I too didn't pick up on too much of the score in part because of the mixing of the sound effects (thanks, Ben Burtt!) but mostly because I was too busy getting very angry about the plot and what with the writers desecrating the plot of an earlier (and far superior) trek movie. As a trek fan that grew up with early TNG and learned to appreciate TOS, I was on the fence about Star Trek 2009, but I've made up my mind now. This iteration of the franchise isn't for me anymore. But then, what else would you expect from the writers whose resumes include Lost, Transformers and Prometheus.
It's too bad because I enjoyed most of the movie immensely. They kind of touch the third rail of trekkiedom towards the end and I can see what they were trying to do (and it's not like the identity of the villain hasn't been the worst-kept secret in Hollywood)--I just don't think it accomplishes what they wanted. And it really is a shame because I very much like their approach to the characters and exploring how they become the way they are.
I could go on and on about the issues I had with this movie, but this review pretty much sums it up much more eloquently than I ever could. *Warning* MAJOR SPOILERS *Warning.
It's too bad because I enjoyed most of the movie immensely. They kind of touch the third rail of trekkiedom towards the end and I can see what they were trying to do (and it's not like the identity of the villain hasn't been the worst-kept secret in Hollywood)--I just don't think it accomplishes what they wanted. And it really is a shame because I very much like their approach to the characters and exploring how they become the way they are.
I too enjoyed the film. I was seriously worried after the 1st instalment that the direction the franchise would take was going to emulate the pseudo military-industrial-complex exhibition of the marvel comic franchises. I liked the way the narrative unfolded to explore the relationship between Kirk and Spock, as well as their inner impulses, and from that examination came the restatement by Kirk of one of Roddenberry's key themes of TOS - the humanitarian ideal (and to a degree a rejection of the military ideal) of Star Fleet as a vehicle devoted to the peaceful co-operation of different species in the exploration space etc. rather than a military one devoted to the view that existence involves primarily conflict and competition. Rather a bold viewpoint, considering the world we live in at the moment.
I too was disappointed in not hearing enough of the score but, on reflection, I don't know if that was due to a selection bias in that I was concentrating too much on the, in my view, spectacular visuals and forgot about the music.
It's too bad because I enjoyed most of the movie immensely. They kind of touch the third rail of trekkiedom towards the end and I can see what they were trying to do (and it's not like the identity of the villain hasn't been the worst-kept secret in Hollywood)--I just don't think it accomplishes what they wanted. And it really is a shame because I very much like their approach to the characters and exploring how they become the way they are.
I too enjoyed the film. I was seriously worried after the 1st instalment that the direction the franchise would take was going to emulate the pseudo military-industrial-complex exhibition of the marvel comic franchises. I liked the way the narrative unfolded to explore the relationship between Kirk and Spock, as well as their inner impulses, and from that examination came the restatement by Kirk of one of Roddenberry's key themes of TOS - the humanitarian ideal (and to a degree a rejection of the military ideal) of Star Fleet as a vehicle devoted to the peaceful co-operation of different species in the exploration space etc. rather than a military one devoted to the view that existence involves primarily conflict and competition. Rather a bold viewpoint, considering the world we live in at the moment.
I too was disappointed in not hearing enough of the score but, on reflection, I don't know if that was due to a selection bias in that I was concentrating too much on the, in my view, spectacular visuals and forgot about the music.
those are I think quite strong cues in the soundtrack, the first one featuring an often appearing variant of that more military two-phrase kind of theme associated with the Enterprise or Kirk, in which the second phrase moves up instead of also going down and the pair of faster changing-notes is missing.
The second one has some really nice alterations of Spock's theme. I think those two show some of the highlights of the score.
The major glorious statements of the main theme in signature moments - I somehow expected them to be more interesting anyway
I see this on itunes now however it does not contain the Ode to Harrison cue. Am I mistaken or was this to include it as a bonus track?
The cue is not on any of the soundtracks... yet, at least. It is speculated that it will be on a possibly forthcoming Deluxe Edition. Then again, it could have simply been an arrangement by Giacchino, never to be released on any album.
I book marked various mixed reviews and look forward to comparing them to my own after Thursday night. Although I am (now) keeping an open mind about the JJverse, I am not holding my breath. Im sure it will be a great movie. Im not so sure it would be a great Star Trek movie...much like the 2009 film. I guess I will see what I think after Ive seen it. Oddly enough...the one thing about these two films is that...if this is the 23rd Century in the JJverse...and things look so futuristic and modern in many ways, Id hate to see what his version of the 24th Century is like. If you had taken different unknown people and put them on JJ's Enterprise and labeled it NCC-1701-F or G and had this film set post Nemesis years later I wouldve believed you. (It aint no NCC-1701).
I must say I am looking forward to score more then anything, especially after seeing/hearing Giacchino conduct this live on Saturday night at the Varese concert!
I see this on itunes now however it does not contain the Ode to Harrison cue. Am I mistaken or was this to include it as a bonus track?
The cue is not on any of the soundtracks... yet, at least. It is speculated that it will be on a possibly forthcoming Deluxe Edition. Then again, it could have simply been an arrangement by Giacchino, never to be released on any album.
Indeed it looks like it is now released on iTunes.
It was never said that Ode to Harrison would be the bonus track. In fact, it appears that my speculation was correct - I haven't actually seen the movie, but the bonus track looks like it is a source cue... probably from a bar/dance club scene.
I've just listened to the score all the way through twice. I like Giacchino's Trek 2009 score, but didn't feel that it was up there with the better efforts by Goldsmith, Horner and Eidelman. I'm honestly fairly underwhelmed by this latest score. The highlights are the pieces focussing on the John Harrison character: London Calling and Brigadoom. It's hard to verbalize exactly what feels off about this score, but it doesn't really feel like a cohesive work with cues building organically on one another.
Many of the more-action oriented cues feel like they have the intensity cranked up to 11 right from the get go which means that the score doesn't really feel like it builds to a natural climax by the end. In my screening of the film, the score was hardly audible in the more action oriented segments of the film (which is much of the film as a whole), drowned out, as it was, by the sound effects and I wonder if Giacchino tried to crank the intensity of his music up in an attempt to compete with the effects.
It also really doesn't help that there's the inevitable temptation to compare this score to Wrath of Khan. Maybe that's unfair, but the way the film makers have set the film up, it's pretty hard not to make this comparison. It's hard not to note how much of a stronger effort Horner produced with some of the same material.
1. Bits of this score sound like they could have been lifted directly from Lost, more so that even with the Trek 2009 score.
2. I didn't catch any reference to TOS material other than Courage's fanfare. Giacchino mentioned inserting a theme from the series (I'm guessing something along the lines of Steiner's Romulan theme), but I couldn't pick anything out in the music on the album.
I didn't catch any reference to TOS material other than Courage's fanfare. Giacchino mentioned inserting a theme from the series (I'm guessing something along the lines of Steiner's Romulan theme).
Not the Steiner. I only listened to the San Fran Hustle cue linked here, and it's about halfway in.
MODERATE SPOILERS It also really doesn't help that there's the inevitable temptation to compare this score to Wrath of Khan. Maybe that's unfair, but the way the film makers have set the film up, it's pretty hard not to make this comparison. It's hard not to note how much of a stronger effort Horner produced with some of the same material.
Apples and oranges. One film was about something, the other is about nothing. So I really don't think one can compare the two musically.
I could go on and on about the issues I had with this movie, but this review pretty much sums it up much more eloquently than I ever could. *Warning* MAJOR SPOILERS *Warning.
I don't know the person who wrote that review but I owe him a six pack for making me laugh while groaning at how right I was about this reboot bullshit.
