Danny Elfman’s Justice League Score

[Travesty]

Well, Elfman came out today, and said he'll be going back to his B89 theme for Batman. I know some people are pissed about it over at other forums, but I have no problems with it. I don't think Junkie XL's theme would make much sense in JL, seeing as how Batman is supposed to be more optimistic.

[GoNerdYourself]

I have a love/hate relationship with Zimmer's music. I love a lot of his 90s stuff. The Lion King is pretty powerful and I really get into his scores for Backdraft and Crimson Tide, especially the latter. His action stuff, for which he received most of his attention, I can take or leave. His music can feel very powerful or it can feel very generic. Plus, I am very burned out on that kind of score, the sonic wallpaper that doesn't feel inspired by or even connected to the film they are presumably written for.

When it comes to his work for Nolan's Batman, I really feel it's overrated. It's a letdown. There are parts I like and even listen to on occasion. But when I listen to the track "Finders Keepers," which wasn't included on the commercial release, it builds and builds and builds only to deflate when it needs to hit powerful notes. Having said that, Man of Steel did. So it goes either way for me.

[thecolorsblend]

Well, Elfman came out today, and said he'll be going back to his B89 theme for Batman. I know some people are pissed about it over at other forums, but I have no problems with it. I don't think Junkie XL's theme would make much sense in JL, seeing as how Batman is supposed to be more optimistic.

I just... no. Junkie XL developed a very clever and very dark theme for Batman. There's no reason whatsoever to abandon it. By all means, let Elfman call back to his old theme in JL's score. But Junkie's theme needs to stick around because the character has progressed since 1989. Elfman tossing out Junkie's work comes off as arrogance. It's just not necessary.

Yes yes yes, I realize I'm on a very pro-Burton forum here. But I think you guys understand where I'm coming from.

[Travesty]

It doesn't make sense to keep Junkie's theme, as Batman in BvS was a different kind of Batman than what we'll be getting in JL. He's not pissed off going after Superman, he's learned from his mistakes, and has to move on. I think it worked in BvS, but again, I don't think it makes sense to have it in JL. It was a pretty dark theme, and we're first introduced to it when Bruce is looking up in the sky, and sees Superman, and blames him for killing everybody in the building. The second that girl was orphaned, he blames Superman, and you see it on Bruce's face, and you hear it in the theme. And again, I think it works great in BvS. I just don't see any need for it in JL.

[The Dark Knight]

Elfman tossing out Junkie's work comes off as arrogance. It's just not necessary.

Danny comes off as egotistical and I daresay a tad unhinged. Watch for yourself. Arrogance is putting it mildly. He says Batman has only ever had one theme and it's his. He's dismissing everything else to prop up himself. I don't want to bash the guy too much considering his genius work on B89 and BR....but I have to admit I'm off side with his attitude. He cites Star Wars as a reason to keep using the same title theme. He either doesn't understand what reboots are all about, or he simply doesn't care. Junkie's theme was brilliant and if anyone thinks it couldn't be lightened up (while retaining the core DNA) they're foolish. This is the same guy who hopes his Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash themes are retained by future composers. But he has no problem dismissing past Batman composers - especially Junkie XL whose theme he scrapped. If he gives us a full throated version of the John Williams Superman theme in JL, that's just fan service that confuses the DCEU brand.

[The Laughing Fish]

I'm afraid I have to agree with colors and TDK. Oh well, we'll just have to see how it sounds in the film.

It doesn't make sense to keep Junkie's theme, as Batman in BvS was a different kind of Batman than what we'll be getting in JL. He's not pissed off going after Superman, he's learned from his mistakes, and has to move on. I think it worked in BvS, but again, I don't think it makes sense to have it in JL. It was a pretty dark theme, and we're first introduced to it when Bruce is looking up in the sky, and sees Superman, and blames him for killing everybody in the building. The second that girl was orphaned, he blames Superman, and you see it on Bruce's face, and you hear it in the theme. And again, I think it works great in BvS. I just don't see any need for it in JL.

I understand what you're saying Travesty, but I don't see how there can't be a rendition of the BvS theme that sounds more "upbeat", or a slight variant of it i.e. BTAS deriving from Elfman's own theme. The thing I don't like the most is they're trying to use nostalgia to hook people's attention to the new relase. It's a gimmick Hollywood is overusing nowadays, and frankly, I'm tired of it.

[Azrael]

I have a love/hate relationship with Zimmer's music. I love a lot of his 90s stuff. The Lion King is pretty powerful and I really get into his scores for Backdraft and Crimson Tide, especially the latter. His action stuff, for which he received most of his attention, I can take or leave. His music can feel very powerful or it can feel very generic. Plus, I am very burned out on that kind of score, the sonic wallpaper that doesn't feel inspired by or even connected to the film they are presumably written for.

When it comes to his work for Nolan's Batman, I really feel it's overrated. It's a letdown. There are parts I like and even listen to on occasion. But when I listen to the track "Finders Keepers," which wasn't included on the commercial release, it builds and builds and builds only to deflate when it needs to hit powerful notes. Having said that, Man of Steel did. So it goes either way for me.

The Lion King was my first exposure to Zimmer and agree than his name used to be synonymous with powerful scores, in diverse genres too, like As Good As It Gets, or Hannibal. I think it was sometime in the late 00s (after TDK) when this sound became a tiresome trend.



I don't get the usage of the word "upbeat" in connection with Batman. He may have moved on from the mania mode from BvS and try to be more of a hero, but he's still Batman. Elfman's theme is in no way upbeat or happy music, it's more like an anthemic dirge.

I would embrace Elfman's theme becoming the overall theme for the Batman brand, but Holkenborg's is excellent and I agree that the DCEU film franchise should have musical consistency.

[The Laughing Fish]

I don't get the usage of the word "upbeat" in connection with Batman. He may have moved on from the mania mode from BvS and try to be more of a hero, but he's still Batman. Elfman's theme is in no way upbeat or happy music, it's more like an anthemic dirge.

I wouldn't necessarily make the connection either. Call it a poor choice of words, but I was trying to make the point that the Junkie XL theme could've been reused, but played a little differently to distinguish the mood between Batman's arc in BvS up to the rest of the DCEU.

I would embrace Elfman's theme becoming the overall theme for the Batman brand, but Holkenborg's is excellent and I agree that the DCEU film franchise should have musical consistency.

That's the thing though, I got the impression that Elfman's theme was always the iconic theme for Batman. Even media like the Lego Batman games used his score for the soundtrack. And of course, the score paved the way for BTAS, until Shirley Walker was able to create her own theme out of it.

[The Dark Knight]

I  would embrace Elfman's theme becoming the overall theme for the Batman brand, but Holkenborg's is excellent and I agree that the DCEU film franchise should have musical consistency.

Put it this way. Imagine if Elfman did the score for B89, and then Nelson Riddle came on board for Batman Returns and replaced Elfman's theme with the B66 version. Well, that wouldn't be all right mama. Don't interpret this as me hating on Elfman's work with Burton, because you all know I love it. I just hate the message this sends.

Hans Zimmer made a brand new theme for Superman, and it was fantastic. People were saying how John Williams couldn't be beaten, but Hans still went about his business. And now Elfman basically is saying don't even bother making something new, because the old themes can't be beaten. I find that backward, illogical....and kinda sad. Honestly, I think Zimmer is the better composer THESE DAYS in comparison to Elfman. John Williams' Superman Theme has nothing to do with Henry Cavill. Danny Elfman's Batman Theme doesn't have anything to do with Ben Affleck. Let the eras stand alone. Cherish the past but move on.

[Travesty]

If he gives us a full throated version of the John Williams Superman theme in JL, that's just fan service that confuses the DCEU brand.

That's the thing that so many people are missing. He's not using a "full throated" version of William's score. He incorporated it into his score. You can hear what he's using in Friends and Foe at the 2:18 mark. The same will be said about his B89 theme. He's not just dropping a full version of his old theme, he's incorporating it into the new score. And he's still using Zimmer's MOS theme for Superman, as we've been hearing it in the trailers. He's only dropping Junkie's Batman theme, and like I said earlier, it only makes sense...to me, at least.