilty as charged, but sweetness and quality are two different things. I'm sure many would prefer a superb, sweet song to an atrocious, gloomy one, but I may be attributing certain people with too much common sense.  Rodgers wrote songs with indubitably exceptional melodies, and Hammerstein wrote the perfect lyrics to match them. Their legacy will be remembered not just by those who value phenomenal musicals, but also by everyday people who have been touched by the songs of these two great men.


The Sound of Music (Film)**

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber is a titan of modern musical theater and a magician of melody. Although his works are not free from controversy, and some of his songs admittedly have suffered from overexposure (especially "Memory"), his hit parade of immensely popular musicals is admirable. He helps support and operate theatrical productions through his Really Useful Group (that's the name of the company; I'm not trying to be hyperbolic here), but it is his music that has touched the hearts and minds of millions. Outside of musical theater, Lloyd Webber's most famous work is his choral Requiem Mass. It includes the song "Pie Jesu," recorded by artists like Sarah Brightman, Sissel, and Marie Osmond; child prodigy Jackie Evancho astonished the world with her beatific interpretation of the already-gorgeous song in 2010. Of course, musical theater is where Lloyd Webber's passion lies: the songs of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Cats are all premier examples of quality music. But even they are eclipsed by The Phantom of the Opera; the semi-tragic romance is brimming with vivid, poignant, sweeping tunes. "Think of Me," "Angel of Music," "The Music of the Night," and "All I Ask of You" all elegantly portray different facets of passionate love with distinct, lush melodies. Of course, the title tune, "The Phantom of the Opera," depicts the heights of mystery and drama, never more so than in the overwhelmingly intense overture for colossal pipe organ and full orchestra. Lloyd Webber's output has slowed recently, but his complete body of work securely cements his place in the history of musical theater.

The Phantom of the Opera (Film)
The Phantom of the Opera (Stage)**

Richard and Robert Sherman

Call them classics or call them ear worms; the best songs of the Sherman Brothers will probably last for as long as people keep singing. Richard and Robert Sherman were the sons of songwriter Al Sherman, who wrote many Tin Pan Alley songs (but don't ask me to sing one he wrote because I don't know any). The brothers became closely associated with the Walt Disney Studios, and many have written that they essentially served as Walt's musical voice. They wrote songs and scores for films like The Parent Trap, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and the original three Winnie the Pooh shorts as well as the non-Disney films Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Charlotte's Web. Mary Poppins is their magnum opus, containing classics like "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Superidontfeelliketypingthewholething," "Chim-Chim-Cher-ee," "Step In Time," and "Let's Go Fly A Kite." My own favorite song from that film is "Feed the Birds," an exquisite, almost heart-wrenching melody that contrasts with the upbeat, bouncy nature of many of the brothers' most popular songs. Speaking of upbeat and bouncy, many of the Sherman Brothers' well-known songs were written for Disneyland and various other Disney parks, where they play to this day. "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," "One Little Spark," "All Aboard the Mine Train," and "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" (yes, the title has three tikis despite the cast saying it five times in the song) all have catchy, delightful, sugary melodies. But their most notorious song is "It's A Small World (After All)," which is an admittedly nice melody when you hear it once. Unfortunately, as anyone who has gone on the ride knows, it plays nonstop for 15 minutes (in the Disneyland version at least; the pathetic Disney World version is shorter). I don't outright hate it as many others seem to, and even the Sherman Brothers themselves have a sense of humor about the song; in one interview (from the Musical History of Disneyland 50th Anniversary set), they quip that their doorbell is set to the song and that they have to pay each other every time they hear it. Robert passed away in 2012, but Richard wrote the song "Make Way For Tomorrow Today" for the film Iron Man 2, proving that he can still write buoyant tunes. Even if you think the Shermans' songs are cloying and saccharine, you still have to admire their talent for creating memorable melodies.

The Jungle Book (score by George Bruns)
Mary Poppins*
Tom Sawyer (with John Williams)

Steven Price

Steven Price was originally a music editor, most notably on the last two Lord of the Rings films (The Two Towers and The Return of the King). He did additional arrangements on Nigel Godrich's score for director Edgar Wright's film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and collaborated with Basement Jaxx on his first score for Attack the Block. Wright subsequently hired Price to score The World's End, the capper of the so-called "Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy" starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (the previous two being Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz). Price's score is a mixture of trip hop-ish beats and standard orchestra, with extremely apt usage of a choir sample from "The Corrosion" by Sisters of Mercy, the favorite band of Pegg's character, Gary King (the actual song plays during the end credits). Price also wrote the score for Alfonso Cuaron's masterfully directed film Gravity; the music basically serves as the film's sound effects. Although it is necessarily abrasive or atmospheric for much of its run time, Price does write some triumphant tunes for the film's final 15 minutes based on tried and true chords that nevertheless prove effective in the film. It's hard to hear if Price has a distinct style, and indeed he is probably still finding his voice. Here's hoping that his music continues to develop and mature, especially if he keeps getting prestigious assignments.

Gravity
The Hunt
Suicide Squad

Jeremy Soule

Jeremy Soule is one of the most prominent and popular composers of video game music today. He got his start composing music for children's games from Humongous Entertainment, including some of the entries in the Putt-Putt, Freddi Fish, and Pajama Sam series. Soule went on to write music for games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Guild Wars series, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, and the first four Harry Potter video games. But his scores for the latest three Elder Scroll games to date (Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim) have raised his profile considerably. While his music for Skyrim doesn't use a full live orchestra (though it does use a real choir), Soule uses his samples effectively to create haunting soundscapes and suggestive melodies that perfectly evoke the Stygian mood of the game.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Ranking the X-Men Film Scores

As far as superhero films go, it has become sadly accepted that there will be no musical continuity between films—it’s become the exception rather than the rule. It’s understandable that reboots like The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Man of Steel, and Christopher Nolan’s Batman would have different scores from the originals (though coincidentally, I didn’t really enjoy the scores from any of these films, especially compared to their predecessors.) Iron Man went from Ramin Djawadi to John Debney to Brian Tyler, with the last two being vastly superior scores to the first, so maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. Nolan’s Batman lost James Newton Howard for the last installment, to its detriment. Thor is going from Patrick Doyle to Brian Tyler and Captain America from Alan Silvestri to Henry Jackman. Perhaps most inexplicable of all, The Amazing Spider-Man is ditching James Horner for Hans Zimmer. And if rumor has it, Tyler may be replacing Silvestri for Avengers: Age of Ultron (or it could be puffery; the original Captain America was rumored to be scored by Michael Giacchino or John Powell at one point). These frustrations are another topic, but the X-Men films were ahead of the curve in that all six were scored by different composers. It has taken seven films for a composer to score two X-Men films with John Ottman slated for X-Men: Days of Future Past. 

With the recent release of The Wolverine, I decided to do a personal ranking of the X-Men film scores. I do not have Marco Beltrami’s score to The Wolverine on CD and only heard it in the film, but there would have to be some pretty epic unused material for me to change its ranking on here.

6. X2: X-Men United (John Ottman)

Ottman’s theme is catchy and rousing, even if the rhythm recalls Henry Mancini’s Lifeforce and the melody is a sped-up variation of Danny Elfman’s Batman. But whenever I listen to the score, I find my mind wandering; most of it sounds like orchestral mush. Things happen and melodic fragments drift here and there, but there’s no discernible structure and the melodies are nebulous and unmemorable. There are apparently themes for Magneto, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler,  Mystique,  and Pyro according to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, but I can’t recall any of them. There’s nothing offensive about the music, but even the main theme doesn’t appear much in the body of the score. The “Suite from X2” contains the best statement of the theme, but only the first 90 seconds and last minute are interesting, with five minutes of noodling in between. One moment I do like is the part is near the end of the film when Xavier, using Cerebro, targets every non-mutant on Earth, and there is an effective, creepy use of pipe organ. But other than that, I don’t really enjoy this score that much.

5. The Wolverine (Marco Beltrami)

Again, I don’t have this score on CD, but I did hear it in the film. I didn’t really pick up on a theme (though from what I’ve read from other reviews, there isn’t really one). It definitely supports the film, but nothing really stood out, apart from sparse use of harmonica in some of the early scenes. Music for the quiet/tender scenes is understated, and the action music is very brutal and somewhat complex—sort of a messier, less structured (and less interesting) version of Elfman’s modern action music. It wasn’t really a theme, but I did like the cue that played during the first part of the end credits (before the extra scene); it really stood out from the rest of the score in a good way. Which was probably why it was in the end credits, but that’s another topic.

4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Harry Gregson-Williams)

This isn’t at the absolute top of HGW’s body of scores. Much of the action cues are ostinato based but, as he often does, HGW makes good use of the choir, with some powerful writing in “The Towers Collapse.” “Agent Zero Comes For Logan” is also a pulse-pounding action cue with electric guitars. “Wade Goes To Work” is the most “modern” sounding cue, with percussive electronics and a backbeat, sort of a toned down version of some of the composer’s Metal Gear Solid material. The best part of the score is a great theme for Logan, introduced in “Logan Through Time,” which plays under the title sequence and is perhaps the best track. HGW’s distinctive choral work melds with the theme, which gets two full plays. It appears again at the beginning of “Adamantium” and gets a charged, final playing in “I’ll Find My Own Way” over ascending string ostinatos. The theme does an admirable job portraying Logan’s stoic loneliness and restrained emotion. There’s also a lovely theme for Kayla Silverfox best heard in “Kayla.” HGW has always been good at these tender themes, heard in the quieter moments of scores like Man on Fire, Spy Game, Veronica Guerin, and the first two Narnia films. Unfortunately, the score also contains a fair amount of droning, filler material. Nevertheless, the themes and action are worth listening to.

3. X-Men (Michael K-Men)

I don’t know the full story behind this score, but I do know that director Bryan Singer only chose Kamen because his regular composer (and editor) John Ottman wasn’t available. I also know that Klaus Badelt overlaid a lot of electronic material over Kamen’s score. I won’t use the term “electronic junk” because some of it actually works fine, particularly in the first part of the end credits and “X-Jet”. Because of these factors, the score probably isn’t quite as good as Kamen was capable of, but it is still a worthy effort. Much of it is low-key, but Kamen does have a very good, simple main theme and an unsettling, slithering motif for Mystique. Kamen fans will definitely recognize his delightful style in “Mutant School,” and a heartfelt theme for oboe in “Logan and Rogue” that he also used for Mr. Holland’s Opus. There’s a yeaning adagio in “Concentration Camp” (reused for the opening of First Class) and exciting action music for the climax of the film. The best statement and expansion of the main theme can be heard during the final scene and first few minutes of the end credits (also heard in abbreviated form in “X-Jet.”) The sparse use of the main theme, subtle nature of many of the cues, and electronic overlays may be a turn-off to some, but there are also undeniable highlights that make one wonder what Kamen would have achieved had he done X2.

2. X-Men: First Class (Henry Jackman)

If you watch the documentary on the Blu-ray, you can see a segment on the score where Jackman explains that his original approach was much more orchestral and full-bodied. Furthermore, the theme for Magneto seems simple because it was originally the bass line for a much more elaborate, James Bond-style theme for the character. Stripped-down as the final score is, it is still highly effective, with a great main theme for the X-Men and a simple, badass theme for Magneto with reams of electrifying action music. Shaw’s motif is similar to Magneto’s, heard in cues like “Sub Lift.” More tender music can be found for Mystique in tracks like “Would You Date Me,” and “To Beast Or Not To Beast.” Magneto’s guitar theme highlights brutal cues such as “Not That Sort Of Bank” and “Frankenstein’s Monster.” Guitar backs the main theme in “X-Training” and the introduction to the New Mutants Division and is given a Russian flavor in the aptly named “Mobilize for Russia.” “Rage and Serenity” features the theme at its emotional height as Erik learns how to harness his power and use it to its fullest extent.

Electronics are also deftly incorporated into the numerous thrilling action cues, from the boat fight and “Rise Up To Rule” to the lengthy final battle. Only half of the music for the final battle (or less) is available on CD, but can be heard on the Blu-ray’s isolated score, including fast-paced, adventurous variations on the main theme, the triumphant “Sub Lift,” dramatic renditions of Magneto’s theme for Shaw’s demise, frantic action for Erik’s final attack, and an adagio of sorts for Charles’s and Erik’s parting of ways. “Magneto” and “First Class” present final, full arrangements of the themes for the end credits. Jackman’s score is always interesting and composed with a sense of class (sorry) made even more impressive by the fact that the building blocks of the score are so simple. I would have loved to hear what he would have done had Vaughn directed Days of Future Past.

1. X-Men: The Last Stand (John Powell)

Powell wrote the best X-Men score for the worst X-Men film, an apocalyptic, raging work filled with relentless action and awesome wonder. It has to be said, before I start the raving, that there are some dull, dead spots in the early part of the score, especially before Xavier’s death. But from then on, it’s pretty much an endless action symphony. Powell wrote four primary themes for the film, each different yet able to exist with each other. The main theme builds off of Ottman’s (which in turn was built off of Kamen’s) and the first phrase bears some resemblance in shape to John Barry’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but not too much. There is a jubilant, soaring theme with two distinct phrases that can be attributed to either Angel or the mutant cure. There is a menacing theme for Magneto often played on brass. And finally there is Phoenix’s theme, a vaguely exotic sounding tune that is accompanied by a women’s choir during its most raging statements. Though much of the score is action, there are effective quieter bits, found in “Angel’s Cure,” “X Funeral,” and “Skating and Rogue Leaves.”

But much of the score, especially in its boisterous latter half, showcases, Powell’s penchant for writing complex, rambunctious, almost out-of-control action music. For instance, witness the flutes 30 seconds before the end of “The Death of X” (there’s similar music in “The Phoenix Arises,” but it’s harder to hear because on top of all that orchestral craziness, there’s a chanting female choir as well.) The 20 minutes from “Building Bridges” to “The Phoenix Arises” is a non-stop maelstrom of orchestral frenzy. About 3-4 minutes or so of this is cut from the CD and in truth a bit of fatigue can set in; there is one phrase based on a shortened version of the main theme that plays just a bit too often in the complete score. But once Phoenix/Jean Grey starts disintegrating everybody, the aforementioned female choir enters and Powell has your full attention again. The album version statement of the title theme (almost identical to the end credit version) uses a rhythm from John Williams’s Superman score, while the more interesting film version draws upon Danny Elfman’s Spider-Man, with its swirling strings along with Powell’s own great use of bass strings and brass. One of the few prominent uses of electronics is the final statement of Phoenix’s theme in the end credits. The score can be slow during the first half and exhausting during the second, but it’s undoubtedly a stellar achievement as yet unmatched in the X-Men cinematic universe.

The Future

John Ottman is set to write the score for X-Men: Days of Future Past. As X2 is my least favorite X-Men score, I’m not too wildly keen on it, but Ottman may surprise me. I will say that superhero scores don’t seem to be Ottman’s forte; his scores for X2, Superman Returns, and the two Fantastic Four films were all underwhelming. On the positive side, I did like his score for Astro Boy, and his work for Jack the Giant Slayer, while not great, proves that Ottman has shown some improvement in the fantasy-adventure genre. I know he probably won’t do this, but I would like him to expand on Jackman’s highly effective Magneto theme from First Class because for the life of me I can’t remember what Ottman himself wrote for the character—and I just finished listening to X2! And I suppose a pleasant surprise from Ottman would be better than a disappointment from Powell or Jackman, but for now, my expectations remain tempered.

See also Ranking the X-Men Films