Green Lantern: First Flight
Robert J. Kral
" acceptable and entertaining in its moments "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release
Green Lantern: First Flight is a direct-to-video animated film adaptation of the DC Comics Green Lantern mythology. Centering on the first mission of Hal Jordan, the first human inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, the film is written by veteran DC Comics animation collaborator Alan Burnett. The music is composed by Robert J. Kral, a frequent name in these kinds of animated storytelling's (Batman: Gotham Knight, Superman / Doomsday).
It was fairly obvious you couldn't expect a big budget sound from these kinds of projects, but I remembered how well Robert Kral tried to make the most of it during the previous scores. And in a way he has succeeded once again. Green Lantern sounds decent enough, and even strikes gold on certain occasions.
That occasion will surely be every time the main theme gets some air time on the CD, because it is literally excellent heroic stuff. Inspired by the Doctor Who theme, it opens and closes the album with gusto, whooshes and a lot of heroic spunk, making the most of "Green Lantern: First Flight Main Title" and "Green Lantern Closing Credits".
In between the themes performances, Kral tries to keep the score interesting enough by bringing us music that successfully tells the journey of Hal Jordan. During the underscore of "Hal Meets the Lanterns / The Flight to Oa", feelings of Crimson Tide pop up while "Labella's Club" comes over as the most daring (read interesting) attempt of the entire CD. Basically a hypnotic piece, they wanted to bring a club's dance mix with electronics, creating a disturbing yet highly effective cue.
The action music itself is mostly rhythmic, yet works to please you once suspense is used to heighten the cue ("The Weaponers / Sinestro Transforms" and "The New Power Arrives"), while fanfares add another dimension to the action sound in "Revival of the Green Lantern", "Asteroid Battle" and "Ring Against Ring" (definitely the better moments of the disc).
Because between all the action and main theme moments still lies a hefty doses of moody underscore, which isn't exactly exciting all the time. It fits the bill and adds the right doses of effective moods, but one track will bore you more than the other. Luckily that middle part is forgotten once Kral re-enters the atmosphere with his theme or fanfares.
And that ladies and gentlemen makes Green Lantern: First Flight still acceptable and entertaining in its moments. Like the previous scores of La-La Land that came before it (Justice League, Batman: Gotham Knight), Green Lantern: First Flight is for an audience, namely the audience that actually saw these animated movies. Yet Kral's music (like the efforts before) still holds the class to keep it effective and entertaining in its listening experience for most of us.
Tracklisting
1. Green Lantern: First Flight Main Title (2.05) Excellent track
2. The Ring Chooses Hall (4.42)
3. Hal Meets the Lanterns / The Flight to Oa (3.45)
4. Labella's Club (3.30)
5. Going after Cuch (3.03)
6. The Way I Heard It (2.22)
7. Bugs in the Baggage (4.16)
8. Teleport Pursuit (2.29)
9. Brutal Attack / The Fate of Kanjar Ro (3.53)
10. Relinquishing the Ring (1.19)
11. Back from the Dead / Boodikka Turns (5.54)
12. The Weaponers / Sinestro Transforms (4.29)
13. The New Power Arrives (2.37)
14. The Corps Fights Sinestro (2.47)
15. The Corps Falls (1.39)
16. Revival of the Green Lantern (2.30)
17. Asteroid Battle (2.50)
18. Ring Against Ring (3.05)
19. The Green Lantern Pledge (1.02)
20. Green Lantern Closing Credits (3.05)
Total Length: 61.22
It was fairly obvious you couldn't expect a big budget sound from these kinds of projects, but I remembered how well Robert Kral tried to make the most of it during the previous scores. And in a way he has succeeded once again. Green Lantern sounds decent enough, and even strikes gold on certain occasions.
That occasion will surely be every time the main theme gets some air time on the CD, because it is literally excellent heroic stuff. Inspired by the Doctor Who theme, it opens and closes the album with gusto, whooshes and a lot of heroic spunk, making the most of "Green Lantern: First Flight Main Title" and "Green Lantern Closing Credits".
In between the themes performances, Kral tries to keep the score interesting enough by bringing us music that successfully tells the journey of Hal Jordan. During the underscore of "Hal Meets the Lanterns / The Flight to Oa", feelings of Crimson Tide pop up while "Labella's Club" comes over as the most daring (read interesting) attempt of the entire CD. Basically a hypnotic piece, they wanted to bring a club's dance mix with electronics, creating a disturbing yet highly effective cue.
The action music itself is mostly rhythmic, yet works to please you once suspense is used to heighten the cue ("The Weaponers / Sinestro Transforms" and "The New Power Arrives"), while fanfares add another dimension to the action sound in "Revival of the Green Lantern", "Asteroid Battle" and "Ring Against Ring" (definitely the better moments of the disc).
Because between all the action and main theme moments still lies a hefty doses of moody underscore, which isn't exactly exciting all the time. It fits the bill and adds the right doses of effective moods, but one track will bore you more than the other. Luckily that middle part is forgotten once Kral re-enters the atmosphere with his theme or fanfares.
And that ladies and gentlemen makes Green Lantern: First Flight still acceptable and entertaining in its moments. Like the previous scores of La-La Land that came before it (Justice League, Batman: Gotham Knight), Green Lantern: First Flight is for an audience, namely the audience that actually saw these animated movies. Yet Kral's music (like the efforts before) still holds the class to keep it effective and entertaining in its listening experience for most of us.
Tracklisting
1. Green Lantern: First Flight Main Title (2.05) Excellent track
2. The Ring Chooses Hall (4.42)
3. Hal Meets the Lanterns / The Flight to Oa (3.45)
4. Labella's Club (3.30)
5. Going after Cuch (3.03)
6. The Way I Heard It (2.22)
7. Bugs in the Baggage (4.16)
8. Teleport Pursuit (2.29)
9. Brutal Attack / The Fate of Kanjar Ro (3.53)
10. Relinquishing the Ring (1.19)
11. Back from the Dead / Boodikka Turns (5.54)
12. The Weaponers / Sinestro Transforms (4.29)
13. The New Power Arrives (2.37)
14. The Corps Fights Sinestro (2.47)
15. The Corps Falls (1.39)
16. Revival of the Green Lantern (2.30)
17. Asteroid Battle (2.50)
18. Ring Against Ring (3.05)
19. The Green Lantern Pledge (1.02)
20. Green Lantern Closing Credits (3.05)
Total Length: 61.22