Ah, yes, another
Media Ventures score. You either love Hans Zimmer and crew or you hate 'em.
As for me I've generally enjoyed every score I've heard from them, and this score stands proud among
their other releases. While the style is
squarely in the thriller/action genre there are a lot of nicer moments that
break from the chaotic action and take the time to develop some fantastic choral
pieces.
Actually the whole score is more subdued than
you might believe at first. It doesn't really quite hit the adrenaline
factor that The Rock had, but that only
serves to make it sound more mature. There is one exception (which is the
only non-Zimmer track on the CD) in Devoe's Revenge. It is quite fun
and really has a life of its own. It utilizes a heavy playing of one of the
main themes in the score and the heavy brass along with the laced synth
gives it a really exciting feel.
The thematic use is quite good, and it doesn't
take long to discover that a lot of the themes have a prelude of sorts,
which is cool. Probably on the best standouts from this score, however, is
the terrific choral work. Basically, everything is here, from full men's
choruses to a lone soprano "ahhhing" her way through a style which
is highly reminiscent of that n The
Prince of Egypt. The last track even devotes quite a bit of material
in the opening to the choral pieces, which was a good choice in my
opinion.
If there are any drawbacks to this one, it does
sound derivative every now and then. I was reminded of almost every Zimmer
score I've heard at some point, but I don't mind the outright borrowing from
Horner and this is less of a direct copy than a really similar style. Also,
don't expect anything less than a more mature version of The
Rock. The quieter moments are good, but remember, this is the score
to a thriller action film, so it is still on the loud side. Of course,
this is the reason I like it so much. Zimmer fans need no prodding to pick
this one up. Just do it! *****
