I really am the guy who prefers the big sweeping main themes to any soundscape or droning. My soundtrack-love was fired up during my teenage years in the 80´s - heck, my screenname speaks for itself.
But IMHO Beltrami´s score for LOGAN features great melodies and themes. And despite the texture he creates for these melodies to fight their way out of - like the title character himself has to find a way to happiness -, I hear those melodies and enjoy this score on that basis a lot.
Again I point to "Eternum - Laura´s Theme" and "Logan´s Limo"...
Stewart is superb in this film. But Logan is 50% a pretty good movie, the road picture stuff with this 'family' of Logan, did 'dad' and his daughter. The rest of it is entirely conventional and not even A grade action movie screenwriter toolbox tropes, the black SUV's with the bad guys with sunglasses and big guns- snore- snore, the corporate scientist bad guys, the over the top violence. Mangold himself admits that he coated his legit drama 50% in a sugar pill of ultra-violence for the fanboy crowd so that they would go see it. So the movie is an artistic mish-mash bi-polar identity crisis, frustrating because bolder choices that would have been less pandering and slavish to the comic community would have made this a 100% excellent film. But as it is the best you get from this is smatterings of excellent drama slathered in body parts and blood and cliches.
Stewart is superb in this film. But Logan is 50% a pretty good movie, the road picture stuff with this 'family' of Logan, did 'dad' and his daughter. The rest of it is entirely conventional and not even A grade action movie screenwriter toolbox tropes, the black SUV's with the bad guys with sunglasses and big guns- snore- snore, the corporate scientist bad guys, the over the top violence. Mangold himself admits that he coated his legit drama 50% in a sugar pill of ultra-violence for the fanboy crowd so that they would go see it. So the movie is an artistic mish-mash bi-polar identity crisis, frustrating because bolder choices that would have been less pandering and slavish to the comic community would have made this a 100% excellent film. But as it is the best you get from this is smatterings of excellent drama slathered in body parts and blood and cliches.
It sounded like an interesting story and one that focused on characters. But then they had to pour a bucket of blood all over it.
Score was, as usual, a massive disappointment from Beltrami. I just don't get it. I liked the piano music OK, despite it reminding me of Moon, but otherwise it's just a bunch of buzzes and drones. Even those Tan Dun drums from The Wolverine would have been an improvement. Did he learn nothing from Goldsmith? There's a moment in the movie that was just begging for a "rage horn" and instead it was just more drone.
Example of rage horn here (at 1:07). It's one note! Pay the brass.
And the "as usual" comment suggests that you just hate Beltrami. Well, thanks for reaffirming your opinion in this thread.
I don't hate Beltrami at all. I just feel like he's another case of wasted potential, trading in what sounded like true talent early on for fast food scores, one after the other, interchangeable and with no audible heart in any of them. At least Zimmer's "fast food" scores in the 90's had great or memorable themes!
And the "as usual" comment suggests that you just hate Beltrami. Well, thanks for reaffirming your opinion in this thread.
I don't hate Beltrami at all. I just feel like he's another case of wasted potential, trading in what sounded like true talent early on for fast food scores, one after the other, interchangeable and with no audible heart in any of them. At least Zimmer's "fast food" scores in the 90's had great or memorable themes!
I respect your opinion - but I suspect that what you call "audible heart" means something different to me. LOGAN, IMO, does feature "audible heart" to me, definitely.
Stewart is superb in this film. But Logan is 50% a pretty good movie, the road picture stuff with this 'family' of Logan, did 'dad' and his daughter. The rest of it is entirely conventional and not even A grade action movie screenwriter toolbox tropes, the black SUV's with the bad guys with sunglasses and big guns- snore- snore, the corporate scientist bad guys, the over the top violence. Mangold himself admits that he coated his legit drama 50% in a sugar pill of ultra-violence for the fanboy crowd so that they would go see it. So the movie is an artistic mish-mash bi-polar identity crisis, frustrating because bolder choices that would have been less pandering and slavish to the comic community would have made this a 100% excellent film. But as it is the best you get from this is smatterings of excellent drama slathered in body parts and blood and cliches.
I'm curious, what would be your suggestions for "bolder choices" in this film? Personally I saw a lot of bold choices in this film, especially compared to your usual run-of-the-mill PG13 superhero movies. People complain superhero movies are all the same, and when someone does try a different take as a violent western, you still demand for "bolder choices"?
As for the violence, it is completely called for and realistic considering the Wolverine character, and his adamantium claws. That's what happens when he uses them, a lot of blood and body parts go flying. In previous films they had to sanitize it, but here they could show it. It's not really any bloodier than Game of Thrones is. It's one thing if the violence is too much for you, personally, but that's not the film's fault.
A really well-crafted, and sharp film that really makes the genre NEED to switch gears if they want to keep their audience. It's been 17 years, and since I was 15 years old, where I thought they were making an X-Men film for me (who is also a fan of Westerns and something like, say, RoboCop or Scanners). It really did feel adult in the sense that they allowed their story to take time, they allowed it to be told through visuals and by how the characters interact with one another when the plot is not moving. And even then, when the plot is moving, it still wants to settle down and really explore the characters. All the while delivering fantastic and thrilling action atop the story of an ancient anti-hero ready to lay down his history of violence and move on in the world. Truly an Unforgiven for the now-infuriating endless world of superhero cinema. Seeing a new trailer for Wonder Woman, or even the consideration of the next Justice League or Avengers movie fills me with boredom. It's in films like Logan, the ones that want to tell a good story first and treat its characters with pathos and dimension, that will succeed in whatever comes next for this stale genre.
So, to some wary here (the ever hesitant solium, Ado, etc.): yes, Logan is often nihilistic, but it is a thoroughly earnest and heartfelt neo-Western which happens to feature Marvel comics characters and some well-executed sci-fi trappings. The action scenes were really something; finally getting to see that Wolverine character use his violent tendency in a very stark and uncompromising way. The thematics are earned, as is the drama in this the tale of duality, rebirth, and the necessity for death. I wasn't expecting it from a fucking X-Men movie considering 95% of them are trash but this one was well made and well-considered and I hope others will consider it worth their time.
After his oppressive yet multi-layered performance in Green Room; and his fatherly and heartfelt characterization in Logan, I am more than ready for more Patrick Stewart appearances in any movie I can get before his time passes because, frankly, he is a really terrific actor. Since seeing Logan last weekend I have shared my insane new desire to see one last Next Gen crew film from the Star Trek universe. Too bad Paramount is so bi-polar with that franchise.
This is an INCREDIBLE score. I hated it the first time I heard it, but revisited with a more patient ear and the subtlety at work here, weaving together the moments of gratuitous cacophony with sparse yet emotionally rich connective tissue is profound.
