Fast Five
Brian Tyler
" Tyler goes for a fifth round, doing his same routine "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Fast Five (the fifth in the popular Fast and Furious movies) became the one that changed it all for good. Not only did it deliberately change the formula from street racing to typical chases, it also formed a thundering combination of muscles, looks and charisma. The pairing of two heavyweights (Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel) was a masterful move and the abandoning of the pimped street racing turned this franchise into a powerful no nonsense action spectacle. The critics and audiences reacted in unison, calling it the best of the series, the most popular and the most financial profitable one. Needless to say, Fast Five is 5 times better than the second and third.
For Justin Lin, Fast Five was his 3rd movie in the franchise, the same number for composer Brian Tyler as well. Of course where Lin goes, Tyler follows and his no nonsense orchestral score shows 80 minutes of Tyler doing his (sadly) regular routine. Again what's written here is perfect for the film, even downright enjoyable. But too much ain't a good thing and the charm quickly fades away once you realize it will not deliver anything new. If you can stand that, and don't look down at 80 minutes of it, you'll probably enjoy what Fast Five throws at you.
Of course it also means, accept the album presentation for what it is. Not opening in film order but with the new action motif for this film, "Fast Five" is typical Brian Tyler action enthusiasm. Written to suit any good action movie, it will leave a smile or a tear on your face if you realize it's Tyler in a nutshell. Following we have the lovely "Cristo Redentor" that opens the film, a breeze to listen to. Johnson's character gets a cool edge as his character unfolds in "Hobbs", and there's lots of underscore for the planning of the heist ("Remote Intel", "Tapping In", "What Time Do They Open?") that doesn't sound remotely interesting. The final track in the movie "Paradise" is even placed in the middle, showing Fast Five is actually a lot weaker when we detract the action music from the album.
But we can't do that, because action is of course the key word in Fast Five, and there are several that hold nothing back. "Train Heist", "Convergence", "Dom Vs. Hobbs" and "The Vault Heist" (definitely the most exhilarating one of them all) are highly enjoyable but nothing we haven't heard from him yet. It features sharply written action music, enough enhanced electronic effects and lots of action motifs to please the die hard Tyler nut. I know it's familiar territory, but if we hear other blockbuster scores trying to deliver some kind of approachable action material and fail miserably, I applaud Tyler here for at least delivering it big and bold, even if it's so familiar for the trained ear.
In short, it's way too long for repeated listens, it's too familiar for the Tyler haters and it's perfect for the Tyler lovers. Fast Five seems to deliver everything we expect from him, a phrase that surely belongs for a lot of his scores. Luckily it fits the movie and it delivers at least orchestral pleasing music that surpasses most of today's blockbuster scores. Take it or leave it.
Track Listing
1. Fast Five (3.03)
2. The Perfect Crew (2.02)
3. Cristo Redentor (2.40)
4. Train Heist (8.36)
5. Remote Intel (2.21)
6. Hobbs (3.01)
7. Showdown on the Rio Niteroi (1.37)
8. Tapping In (1.36)
9. Turning Point (3.47)
10. Surveillance Montage (2.28)
11. Enemy of my Enemy (3.36)
12. Tego and Rico (2.51)
13. Hobbs Arrives (1.54)
14. Convergence (5.45)
15. Paradise (1.45)
16. Finding the Chip (1.07)
17. What Time Do They Open? (1.35)
18. Dom Vs. Hobbs (3.08)
19. Bus Busting (1.30)
20. Cheeky Bits (2.40)
21. The Job (1.37)
22. Connection (4.23)
23. The Vault Heist (9.51) Excellent track
24. Full Circle (3.29)
25. Fast Five Coda (0.51)
Total Length: 77.13
For Justin Lin, Fast Five was his 3rd movie in the franchise, the same number for composer Brian Tyler as well. Of course where Lin goes, Tyler follows and his no nonsense orchestral score shows 80 minutes of Tyler doing his (sadly) regular routine. Again what's written here is perfect for the film, even downright enjoyable. But too much ain't a good thing and the charm quickly fades away once you realize it will not deliver anything new. If you can stand that, and don't look down at 80 minutes of it, you'll probably enjoy what Fast Five throws at you.
Of course it also means, accept the album presentation for what it is. Not opening in film order but with the new action motif for this film, "Fast Five" is typical Brian Tyler action enthusiasm. Written to suit any good action movie, it will leave a smile or a tear on your face if you realize it's Tyler in a nutshell. Following we have the lovely "Cristo Redentor" that opens the film, a breeze to listen to. Johnson's character gets a cool edge as his character unfolds in "Hobbs", and there's lots of underscore for the planning of the heist ("Remote Intel", "Tapping In", "What Time Do They Open?") that doesn't sound remotely interesting. The final track in the movie "Paradise" is even placed in the middle, showing Fast Five is actually a lot weaker when we detract the action music from the album.
But we can't do that, because action is of course the key word in Fast Five, and there are several that hold nothing back. "Train Heist", "Convergence", "Dom Vs. Hobbs" and "The Vault Heist" (definitely the most exhilarating one of them all) are highly enjoyable but nothing we haven't heard from him yet. It features sharply written action music, enough enhanced electronic effects and lots of action motifs to please the die hard Tyler nut. I know it's familiar territory, but if we hear other blockbuster scores trying to deliver some kind of approachable action material and fail miserably, I applaud Tyler here for at least delivering it big and bold, even if it's so familiar for the trained ear.
In short, it's way too long for repeated listens, it's too familiar for the Tyler haters and it's perfect for the Tyler lovers. Fast Five seems to deliver everything we expect from him, a phrase that surely belongs for a lot of his scores. Luckily it fits the movie and it delivers at least orchestral pleasing music that surpasses most of today's blockbuster scores. Take it or leave it.
Track Listing
1. Fast Five (3.03)
2. The Perfect Crew (2.02)
3. Cristo Redentor (2.40)
4. Train Heist (8.36)
5. Remote Intel (2.21)
6. Hobbs (3.01)
7. Showdown on the Rio Niteroi (1.37)
8. Tapping In (1.36)
9. Turning Point (3.47)
10. Surveillance Montage (2.28)
11. Enemy of my Enemy (3.36)
12. Tego and Rico (2.51)
13. Hobbs Arrives (1.54)
14. Convergence (5.45)
15. Paradise (1.45)
16. Finding the Chip (1.07)
17. What Time Do They Open? (1.35)
18. Dom Vs. Hobbs (3.08)
19. Bus Busting (1.30)
20. Cheeky Bits (2.40)
21. The Job (1.37)
22. Connection (4.23)
23. The Vault Heist (9.51) Excellent track
24. Full Circle (3.29)
25. Fast Five Coda (0.51)
Total Length: 77.13