Soundtrack Releases to Crave!

New From Intrada!

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"Harry In Winter" by Patrick Doyle

Here is a live performance of "Harry in Winter" from the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I thought it was appropriate because we are reaching the close of Winter and this beautiful theme encapsulates the very best feelings this season.

Enjoy.

Perfect Sense by Max Richter

Enjoy this beautiful track from a hidden gem of 2011.

Click HERE to preview and purchase the film score.

Click HERE to learn more about Max Richter at his official website.

Real Steel by Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman's Real Steel score is an attractive, warm and enjoyable film score. It has a bit of magic, as was heard in Elfman's scores for Good Will Hunting and Big Fish, but instead of a celtic or mountain-music feel, he keeps things fresh, yet familiar, with electric guitar, rock beats, full orchestra and even a beautifully understated choir and female soloist. Some of the rock and blues elements nearly give the score a slightly dated sound, as if pulled straight from a mid-90s sports film, but the mix is right.

Elfman's music has a great energy and even a few beautifully chill-inducing moments as featured in the choir-laden "Meet Atom", the brief, yet stirring female vocal in "Parkway Motel" and the exuberant "Final Round".

It is great to hear Elfman getting a chance to once again expand on his gently dramatic sensibilities as heard in "Safe With Me," which gorgeously features an acoustic guitar, piano and light-choir. Real Steel is such a well rounded and beautiful score, the only thing holding this back from being a full four-star effort, in my opinion, is that this sort of music has nearly all been done before. For instance, in "Atom Versus Twin Cities" and "This Is A Brawl" there are moments that sound like they could have been directly lifted from John Powell's Bourne Identity scores. Not to mention the cue "Twin Cities' Intro" sounding remarkably similar to parts of John Powell's Paycheck film score, namely the "21 Items" cue. No matter, Elfman is a class-act and successfully pulls off his own take on the edgy string and electronic beat combo.

Danny Elfman has simply utilized what works. He certainly seems to have come to this project inspired and invigorated and ready to make us feel the same.

Overall ScoreCrave Score: ***1/2

Tracks

1) Charlie Trains Atom ****
2) On The Move ****
3) Into The Zoo **

4) Why We’re Here (feat. vocal by Poe) ***
5) Meet Atom ****
6) It’s Your Choice **
7) Safe With Me ****
8) Atom Versus Twin Cities ****
9) … For A Kiss ***
10. Get In The Truck ***
11) Bonding ****
12) Twin Cities’ Intro ****
13) Parkway Motel (feat. vocal by Poe) ****
14) This Is A Brawl ****
15) You Deserve Better ****
16) Into The Ring ***
17) Taking A Beating ****

18) Final Round *****
19) People’s Champion ****

ScoreCrave Meter:

* : Hated it.

** : It was tolerable.

*** : Liked it.

**** : Really enjoyed it.

***** : Crave it!

Green Lantern by James Newton Howard

I have not been this disappointed in a JNH film score in quite some time. You would think a superhero movie that is inhabited by alien beings, a mystical ring and a mad scientist would be great territory to work in for a film composer.

Apparently, it was not.

Either JNH was completely tied to temp track and was advised to stay away from inspiring super hero themes (or themes period), or it was just that JNH knew this film was horrible, disjointed and cartoonish and wanted to accentuate that fact.

This film score is an unoriginal, directionless effort, lacking in any kind of real emotional connection or satisfying build up.

Amidst the headache inducing cues there is a glimmer of beauty that is worth the download if you are a diehard James Newton Howard fan.

Track 10, "We Are Flying Now", is easily the best cue on the album. It is a not-so-distant cousin of the flying music for JNH's Peter Pan score, though it is entirely too short and under-developed. Like a sweet morsel buried within a Zimmer-esque wall of synth sounds, random beats, loops and electric guitar.

I do have to mention that the brass fanfare for the Green Lantern that shows up prominently in the first track and several moments throughout the score is fairly interesting, but never gets a true chance to flourish, not to mention that it sounds tremendously similar to a Jerry Goldsmith fanfare.

I realize that I have spent a lot of time in this review saying how much bad the score is, but I do have to say that it is not entirely unlistenable, it just okay and that is what is so disappointing. Compared to other James Newton Howard scores such as the epic The Last Airbender, the breathtaking Lady in the Water and the wonderous Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it doesn't hold a candle.

However, if you are a fan of modern, electronic scores penned by Ramin Djawadi, BT and a majority of the members of the Hans Zimmer gang, do check it out. You may find something to enjoy.

Score Crave Rating: ** (out of 5 stars)