Comments on: Soundtrack Review: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull by John Williams (2008) http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:10:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jorn Tillnes http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1984 Jorn Tillnes Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:37:11 +0000 http://soundtrackgeek.com/?p=888#comment-1984 It was actually a lot of fun. Indy is back to his old self, actually older self. Aliens schmaliens, it was a fun movie and you can't ask for more than that. An Indy marathon sounds fun. Count me in! It was actually a lot of fun. Indy is back to his old self, actually older self. Aliens schmaliens, it was a fun movie and you can’t ask for more than that. An Indy marathon sounds fun. Count me in!

]]> By: Phil http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1975 Phil Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:54:17 +0000 http://soundtrackgeek.com/?p=888#comment-1975 Haven’t seen it but my wife been trying to drag me to it. Looks like a lot of fun and i did like the first three. Does sound like they could have chosen a better plot though. Aliens? Hmm Oh well I’ll have to do an Indiana Jones marathon and then go see it. I do get the feeling that Indiana Jones to my wife was what Cap’n Jack is to the girls today though. Haven’t seen it but my wife been trying to drag me to it. Looks like a lot of fun and i did like the first three. Does sound like they could have chosen a better plot though. Aliens? Hmm

Oh well I’ll have to do an Indiana Jones marathon and then go see it.

I do get the feeling that Indiana Jones to my wife was what Cap’n Jack is to the girls today though.

]]> By: Soundtrack Geek http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1751 Soundtrack Geek Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:05:36 +0000 http://soundtrackgeek.com/?p=888#comment-1751 John Williams repeats himself, big surprise... not. All composers does and Williams, the legend as he is, is no different. Doesn't have to be a bad thing. In between the Media Ventures and Elfman scores we need something else, and JW is the man for the job. It was a good score, but strictly for fans only, which I happen to be. John Williams repeats himself, big surprise… not. All composers does and Williams, the legend as he is, is no different. Doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In between the Media Ventures and Elfman scores we need something else, and JW is the man for the job. It was a good score, but strictly for fans only, which I happen to be.

]]> By: Jon http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1729 Jon Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:43:01 +0000 http://soundtrackgeek.com/?p=888#comment-1729 How does he keep going? It's been 27 years since Raiders was unleashed on the general public, and yet Williams is still composing at a very high level. Applause aside, what does that mean we're getting in Indy 4? While Williams is still an exciting composer (5-stars for complete Revenge of the Sith), most of his action material has sounded samey since Phantom Menace, with the xylophone and brass parts bringing in familiar approaches. On the other hand, Williams has shown he can still break out of that mold given the right inspiration (complete Anakin Obi-Wan battle from SW3), and he's always produced varied and powerful action music for the Indy scores with classics like "Desert Chase", "Mine Car Chase", and "Belly of the Steel Beast", just to name a few. So, of course, expectations are high. But can he deliver? Well, yes...and no. The true high point of this score is the music for the Skull, some of the creepiest music he's ever composed. With 3-note and 6-note patterns alternating off each other, it truly creates an alien presence and is well-used throughout the score. Irina's theme is both alluring (sax usage) and powerful (action material in "Jungle Chase"). Mutt's theme is playful, fast, and furious, and outside of the first Potter score is a style Williams hasn't really used that much since Hook. The underrepresented theme for the Russian soldiers is also regal and effective in the action material, particularly "Ants". And there's the powerful crescendo into the skull theme at the end of "The Return", an orchestral build-up as only Williams could do it and perhaps the highlight of the score. The action material is solid, with the driving power behind "Jungle Chase", the creepy nature of "Ants!", and the diverse percussive array thrown at us in "Grave Robbers". But (had to be a but) the score still disappoints somewhat, especially given the three powerhouses in front of it. Compliments to the new themes aside, the last three I mentioned just aren't numerous or integrated enough. Irina's theme and the Russian theme are just not represented well enough on album to get a real flair for them, with much of the Area 51 material being missing on album that would've helped here. Mutt's theme is essentially a variation on Far and Away and incredibly chaotic in parts, as if Williams didn't have a clear direction for the character. And the action material (plus the temping of the Ark theme...don't say this was necessary because it was used differently in Last Crusade) just feels all too similar in some parts, with "Jungle Chase", "Ants!", and, most derivatively, "Whirl Through Academe" feeling too Star Wars prequel at times. Overall, it's a very solid score, technically and orchestrally well-constructed and some superior music throughout, but there's a lot of grand classic music in this series and we don't really get that here. 4/5 How does he keep going? It’s been 27 years since Raiders was unleashed on the general public, and yet Williams is still composing at a very high level. Applause aside, what does that mean we’re getting in Indy 4? While Williams is still an exciting composer (5-stars for complete Revenge of the Sith), most of his action material has sounded samey since Phantom Menace, with the xylophone and brass parts bringing in familiar approaches. On the other hand, Williams has shown he can still break out of that mold given the right inspiration (complete Anakin Obi-Wan battle from SW3), and he’s always produced varied and powerful action music for the Indy scores with classics like “Desert Chase”, “Mine Car Chase”, and “Belly of the Steel Beast”, just to name a few. So, of course, expectations are high.
But can he deliver? Well, yes…and no. The true high point of this score is the music for the Skull, some of the creepiest music he’s ever composed. With 3-note and 6-note patterns alternating off each other, it truly creates an alien presence and is well-used throughout the score. Irina’s theme is both alluring (sax usage) and powerful (action material in “Jungle Chase”). Mutt’s theme is playful, fast, and furious, and outside of the first Potter score is a style Williams hasn’t really used that much since Hook. The underrepresented theme for the Russian soldiers is also regal and effective in the action material, particularly “Ants”. And there’s the powerful crescendo into the skull theme at the end of “The Return”, an orchestral build-up as only Williams could do it and perhaps the highlight of the score. The action material is solid, with the driving power behind “Jungle Chase”, the creepy nature of “Ants!”, and the diverse percussive array thrown at us in “Grave Robbers”.
But (had to be a but) the score still disappoints somewhat, especially given the three powerhouses in front of it. Compliments to the new themes aside, the last three I mentioned just aren’t numerous or integrated enough. Irina’s theme and the Russian theme are just not represented well enough on album to get a real flair for them, with much of the Area 51 material being missing on album that would’ve helped here. Mutt’s theme is essentially a variation on Far and Away and incredibly chaotic in parts, as if Williams didn’t have a clear direction for the character. And the action material (plus the temping of the Ark theme…don’t say this was necessary because it was used differently in Last Crusade) just feels all too similar in some parts, with “Jungle Chase”, “Ants!”, and, most derivatively, “Whirl Through Academe” feeling too Star Wars prequel at times.
Overall, it’s a very solid score, technically and orchestrally well-constructed and some superior music throughout, but there’s a lot of grand classic music in this series and we don’t really get that here. 4/5

]]> By: Soundtrack Geek http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1178 Soundtrack Geek Fri, 23 May 2008 13:22:48 +0000 http://soundtrackgeek.com/?p=888#comment-1178 Ouch! She does look a bit confused. Well at least it wasn't Hungarian (not that there's anything wrong with that) Ouch! She does look a bit confused. Well at least it wasn’t Hungarian (not that there’s anything wrong with that)

]]> By: patrick http://soundtrackgeek.com/2008/05/16/indiana-jones-4-soundtrack-review/comment-page-1/#comment-1167 patrick Thu, 22 May 2008 00:09:33 +0000 http://soundtrackgeek.com/?p=888#comment-1167 i keep imagining Cate Blanchett speaking English with a German accent in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull even though she's supposed to be Russian i keep imagining Cate Blanchett speaking English with a German accent in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull even though she’s supposed to be Russian

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