The immediate impression from the Main
Titles is we have heard it all before for this is music is derivative so many
sci-fi blockbuster scores by John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith et al. But there
is such an exuberant sweep about the performance by the large orchestra and
choir it is difficult not to resist this new John Debney opus for what appears to
be a children’s sci-fi adventure.
Alas after the Main Title music there is
little to hold the ear.
‘Finding the Game’ takes us further into
John Williams’s territory recalling Star Wars, Superman and Close
Encounters… ‘Meteor Shower’ has some interest; there is a robotic
mechanistic feel about it as well as an on-rushing menace. ‘Aftermath’ moves
ponderously through celestial wonders, some interesting effects and I thought I
could detect some pianissimo choral whispering. ‘Robot Grows/Chase/Standoff’ add
clangs and crashes and scurryings, with baying horns aplenty - but with
ever-decreasing originality. ‘Too Close to the Sun’ has orchestra and chorus in
a state of increasing high anxiety over cold mechanical ostinati. ‘Zorgon’s’
music has, initially, some synth stuff and very heavy, even thunderous plodding
in ‘Zorgon’s Appearance’. Elsewhere, Zorgon’s music brings Holst (Mars
of course) and Shostakovich (plus snatches of Waxman in Bride of
Frankenstein mode) to mind.
‘Couch Decoy’ introduces some calm and,
seemingly, comedy. The calm spills over into ‘Astronauts Story’ one of the
better tracks, celestial peace and tranquillity beautiful in celesta and harp
with long held string phrases and nary a tremor except for a final awakening
horn call that oddly recalls ‘The Fortress of Solitude’ from John Williams’s Superman
score. ‘Brother to Brother’ is another oasis of heavenly calm and before a
sudden peroration that reminded of a highlight of Alan Silvestri’s score, The
Abyss
Much of the remainder of the score follows
the patterns of tracks already mentioned with derivative following derivative –
you can join in the game of spot the reference.
In short, a very derivative score but
clearly very well suited for the film and it is performed with verve and
enthusiasm so-
Ian Lace
3.5