The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Randy Edelman
" There isn't a bigger difference between the music of Goldsmith or Silvestri than Edelman's style. "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The Mummy-saga is slowly fading into the depths where Stephen Sommers took it out from. With The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Sommers gave summer blockbusters a new defining edge, presenting overblown entertainment in a fantastic special effects laden story. It furthermore contained characters who were fun, loveable and devious. With the departure of director and some important cast members (Rachel Weisz, Oded Fehr) the saga was slowly losing appeal. Enter Rob Cohen to make sure mummies have an Eastern background. With Cohen usually Randy Edelman is on board, despite being absent on the last movies Cohen directed. There is something about Edelman and action music that doesn't quite match. The Mummy 3 gave him a serious reason to make us change our minds.
Of course, you can not have a bigger difference between the music of Goldsmith or Silvestri than Edelman's style. Even if Edelman stretches a few bars in this soundtrack, the sound is basically for me the same for what he composed for Dragonheart. It has the same tone and the same weight. It only lacks the wonderful quality that Dragonheart did possess, namely the magic.
Nonetheless, we must focus upon the subject matter at hand, and that is the tone for The Mummy 3. First of all, I don't like it when albums start with the main theme. It gives us the feeling the adventure has already begun. Indiana Jones 4 did it, now The Mummy 3 does the same with the theme everybody's talking about. "A Call to Adventure (Theme from Mummy 3)" is a typical Edelman tune, sprightly and it does have a catchy ring to it. But does it fit in the whole Mummy universe? I doubt it ever will!
A secondary theme (Yang's theme) in "Silently Yearning for Centuries" is a much more suitable way to open the score. The warm sound of the violin is extremely loveable and this sounds much more enchanting than the undeniable sprightly main theme. A mysterious edge during "Open Wound" unleashes another theme, but this is more a variation on the secondary theme.
While the whole thematic sound of Edelman is covering all the areas in "The Reign of Terror", the use of Yang's theme as a threatening motif is surprisingly effective, and so is the stirring ethic rise at the end of the track.
Edelman's soft music has always been somewhat more suitable than his action music. Hence the reason "A Family Presses Close" shows a nice doses of emotion through the piano and violin, stating yet another touching new theme (watch out Poltergeist fans) for the O'Connell's, reprised in "Love in the Himalayas" and "A warm Rooftop".
Sadly after a much than promising (for Edelman standards) opening, the score sinks towards the more expected music; The suspenseful note in "Formation of the Terra Cotta Army", the main theme in "Crash and Burn", some better versions in "A New Assignment" and "Yang Follows the O'Connells. "Shanghai Chase" brings an utterly stupid version on organ, alongside a healthy usage of Yang's theme.
Luckily Edelman's Chinese music has always been better than most of his other sounds. The lovely music during "Alex and Lin", Yang's Chinese violin version in "Ancient China" as in the begin of "New Years Betrayal" are wonderful to hear.
Edelman's action music on the other hand is much more frenetic and less thematic, showing he made an attempt to keep up with the demands of today's action music. Stuff like the second part of "Shanghai Chase", "Visit from a 3-Headed Friend" and "The Emperor vs. Zi Yuan" bring more ruckus than expected.
The end of the score captures typical music. The main theme is heard around some nice action music in "Rick and Evy in Battle", Yang's theme around percussive means in "Heartbreak" while heroic measures battle the frenetic action music during "Shielding a Son". The main theme closes the score alongside a lounge piece of little importance.
While The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a fine score for Edelman standards, it can't compete at all in the saga that portrays some monumental Mummy music. Jerry Goldsmith and Alan Silvestri rocked the house with enormous energy where Edelman's score can only dream off. While Edelman throws in a bunch of themes, only the main theme is stuck in your head but this simply due to the reason it doesn't fit the saga at all (no matter how fun it actually is). There's a reason John Debney stepped in to compose new action music, to give it actually some epic scope. Edelman's music is fun in a diet light kind of way, giving you a pleasant listen where you don't have to ask for something meaningful. If you ask me, Edelman missed a chance here to surprise us all.
Tracklisting
1. A Call to Adventure (Theme from Mummy 3) (3.04)
2. Silently Yearning for Centuries (2.25)
3. Open Wound (2.07)
4. The Reign of Terror (2.50)
5. A Family Presses Close (2.38)
6. Formation of the Terra Cotta Army (3.09)
7. Reading of the Scrolls (3.56)
8. Crash and Burn (2.26)
9. Alex and Lin (1.13)
10. A New Assignment (2.55)
11. Yang Follows the O' Connells (2.55)
12. Shanghai Chase (4.52)
13. Mother and Daughter Reunion (2.03)
14. Ancient China (2.24)
15. Ricks Long Rod (0.45)
16. Entering the Tomb (5.55)
17. Visit from a 3-Headed Friend (1.38)
18. Memories, Retirement and Dinner (2.32)
19. New Years Betrayal (2.25)
20. The Emperor vs. Zi Yuan (1.47)
21. Love in the Himalayas (2.12)
22. 2nd Century B.C. (1.11)
23. The Museum Becomes Alive (1.43)
24. Rick and Evy in Battle (2.42)
25. A Warm Rooftop (1.23)
26. Heartbreak (2.38)
27. Return of the Dragon (2.49)
28. Shielding a Son (2.32)
29. Finale (3.29)
30. My Sweet Eternal Love: Helen Feng (2.53)
Total Length: 76.30
Of course, you can not have a bigger difference between the music of Goldsmith or Silvestri than Edelman's style. Even if Edelman stretches a few bars in this soundtrack, the sound is basically for me the same for what he composed for Dragonheart. It has the same tone and the same weight. It only lacks the wonderful quality that Dragonheart did possess, namely the magic.
Nonetheless, we must focus upon the subject matter at hand, and that is the tone for The Mummy 3. First of all, I don't like it when albums start with the main theme. It gives us the feeling the adventure has already begun. Indiana Jones 4 did it, now The Mummy 3 does the same with the theme everybody's talking about. "A Call to Adventure (Theme from Mummy 3)" is a typical Edelman tune, sprightly and it does have a catchy ring to it. But does it fit in the whole Mummy universe? I doubt it ever will!
A secondary theme (Yang's theme) in "Silently Yearning for Centuries" is a much more suitable way to open the score. The warm sound of the violin is extremely loveable and this sounds much more enchanting than the undeniable sprightly main theme. A mysterious edge during "Open Wound" unleashes another theme, but this is more a variation on the secondary theme.
While the whole thematic sound of Edelman is covering all the areas in "The Reign of Terror", the use of Yang's theme as a threatening motif is surprisingly effective, and so is the stirring ethic rise at the end of the track.
Edelman's soft music has always been somewhat more suitable than his action music. Hence the reason "A Family Presses Close" shows a nice doses of emotion through the piano and violin, stating yet another touching new theme (watch out Poltergeist fans) for the O'Connell's, reprised in "Love in the Himalayas" and "A warm Rooftop".
Sadly after a much than promising (for Edelman standards) opening, the score sinks towards the more expected music; The suspenseful note in "Formation of the Terra Cotta Army", the main theme in "Crash and Burn", some better versions in "A New Assignment" and "Yang Follows the O'Connells. "Shanghai Chase" brings an utterly stupid version on organ, alongside a healthy usage of Yang's theme.
Luckily Edelman's Chinese music has always been better than most of his other sounds. The lovely music during "Alex and Lin", Yang's Chinese violin version in "Ancient China" as in the begin of "New Years Betrayal" are wonderful to hear.
Edelman's action music on the other hand is much more frenetic and less thematic, showing he made an attempt to keep up with the demands of today's action music. Stuff like the second part of "Shanghai Chase", "Visit from a 3-Headed Friend" and "The Emperor vs. Zi Yuan" bring more ruckus than expected.
The end of the score captures typical music. The main theme is heard around some nice action music in "Rick and Evy in Battle", Yang's theme around percussive means in "Heartbreak" while heroic measures battle the frenetic action music during "Shielding a Son". The main theme closes the score alongside a lounge piece of little importance.
While The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a fine score for Edelman standards, it can't compete at all in the saga that portrays some monumental Mummy music. Jerry Goldsmith and Alan Silvestri rocked the house with enormous energy where Edelman's score can only dream off. While Edelman throws in a bunch of themes, only the main theme is stuck in your head but this simply due to the reason it doesn't fit the saga at all (no matter how fun it actually is). There's a reason John Debney stepped in to compose new action music, to give it actually some epic scope. Edelman's music is fun in a diet light kind of way, giving you a pleasant listen where you don't have to ask for something meaningful. If you ask me, Edelman missed a chance here to surprise us all.
Tracklisting
1. A Call to Adventure (Theme from Mummy 3) (3.04)
2. Silently Yearning for Centuries (2.25)
3. Open Wound (2.07)
4. The Reign of Terror (2.50)
5. A Family Presses Close (2.38)
6. Formation of the Terra Cotta Army (3.09)
7. Reading of the Scrolls (3.56)
8. Crash and Burn (2.26)
9. Alex and Lin (1.13)
10. A New Assignment (2.55)
11. Yang Follows the O' Connells (2.55)
12. Shanghai Chase (4.52)
13. Mother and Daughter Reunion (2.03)
14. Ancient China (2.24)
15. Ricks Long Rod (0.45)
16. Entering the Tomb (5.55)
17. Visit from a 3-Headed Friend (1.38)
18. Memories, Retirement and Dinner (2.32)
19. New Years Betrayal (2.25)
20. The Emperor vs. Zi Yuan (1.47)
21. Love in the Himalayas (2.12)
22. 2nd Century B.C. (1.11)
23. The Museum Becomes Alive (1.43)
24. Rick and Evy in Battle (2.42)
25. A Warm Rooftop (1.23)
26. Heartbreak (2.38)
27. Return of the Dragon (2.49)
28. Shielding a Son (2.32)
29. Finale (3.29)
30. My Sweet Eternal Love: Helen Feng (2.53)
Total Length: 76.30