The original
Planet of the Apes was an instant
classic in the sci-fi genre the moment it was first released. It stands
among other classics of sci-fi such as Forbidden Planet, 2001: A
Space Odyssey, and Star Wars. It left an indelible mark
on popular culture, and quotes from the film are widely recognized. So, it
was with the planned re-make that many questions arose. Sure, the makeup
effects would undoubtedly look much better, even though the original
film's work was nothing to be ashamed of, but how would this new version
compare?
I feel Tim Burton made the
best step in terming this film as a "re-imagining," going back to the
original novel that the concept was born from and re-interpreting that as
opposed to looking to the original film for inspiration. After all, is it
really a wise thing to attempt to go head-to-head with Rod Serling, who
was one of the primary screenwriters on the first film? Thus, instead of
looking to the film as the primary source of inspiration, it is instead
only referenced in clever ways to gratify fans of the original.
On the musical level, I
wondered how Danny Elfman would approach the scoring of this film. Jerry
Goldsmith's work on the original was quite an avant-garde score that has
garnered both admiration and dismay. His music is definitely a departure
from conventional scoring, and yet it worked well within the context of
the film. I wasn't sure whether Elfman would attempt to embellish the film
with an epic, orchestral film score or whether he would try to emulate
Goldsmith's original work.
The end result is something
that I did not expect at all. It actually combines elements of both styles
that I was expecting, but with the added factor of Elfman's own particular
style of composition. Generally, this is not a conventional film score,
much like Goldsmith's contribution. At the same time, the music is quite
thematic and possesses many moments of orchestral power. It is an
epic score in its own right, but its not what readily comes to mind when
describing it as epic. There have been rumors that have been floating
around the 'Net that pertained to Elfman being asked to re-score portions
of the film to make it sound more "heroic." Whether this is true or not,
the CD was completed before any changes were made to the score so it
reflects Elfman's original intent. Having seen the film, if Elfman was
asked to make changes, I don't think any were actually made.
The biggest feature of this
score is the percussion sections. They pretty much drive this score and
Elfman seems to throw in every experiment of his in percussion elements
and then some. Much like Goldsmith utilized mixing bowls and other
"exotic" instruments for his score, Elfman tosses in everything from synth
elements to beer cans. It can be quite annoying for those not ready for
it, but I found it to be really cool and its nice to hear Elfman composing
something that possesses a lot of primitive force.
The biggest difference
between Goldsmith's score and Elfman's score pertains to this, especially
in track four, The Hunt. This is a scene that is shared between the
two films, although the newer one is much faster paced. Where the original
film was going for the shocking revelation of the apes riding through the
field, the newer film goes straight for the jugular vein. Whereas both cues are
based in the percussion setting, Elfman's is far more driving and frantic.
Both cues are equally great, but they handle elements from the eyes of two
different approaches. I only wish Elfman had utilized the ape-grunt
sounding cuika as a homage to Goldsmith's score.
Despite the heavy reliance
on forceful, driving percussion elements, the score is not without
its more romantic moments. The romantic theme first pops up in track 7 and
it does appear occasionally, although it is used sparingly. Still, it is a
beautiful theme and its appearance is always nice. The only real
disappointment with this score is Paul Oakenfold's techno remix of the
main theme. It's rather bland, and I would rather have had an extra four
minutes of Elfman's score. Still, the CD contains an adequate amount of
music, and I didn't detect any major missing cues from the film.
Ultimately, there will be
the same division of opinion on this score, just like Goldsmith's work on
the original. For those who love Elfman's work, I'm sure they will be more
than pleased with this score. Those who loved the film will probably also
find a good value in this score. On the other hand, if you don't stray
often from the straight-and-narrow, you might want to skip on this one,
especially if loud, percussion-heavy scores are not your thing. In the
end, I found this to be an excellent score that fit the new film perfectly
and that works quite well on its own merits to boot.
*****
