Listen to the entire TDKR score

[Paul (ral)]

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34498

Thoughts? Mine aren't good :-/

[gordonblu]

Giving it a listen as I write. I kind of liked "Mind If I  Cut In", but I'm underwhelmed yet again.

Despite the fact  that the main theme was all wrong for the character, I'm gonna have to say that Horner's Spider-Man is the best Superhero score of the year.

Ahh! "Fear Will Find You" has more of that (almost) Elfman quote from "I'm Not A Hero"!!

I can pretend Zimmer's using Elfman's theme anyway.

[Azrael]

Ahh! "Fear Will Find You" has more of that (almost) Elfman quote from "I'm Not A Hero"!!

I can pretend Zimmer's using Elfman's theme anyway.

At one point I thought I was considered crazy for pointing that out, lol

It's not the pure epicness I expected after listening to the trailer#3 music about a million times, but I haven't listened to the full thing yet.

I like the music that I assume represents Bane (On Thin Ice, Gotham's Reckoning), the rhythm almost reminds me of Poledouris' Anvil of Crom and Goldsmith's Total Recall. A bit "barbaric" and "relentless" sounding, something which fits the character.

Mind if I Cut In has shades of Sherlock Holmes, sounds vaguely eastern European, also some Hannibal in there. Very nice. Despair - very similar to the music of the Hong Kong sequence from TDK.

Imagine the Fire - now we're talking! At the beginning of the track some themes from BB return, but more... angry. Is this music from the big action set piece with the two armies? Like some other lengthy battle cues by Zimmer, I think this track will grow on me. It gets better near in its second part (after 4:04). The final 2 minutes are some of the most epic I have ever heard in a "superhero" score. Brilliant ending.

I like it, there is quite a few tracks that are just underscore that can't "live" on its own, but there are a few highlights that give the chills you are supposed to get from Zimmer'music. Not what I expected, but great.

[Paul (ral)]

I'm sure the score will serve the movie well, but as a stand alone Cd of just doesn't work for me. A lot of the tracks are like B-Side remixes you get from pop stars. At times I find myself imagining Zimmer pressing a button in the loop machine and then going for a cup of tea.

There also seem to be so many familiar motifs present that you have already heard from other composers in Zimmer's Remote Control Productions. I can hear "significantly large pieces" of Steve Jablonsky's Transformers, Harry Gregson-Williams' Metal Gear Solid and the bits from Gladiator (that Hans Zimmer didn't steal from Holst!)

All in all, I feel TDK's score is a lot stronger and diverse. I really wouldn't part with my cash for this CD...not when I can make my own mix tape from the superior tracks from the movies mentioned above and Begins and TDK.

As I said though, the music will probably serve the movie very well and fit the mood. Some scores work better on their own (Forever?) but not this one...to me.

[gordonblu]

I will get the CD (I'm a completist), but I agree with you, Paul, some scores aren't as good without the visuals and I prefer scores that are good in AND out of the picture.

[Azrael]

I beg to differ, it's an enjoyable listen on its own, and the parts that seem almost like copy/paste from BB and TDK really serve the purpose of tying the trilogy together. Can't wait to see what scene accompanies the BB "remix" heard in the first part of "Imagine the Fire". It's like the best bits of the previous bat-films, with some new tracks added. There's a strong similarity of the action parts to Gladiator (and Peacemaker), but this is a good thing. Wasn't Batman Returns' "snowy" style very similar to Edward Scissorhands, and some of the its action to Nightbreed? Or Avatar and Amazing Spider-Man with Titanic? Major hollywood composers each have a style and their own approach to scoring, and sometimes it's a case of personal preference to a composer (I've read even worse about Horner) when it comes to what a listener considers self-plagiarism or style.

(Hmmm... maybe I got a bit "confrontational" because I listen to it now and I'm under its influence, LOL. Can't press "stop")

[gordonblu]

There is a massive difference between writing in the same idiom and just copying and pasting whole passages from different scores. Yes there are tonal similarities between Edward and Returns, but Elfman didn't re-use passages from Edward while writing Returns. Horner is someone who re-uses passages all the time and I don't like it when he does either.


And to be clear, I'm not saying you're wrong if you like this score, Zimmer's scores in general or any of Horner's self referential works. Art is one of those nobody's opinions are right or wrong type of things. I was just trying to express the difference between personal style and (for lack of a better/less negative sounding word) self-plagiarism.

[Azrael]

Yeah, I understand and I agree. At the end of the day, it maybe comes down to personal taste. For some Zimmer's "epic" sound is irresistible, but take some others like the reviewer of filmtracks.com

http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/dark_knight_rises.html

[Paul (ral)]

http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/dark_knight_rises.html

That review is basically what I said above...but with actual technical musical knowledge :-)

[bobbym]

I agree with Paul, as a standalone CD I'm not to keen on it. But once I have seen the film and I see the music with visuals I think I'll enjoy it more.