Finishing the Game
Brian Tyler
" Finally, something new of Brian Tyler "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the download only release
Finishing the Game is a mockumentary, focusing on the sudden death of Bruce Lee before finishing his movie The Game of Death. Due to the sudden death, the movie only had 12 minutes of footage, and it was intended to use a body double to finish the remaining scenes in honor of Bruce Lee. Justin Lin, the director of Annapolis and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift was apparently quite pleased with the work of composer Brian Tyler on those movies, for Finishing the Game became the third collaboration between director and composer. And though composer Tyler has been attacked for delivering the same sound for his action movies, somehow he shows a whole different ballgame when he has to score something else.
I mean, Finishing the Game is not what you would expect. Think funky, think electronic accompaniment, think jazzy, probably even think Shaft? Yes, it's obvious after a while that Finishing the game could be seen as an ode to Shaft as well, but that doesn't make the effort of Tyler here any less commendable. It's a style you have to appreciate, but considering the lackluster approach of Tyler in action scores, think of this as a wonderful refreshing step in the right direction. The funky opening of "Finishing the Game", the Shaft like beats of "Golden Gate Guns", the saxophone of "Breeze Funktorium Reject", the electric guitar coolness of "Real Deal" and "I Ain't Gonna Do Your Laundry", the laid back jazz of "Poon, Troy Poon", the ethnic and electronic effects of "Fists of Führer", the soft guitar and flute tones in "My Name is Raja" or the exotic taste of the guitar in "Olie and Cesar", the score rarely focuses on development, but it's a relaxing experience nonetheless.
Finishing the Game continues to surprise the audience from the first to the last minute. It doesn't contain the typical Brian Tyler orchestral style. In fact it holds his cool edge of scores such as Bubba Ho-Tep, making the listen quite entertaining but nothing more. Like Shaft, it's background material but without a returning main theme, and without any development for a specific scene (the only exceptions would be 10 and 15 that actually have to support a scene in motion). It's like the perfect background experience, because it doesn't need to follow any direct approach in the film, just underscore it. Making the score for the people who love a little bit of Shaft funkiness in their music a nice surprise of composer Brian Tyler.
Track Listing
1. Finishing the Game (2.15)
2. Ready or Not (2.35)
3. Muthalongah (2.29)
4. Golden Gate Guns (1.29)
5. Breeze Funktorium Reject (1.54)
6. Real Deal (1.31)
7. Sizzle Style (1.23)
8. Get on the Bus (2.23)
9. Poon, Troy Poon (2.21)
10. Fists of Führer (4.01)
11. Get Down Saranghina (1.54)
12. My Name is Raja (2.25)
13. Battle of the Giants (1.26)
14. Olie and Cesar (2.10)
15. Master the Past (2.10)
16. I Ain't Gonna Do Your Laundry (1.44)
17. Golden Gate Guns Intro (0.39)
18. Astroduck (3.20)
19. Get On the Breeze Pocket (3.09)
20. Railroad Worker * (0.59)
* Dialogue
Total Length: 42.17
I mean, Finishing the Game is not what you would expect. Think funky, think electronic accompaniment, think jazzy, probably even think Shaft? Yes, it's obvious after a while that Finishing the game could be seen as an ode to Shaft as well, but that doesn't make the effort of Tyler here any less commendable. It's a style you have to appreciate, but considering the lackluster approach of Tyler in action scores, think of this as a wonderful refreshing step in the right direction. The funky opening of "Finishing the Game", the Shaft like beats of "Golden Gate Guns", the saxophone of "Breeze Funktorium Reject", the electric guitar coolness of "Real Deal" and "I Ain't Gonna Do Your Laundry", the laid back jazz of "Poon, Troy Poon", the ethnic and electronic effects of "Fists of Führer", the soft guitar and flute tones in "My Name is Raja" or the exotic taste of the guitar in "Olie and Cesar", the score rarely focuses on development, but it's a relaxing experience nonetheless.
Finishing the Game continues to surprise the audience from the first to the last minute. It doesn't contain the typical Brian Tyler orchestral style. In fact it holds his cool edge of scores such as Bubba Ho-Tep, making the listen quite entertaining but nothing more. Like Shaft, it's background material but without a returning main theme, and without any development for a specific scene (the only exceptions would be 10 and 15 that actually have to support a scene in motion). It's like the perfect background experience, because it doesn't need to follow any direct approach in the film, just underscore it. Making the score for the people who love a little bit of Shaft funkiness in their music a nice surprise of composer Brian Tyler.
Track Listing
1. Finishing the Game (2.15)
2. Ready or Not (2.35)
3. Muthalongah (2.29)
4. Golden Gate Guns (1.29)
5. Breeze Funktorium Reject (1.54)
6. Real Deal (1.31)
7. Sizzle Style (1.23)
8. Get on the Bus (2.23)
9. Poon, Troy Poon (2.21)
10. Fists of Führer (4.01)
11. Get Down Saranghina (1.54)
12. My Name is Raja (2.25)
13. Battle of the Giants (1.26)
14. Olie and Cesar (2.10)
15. Master the Past (2.10)
16. I Ain't Gonna Do Your Laundry (1.44)
17. Golden Gate Guns Intro (0.39)
18. Astroduck (3.20)
19. Get On the Breeze Pocket (3.09)
20. Railroad Worker * (0.59)
* Dialogue
Total Length: 42.17