Superman Returns

Track Listing

01 - Main Titles (3:47)

02 - Memories (3:05)

03 - Rough Flight (5:11)

04 - Little Secrets/Power of the Sun (2:47)

05 - Bank Job (2:19)

06 - How Could You Leave Us? (5:47)

07 - Tell Me Everything (3:11)

08 - You're Not One of Them (2:20)

09 - Not Like the Train Set (5:10)

10 - So Long Superman (5:29)

11 - The People You Care For (3:25)

12 - I Wanted You to Know (2:54)

13 - Saving the World (3:10)

14 - In the Hands of Mortals (2:09)

15 - Reprise/Fly Away (4:17)

Orchestrated by John Ottman and Damon Intrabartolo

Conducted by Damon Intrabartolo

Produced by John Ottman

Released by Decca Records on June 27, 2006

Total Running Time: 55:10

Interview with John Ottman on Superman Returns

Even though he was set to deliver the third film in the X-men trilogy, Warner Brothers made Bryan Singer a deal he couldn't refuse. After almost ten years of dormancy, the studio was at last ready to put something in motion and revitalize the Superman film franchise. They saw no better person to take over (after the failed attempts of Kevin Smith, J.J. Abrams, and Brett Ratner) than Bryan Singer. Singer needed no convincing given his longtime desire to direct a Superman film, and he quickly left the Marvel camp, taking other key personnel along for the ride. Part of this group was longtime Singer composer and editor, John Ottman.

Ottman's superhero experience had previously been limited to X2 and Fantastic Four. Even with only two superhero-themed films to his credit, he proved that he could aptly handle the genre. However, for a Superman film, Ottman would be dealing with a classic score, genre notwithstanding, that had been brought to life under the pen of John Williams. Following in Williams' footsteps is no easy task, though he did have Don Davis' Jurassic Park III as evidence that it could be done well. Also working in his favor was that the subsequent Superman films were scored with mostly re-workings of Williams' original material on a much smaller budget. Just on principle alone it wasn't going to be hard to top Ken Thorne's Superman II and III, or Alexander Courage's Superman IV. On the flip-side, the hype was being pumped up about this film before Singer had even shot one frame of footage. Ottman undoubtedly felt the pressure to remain true to his style while appeasing the fans that would be turning a critical ear toward his work.

Superman Returns starts off very well. The main title is performed with great vigor, and I get the impression that the musicians are very excited to be a part of this score. The second refrain of the march ramps up the excitement level even more and is infectious to the extreme. But while Ottman nails it right from the first measure, there is a bit of a disappointment here. The beginning of the main title starts immediately with the introduction to the "Superman March" instead of the "Prelude" music. The "Prelude" was recorded at some point, as it is performed during the Behind-the-Scenes video that is part of this soundtrack, but for some reason it is not included anywhere on CD. Having worn out both the original and John Debney's re-recording, I've always enjoyed having that opening moment right before the main title. In the whole scheme of things it is a small concern, but one I felt was worth noting.

After such an incredible "Main Titles" it's weird to hear the score segue into something that isn't the Krypton sequence. Instead, "Memories" immediately begins the mixing of the scoring styles of Ottman and Williams. It's an interesting mix to be sure, and for the most part it works more often than not. The "Memories" cue is a good intro to this blend and also introduces us to the chorus for this score. Adding a chorus is always a good move, and Ottman uses it well here, including a moment where the chorus performs part of the Superman theme, similar to what Joel McNeely did with the "Imperial March" on Shadows of the Empire. The latter third of this cue finally gets us to some Kryptonian music, also handled with the choir.

The first action cue arrives next with "Rough Flight". Easily the best on the album, "Rough Flight" starts off a little too chaotic for my taste, but after a dark interlude, the opening refrains of the Superman march take over and Ottman then proceeds to build an entire cue around the theme, with moments of hectic orchestra being punctuated by the theme to represent Superman's super deeds. It's truly the presence of the Superman theme that does this cue justice, though the new theme included in the mix is also pretty good. This theme sounds like it may have been something left over from preliminary ideas for the X-men film, though this could be because Powell touches on roughly similar ideas in his score. It still works and while it contrasts slightly because of its modernized construction, it's still in keeping with the spirit of the originals.

The first tease of the love theme takes place immediately afterward with "Little Secrets". And I do mean tease. Throughout the score, the theme is hinted at here and there, but never really allowed to bloom like Williams did in the first movie. I can see this having to be the case given the nature of the storyline, but as someone who really enjoyed those moments from the original, it's frustrating to not have the theme go full-blown until the end of "How Could You Leave Us?" Occasionally, these teases of the "Love Theme" are composed to flow into a different ending, with some of these moments working better than others. On a more positive note, Ottman does provide a different theme that is keeping with the film's idea of love gone awry. It's not ideal, but its a capable substitute.

There is no "March of the Villains" here, which isn't a bad thing by any means. There's not really a theme for Luthor per se, but more of a musical idea that stresses the menace in the character more than the whimsy of his ill-fated sidekicks. It's a welcome change, but one that doesn't lend itself well to the middle of the score. The album feels off, and I'm not sure if the cues are chronologically placed or not. The middle tends to get bogged down in little action and loads of build-up. It finally does come to a head at the end, but not before we've had to plod along through the middle section. It's rather disappointing that the whole score isn't one great listen, but then again, Williams' original does suffer the same fault in places.

The soundtrack by Rhino Records is one of those "enhanced" CD affairs, so when you put it into your computer expect a slow-loading Flash menu to pop up offering you two versions of the Superman Returns trailer, the "Amazing Story of Superman" trailer, and a behind-the scenes video. The video presents Ottman's "Prelude and Main Titles", with the "Prelude" portion having Bryan Singer pontificate on the music. I would have much rather heard from Ottman during this time, and I'm disappointed that with all the exposure Singer already has with this film that we couldn't have heard more from him. Ultimately, it's all just fluff and the space should have been utilized to provide more of the score.

Easily the second best Superman score ever, Ottman is still not quite there yet in regards to creating a classic sound that transcends the genre. While I enjoyed Superman Returns quite a bit, in the end it was really nothing more or less than what I was expecting to hear. It would have been nice if my expectations had been exceeded, but at least it wasn't worse than I thought it would turn out to be. Bottom line? It's solid, but not super.

Reviewed on June 14, 2006