Another 48 Hrs.
James Horner
" 48 Hrs. revisited "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Sequels are always made once the original did good (read made shitloads of money). So no surprise then that Another 48 Hrs. continued the winning combination of grumpy (Nolte) and foul mouthy (Murphy) in a movie directed by Walter Hill. And as it supposed to be, all the important crew members returned, so to James Horner. For 48 Hrs., James was starting to make a name for himself. During Another 48 Hrs., that name was already made. So on this movie he didn't have to prove himself, he just needed to continue what's been done successfully in the first.
So expect Commando to return in "Main Title", though slightly less suspenseful and more laid back (even with a noticeable appearance of the shakuhachi). The saxophone (a returning element as well) was already heard in the opening track, but in "King Mei Shootout" it goes Sneakers beyond anything else, before it all turns dark, moody and suspenseful with the percussion and synths. And no surprise really that another element (the Jamaican sound) returns as well, most notably in "Birdcage Battle" when it supports the suspenseful beats and trumpet shrills. That with the new songs of the movie deliver us in the end exactly the same listening experience as the first.
In a way, I hate giving this soundtrack a lower rating, considering it does everything 48 Hrs. did. But that's also the problem considering it doesn't change a thing, litterally. Building and continuing on the sound of the original is a necessity, but tweaking it a little bit is equally important. Another theme or subtheme could have been a simple solution. Here the 4 selections are obviously not the bulk of Horner's composed score, but what we receive is everything the original did. So no surprises at all, and I can totally enjoy Another 48 Hrs. as a standalone listen. But it's not logical to buy it, if you already have 48 Hrs. or something (Commando) in this vein.
Track Listing
1. The Boys Are Back in Town: Jesse Johnson (4.01)
2. Give it All You Got: Curio (4.37)
3. I Just Can't Let it End: Curio (3.52)
4. I've Got my Eye on You: Curio (3.41)
5. The Courthouse (3.19)
6. Main Title (4.11)
7. King Mei Shootout (7.36)
8. Birdcage Battle (4.45)
9. I'll Never Get You Out of this World Alive: Michael Stanton (2.24)
Total Length: 38.26
So expect Commando to return in "Main Title", though slightly less suspenseful and more laid back (even with a noticeable appearance of the shakuhachi). The saxophone (a returning element as well) was already heard in the opening track, but in "King Mei Shootout" it goes Sneakers beyond anything else, before it all turns dark, moody and suspenseful with the percussion and synths. And no surprise really that another element (the Jamaican sound) returns as well, most notably in "Birdcage Battle" when it supports the suspenseful beats and trumpet shrills. That with the new songs of the movie deliver us in the end exactly the same listening experience as the first.
In a way, I hate giving this soundtrack a lower rating, considering it does everything 48 Hrs. did. But that's also the problem considering it doesn't change a thing, litterally. Building and continuing on the sound of the original is a necessity, but tweaking it a little bit is equally important. Another theme or subtheme could have been a simple solution. Here the 4 selections are obviously not the bulk of Horner's composed score, but what we receive is everything the original did. So no surprises at all, and I can totally enjoy Another 48 Hrs. as a standalone listen. But it's not logical to buy it, if you already have 48 Hrs. or something (Commando) in this vein.
Track Listing
1. The Boys Are Back in Town: Jesse Johnson (4.01)
2. Give it All You Got: Curio (4.37)
3. I Just Can't Let it End: Curio (3.52)
4. I've Got my Eye on You: Curio (3.41)
5. The Courthouse (3.19)
6. Main Title (4.11)
7. King Mei Shootout (7.36)
8. Birdcage Battle (4.45)
9. I'll Never Get You Out of this World Alive: Michael Stanton (2.24)
Total Length: 38.26