1 |
Main
Titles |
2 |
Memories |
3 |
Rough
Flight |
4 |
Little
Secrets/Power of the Sun |
5 |
Bank
Job |
6 |
How
Could You Leave Us? |
| 7 |
Tell
Me Everything |
8 |
You're
Not One Of Them |
9 |
Not
Like the Train Set |
10 |
So
Long Superman |
11 |
The
People You Care For |
12 |
I
Wanted You To Know |
13 |
Saving
The World |
14 |
In
The Hands of Mortals |
15 |
Reprise/Fly
Away |
REVIEW
Like
how certain movie directors like to use certain actors in
their works, there are also several well-known director-composer
pairings in Hollywood. John Ottman is a frequent collaborator
with Bryan Singer, having composed the music score for films
like The Usual Suspects (1995) and X2: X-Men United (2003).
And if you are familiar with the director’s signature
filmmaking style, you can almost detect it in his composer
too. Singer’s
works have always emphasized on character development, and
with his latest blockbuster about a certain Man of Steel,
one can feel the layers of music development in this 55-minute
soundtrack score album.
Opening
the album is the famous theme for Superman composed by composer
maestro John Williams. After that, Ottman is left on his own,
with the gargantuan task of creating new themes and music
for this classic superhero movie.
True
to old-school superhero music, Ottman’s composition
works well with the mental image of the soaring Superman in
the mind. There are heartfelt moments in tracks like “Memories”
and “How Could You Leave Me”. Then there is suspense
and looming evil in tracks like “Rough Flight”
and “Not Like the Train Set”. Although these tunes
do not make good memorable main themes, they do provide flashes
of gratifying listening.
We do not blame Ottman for the lack of memorable themes though,
considering the impact of the original main theme by Williams
has on fanboys. Ottman is smart enough to weave this famous
tune into his own work, finding a balance. The result is an
agreeable score which is gradually developed throughout the
album, rather than one which is tightly-paced.
While
Ottman’s previous superhero scores Fantastic Four (2005)
and X2 may not have left deep impressions with film music
lovers, this soundtrack album for Superman Returns may just
be a hit - with the help of William’s celebrated main
theme.
This
may be a gift or a curse, depending on how you see it. Oops,
we may have just used the tagline for the wrong superhero
here.
SOUNDTRACK
RATING:
Review
by John Li
|
