Speed 2: Cruise Control
Mark Mancina
" So much more faster than the previous speed, eh the score that is "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
In the great tradition of very popular blockbusters, Speed had to get a sequel. Considering the budget of the movie went over a 100 million dollars, producers believed Speed 2 could do as good as Speed did. But just like in the great tradition of sequels, Speed 2: Cruise Control didn't live up to its expectations.
The absence of Keanu Reeves (by that destroying the wonderful chemistry between him and Sandra Bullock) was larger than anticipated. Also the absence of a 50mph speed limit made sure the thrill was equally gone. So Speed 2: Cruise Control became nothing more than a fun dumb entertainment ride which for better or worse had one good thing returning, namely composer Mark Mancina.
Luckily where sequels usually can't live up to the whole anticipation, scores do tend to become better than their predecessors, this because themes are re-used and developed, while new themes are thrown in the mix. So if you loved Speed, you're going to adore Speed 2: Cruise Control.
For a large while, Speed 2 was only available on bootleg format. But considering La-La Land is doing such a wonderful job with releasing holy grails these days, Speed 2 couldn't stay behind. This limited edition has even the honour of presenting 30 more minutes of music than the bootleg version. The only question was, was it going to be any good?
Having heard the bootleg and now the expanded score, I can honestly say that there was no reason to even think Speed 2 wasn't going to hack it. I'm saying of all the 14 tracks, only one track came down as partially boring (namely "Overboard"), this because it houses the most of the eerie underscore of the film. The great thing about this score is that you get familiar themes and new exciting themes in a 70 minute roller coaster ride on water.
Mancina adds 4 good themes to already 2 successful returning ones. If you decide to stop listening for about even 1 minute, it's possible you've already missed a dozen statements in the outcome. "Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare / Motorcycle Chase" starts interestingly enough with the 20th famous fanfare before his own music flawlessly mixes itself with the action theme of this score, a wonderful staggering brass motif which is just so darn cool. It gets several visits of the main theme and the action theme of the first film after that, enough for you to remember it is still all about the need for speed.
A lovely bouncy new love theme (considering there's a new love in Annie's life) makes your acquaintance in "Alex and Annie / Caribbean Cruise", "Reunion" and "Cruising". Hell, it even transforms itself into an action version once, this in "The Harbor". Yet besides a new love, there's a new villain as well, and Geiger gets a new villain theme too. It's heard a lot of times during the score. First it opens "Engine Room", it later threatens "Overboard" a bit before it appears at least once in several tracks later on. Considering it's pretty standard yet fun, you'll find it catchy enough for the ride.
But Speed 2 isn't about suspense, it's about speed, rhythm and ... well speed. Meaning what you see is what you get. "Goodbye Alex" becomes a great track because it brings forth variations on the original main theme, the new action theme and Geiger's threatening theme, all while more hints from the first Speed turn up in "Tanker Turn", including several minutes of already heard material.
But the greatest new thing about Speed 2 is the score's all new heroic theme. This baby is just too good to be true. It makes its first appearance in "Last Lifeboat", returns to please the audience in "Tanker Turn" and "The Harbor", before delivering an all round firework display in the score's most entertaining track "Final Chase". Like the amazing "Escape", this track is a roller coaster experience that delivers you seven minutes of nothing but theme statements. When one theme ends, another one continues. It houses the new action theme, the old action theme, Geiger's theme, the main theme and the new heroic theme, this all in a fluent experience that will knock your socks off.
Truth be told, this score is just Mark Mancina delivering a better score than what he delivered for Speed in 1994. Back then, it was all about the moments, here it's all about the experience. Old themes meet new themes and stand the test of time in rhythmic crowd pleasers. This is what was good about Media Ventures back then. Speed 2: Cruise Control is a reminder that not all they did was bad, and it makes me miss Mark Mancina even more. Thanks to La-La Land, I can ease my pain with Speed's most rousing answer, this from now on on a pair of water skies instead of on a bus.
Tracklisting
1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare / Motorcycle Chase (4.18) Excellent track
2. Alex and Annie / Caribbean Cruise (4.42)
3. Engine Room (5.03)
4. Overboard (8.40)
5. Last Lifeboat (7.01)
6. Goodbye Alex (4.07) Excellent track
7. Reunion (2.44)
8. Tanker Turn (5.02)
9. Geiger Grabs Annie (1.48)
10. Escape (7.32) Excellent track
11. The Harbor (7.16)
12. Final Chase (7.23) Excellent track
13. Underwater Rescue (1.47)
14. Cruising (2.59)
Total Length: 70.16
The absence of Keanu Reeves (by that destroying the wonderful chemistry between him and Sandra Bullock) was larger than anticipated. Also the absence of a 50mph speed limit made sure the thrill was equally gone. So Speed 2: Cruise Control became nothing more than a fun dumb entertainment ride which for better or worse had one good thing returning, namely composer Mark Mancina.
Luckily where sequels usually can't live up to the whole anticipation, scores do tend to become better than their predecessors, this because themes are re-used and developed, while new themes are thrown in the mix. So if you loved Speed, you're going to adore Speed 2: Cruise Control.
For a large while, Speed 2 was only available on bootleg format. But considering La-La Land is doing such a wonderful job with releasing holy grails these days, Speed 2 couldn't stay behind. This limited edition has even the honour of presenting 30 more minutes of music than the bootleg version. The only question was, was it going to be any good?
Having heard the bootleg and now the expanded score, I can honestly say that there was no reason to even think Speed 2 wasn't going to hack it. I'm saying of all the 14 tracks, only one track came down as partially boring (namely "Overboard"), this because it houses the most of the eerie underscore of the film. The great thing about this score is that you get familiar themes and new exciting themes in a 70 minute roller coaster ride on water.
Mancina adds 4 good themes to already 2 successful returning ones. If you decide to stop listening for about even 1 minute, it's possible you've already missed a dozen statements in the outcome. "Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare / Motorcycle Chase" starts interestingly enough with the 20th famous fanfare before his own music flawlessly mixes itself with the action theme of this score, a wonderful staggering brass motif which is just so darn cool. It gets several visits of the main theme and the action theme of the first film after that, enough for you to remember it is still all about the need for speed.
A lovely bouncy new love theme (considering there's a new love in Annie's life) makes your acquaintance in "Alex and Annie / Caribbean Cruise", "Reunion" and "Cruising". Hell, it even transforms itself into an action version once, this in "The Harbor". Yet besides a new love, there's a new villain as well, and Geiger gets a new villain theme too. It's heard a lot of times during the score. First it opens "Engine Room", it later threatens "Overboard" a bit before it appears at least once in several tracks later on. Considering it's pretty standard yet fun, you'll find it catchy enough for the ride.
But Speed 2 isn't about suspense, it's about speed, rhythm and ... well speed. Meaning what you see is what you get. "Goodbye Alex" becomes a great track because it brings forth variations on the original main theme, the new action theme and Geiger's threatening theme, all while more hints from the first Speed turn up in "Tanker Turn", including several minutes of already heard material.
But the greatest new thing about Speed 2 is the score's all new heroic theme. This baby is just too good to be true. It makes its first appearance in "Last Lifeboat", returns to please the audience in "Tanker Turn" and "The Harbor", before delivering an all round firework display in the score's most entertaining track "Final Chase". Like the amazing "Escape", this track is a roller coaster experience that delivers you seven minutes of nothing but theme statements. When one theme ends, another one continues. It houses the new action theme, the old action theme, Geiger's theme, the main theme and the new heroic theme, this all in a fluent experience that will knock your socks off.
Truth be told, this score is just Mark Mancina delivering a better score than what he delivered for Speed in 1994. Back then, it was all about the moments, here it's all about the experience. Old themes meet new themes and stand the test of time in rhythmic crowd pleasers. This is what was good about Media Ventures back then. Speed 2: Cruise Control is a reminder that not all they did was bad, and it makes me miss Mark Mancina even more. Thanks to La-La Land, I can ease my pain with Speed's most rousing answer, this from now on on a pair of water skies instead of on a bus.
Tracklisting
1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare / Motorcycle Chase (4.18) Excellent track
2. Alex and Annie / Caribbean Cruise (4.42)
3. Engine Room (5.03)
4. Overboard (8.40)
5. Last Lifeboat (7.01)
6. Goodbye Alex (4.07) Excellent track
7. Reunion (2.44)
8. Tanker Turn (5.02)
9. Geiger Grabs Annie (1.48)
10. Escape (7.32) Excellent track
11. The Harbor (7.16)
12. Final Chase (7.23) Excellent track
13. Underwater Rescue (1.47)
14. Cruising (2.59)
Total Length: 70.16