The Amazing Spider-Man
James Horner
" Horner spins a solid web to hold on to "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Considering Spider-Man 4 wasn't strong enough (script wise) to continue the popular Marvel Comics franchise, Sony Pictures insisted early on it was better to reboot the whole franchise immediately, showing once again Hollywood's running out of ideas. Of course the fact popular reboots such as Hulk (The Incredible Hulk) showed it was not unwise to do so, The Amazing Spider-Man was born. In it, Andrew Garfield (of The Social Network fame) became Peter Parker, the boy who would be bitten by a spider, and who would eventually turn into a masked hero, turning New York City into his playground the moment he realizes he can effectively save the people from a threat he created in the first place.
For the music, it wasn't logical to put Danny Elfman back in the web, considering a reboot's all about doing it differently. So director Marc Webb (seriously?) eventually made one of the most solid bets a director can make, namely picking composer James Horner. After all, Horner's one of the few A-list hotshots in Hollywood that can match and over class a big production these days. However, scoring comic book films is definitely a novelty for him, injecting immediately this reboot with a sense of anticipation.
In the end, the effort's worth it. Both film and score shine wonderfully in each specific heroic moment, especially once James Horner unleashes his quality hero theme in the midst of an action scene. We open this album however with portions of this theme, never fully exploding the way we would hear it in those heroic cues, but always with a sense it's dormant in the mind and life of young and adult Peter Parker. In "Main Title / Young Peter", we hear it very quickly on solo trumpet, alongside a constant returning piano melody and loads of electronic accompaniment (which one will appreciate more than the other). The element that will surprise people the most is the vocal accompaniment, especially if it reminds us easily of the blockbuster of several years ago, Avatar.
The second cue shows already a taste of heroic things to come. Not only does it unleash choir and main theme statements, it also delivers several old school Horner fanfares we heard in previous classic scores (the final 30 seconds will please the die hard Horner fan the most). Considering it's (YES) plagiarism, you have to appreciate to hear actual old school Horner music in a today's blockbuster film. Sadly not everything continues that path after that. From tracks 3 to 9, be content to hear comical music (you'll hear finger snapping more than once), mysterious dramatic music centered around the piano theme and constant partial soft theme statements that show Spider-Man is never far away (most notably in the lovely version in "The Ganali Device" and in the powerful "Metamorphosis").
However, we are shaken up by the sudden track "Ben's Death", not only for the feisty electronic pounding in begin and end, but also for the vocal (Dhaffer Youssef) and the dramatic music that supports the sad goodbye of a beloved man. The love theme (how softly and fragmented nonetheless) is a wonderful addition as well, this in "Rooftop Kiss" and "I Can't See You Anymore".
But when it comes down to the action, be warned that not everything is how it appears to be. "The Bridge" focuses more on the soft vocal music when a boy is rescued by just a man than the action by which he saves the people on the bridge, "Lizard at School" has an electronically enhanced main theme action version that some will love more than others, and "Oscorp Tower" features some stunning action music alongside rather chaotic (for the lizard) atonality. But there's one that spins above all the others, namely the excellent "Saving New York", a soaring piece full of Spidy main themes, Avatar vocal work and brief but atonal piano crashes.
But somehow, despite all the terrific music I'm hearing and its amazing effect in the movie, The Amazing Spider-Man doesn't become the experience I was hoping for. Because despite all the effective music, I can't look back at what is heard in the middle of this album. Meaning good music but not selling stuff, nor can I shake this feeling that despite the brilliance of it all, it doesn't wow me like it should. The final piece with its excellent eruption of the main theme ("Promises / End Titles") should have been followed by the even better true end credits piece. Because now it stops rather unwillingly (it has to follow the brief scene in the middle of the credits) an experience with no blow out main theme version, like the true end credits does. All this gives me an experience that's good but not that good, and despite me wishing James Horner's craftsmanship on every single blockbuster movie as of now, I look and see a score that hangs by a thread, IF we think back at what Horner has done before.
Track Listing
1. Main Title / Young Peter (4.55)
2. Becoming Spider-Man (4.16) Excellent track
3. Playing Basketball (1.22)
4. Hunting for Information (2.07)
5. The Briefcase (3.14)
6. The Spider Room / Rumble in the Subway (3.20)
7. Secrets (2.30)
8. The Equation (4.22)
9. The Ganali Device (2.28)
10. Ben's Death (5.41)
11. Metamorphosis (3.04)
12. Rooftop Kiss (2.34)
13. The Bridge (5.15)
14. Peter's Suspicions (3.01)
15. Making a Silk Trap (2.52)
16. Lizard at School (2.57)
17. Saving New York (7.52) Excellent track
18. Oscorp Tower (3.22)
19. "I Can't See You Anymore" (6.50)
20. Promises / End Titles (4.53) Excellent track
Total Length: 76.55
For the music, it wasn't logical to put Danny Elfman back in the web, considering a reboot's all about doing it differently. So director Marc Webb (seriously?) eventually made one of the most solid bets a director can make, namely picking composer James Horner. After all, Horner's one of the few A-list hotshots in Hollywood that can match and over class a big production these days. However, scoring comic book films is definitely a novelty for him, injecting immediately this reboot with a sense of anticipation.
In the end, the effort's worth it. Both film and score shine wonderfully in each specific heroic moment, especially once James Horner unleashes his quality hero theme in the midst of an action scene. We open this album however with portions of this theme, never fully exploding the way we would hear it in those heroic cues, but always with a sense it's dormant in the mind and life of young and adult Peter Parker. In "Main Title / Young Peter", we hear it very quickly on solo trumpet, alongside a constant returning piano melody and loads of electronic accompaniment (which one will appreciate more than the other). The element that will surprise people the most is the vocal accompaniment, especially if it reminds us easily of the blockbuster of several years ago, Avatar.
The second cue shows already a taste of heroic things to come. Not only does it unleash choir and main theme statements, it also delivers several old school Horner fanfares we heard in previous classic scores (the final 30 seconds will please the die hard Horner fan the most). Considering it's (YES) plagiarism, you have to appreciate to hear actual old school Horner music in a today's blockbuster film. Sadly not everything continues that path after that. From tracks 3 to 9, be content to hear comical music (you'll hear finger snapping more than once), mysterious dramatic music centered around the piano theme and constant partial soft theme statements that show Spider-Man is never far away (most notably in the lovely version in "The Ganali Device" and in the powerful "Metamorphosis").
However, we are shaken up by the sudden track "Ben's Death", not only for the feisty electronic pounding in begin and end, but also for the vocal (Dhaffer Youssef) and the dramatic music that supports the sad goodbye of a beloved man. The love theme (how softly and fragmented nonetheless) is a wonderful addition as well, this in "Rooftop Kiss" and "I Can't See You Anymore".
But when it comes down to the action, be warned that not everything is how it appears to be. "The Bridge" focuses more on the soft vocal music when a boy is rescued by just a man than the action by which he saves the people on the bridge, "Lizard at School" has an electronically enhanced main theme action version that some will love more than others, and "Oscorp Tower" features some stunning action music alongside rather chaotic (for the lizard) atonality. But there's one that spins above all the others, namely the excellent "Saving New York", a soaring piece full of Spidy main themes, Avatar vocal work and brief but atonal piano crashes.
But somehow, despite all the terrific music I'm hearing and its amazing effect in the movie, The Amazing Spider-Man doesn't become the experience I was hoping for. Because despite all the effective music, I can't look back at what is heard in the middle of this album. Meaning good music but not selling stuff, nor can I shake this feeling that despite the brilliance of it all, it doesn't wow me like it should. The final piece with its excellent eruption of the main theme ("Promises / End Titles") should have been followed by the even better true end credits piece. Because now it stops rather unwillingly (it has to follow the brief scene in the middle of the credits) an experience with no blow out main theme version, like the true end credits does. All this gives me an experience that's good but not that good, and despite me wishing James Horner's craftsmanship on every single blockbuster movie as of now, I look and see a score that hangs by a thread, IF we think back at what Horner has done before.
Track Listing
1. Main Title / Young Peter (4.55)
2. Becoming Spider-Man (4.16) Excellent track
3. Playing Basketball (1.22)
4. Hunting for Information (2.07)
5. The Briefcase (3.14)
6. The Spider Room / Rumble in the Subway (3.20)
7. Secrets (2.30)
8. The Equation (4.22)
9. The Ganali Device (2.28)
10. Ben's Death (5.41)
11. Metamorphosis (3.04)
12. Rooftop Kiss (2.34)
13. The Bridge (5.15)
14. Peter's Suspicions (3.01)
15. Making a Silk Trap (2.52)
16. Lizard at School (2.57)
17. Saving New York (7.52) Excellent track
18. Oscorp Tower (3.22)
19. "I Can't See You Anymore" (6.50)
20. Promises / End Titles (4.53) Excellent track
Total Length: 76.55