Soundtrack Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
If you're new here, you may like to get all my posts in your feed reader using my RSS feed or get all Soundtrack Geek posts by Email. Thanks for visiting!
This is a review of the motion picture score for Hellboy II: The Golden Army by Danny Elfman.
“Some of the tracks here are a bit Tim Burton-like, with some ghostly sounds and interesting orchestration”
It’s the season for superheroes and Hellboy is back in his latest adventure. I really liked the first movie although I have never read the comics. It wasn’t Danny Elfman who composed for the first movie, but Marco Beltrami. Danny Elfman hasn’t been very active so far this year, but now he is back with two movies and a documentary. He is a very popular composer still and he does have his own style which pleases his fans. Last year however, he tried some experimenting The Kingdom. A lot of fans didn’t like it, but I thought it was very refreshing. Hellboy and Danny Elfman certainly looks a very good fit on paper, that’s for sure. This is the track list of Hellboy II: The Golden Army:
Track List
- Introduction
- Hellboy II Titles
- Training
- The Auction House
- Hallway Cruise
- Where Fairies Dwell
- Teleplasty
- Mein Herring
- Father And Son
- A Link
- A Troll Market
- Market Troubles
- A Big Decision
- The Last Elemental
- The Spear
- A Dilemma
- Doorway
- A Choice
- In The Army Chamber
- Finale
Nothing Changes
Danny Elfman has given his fans something to chew on with 20 tracks and about an hour of music. It starts of in a very brassy style, but it’s quite clear that last year’s experiments has not been repeated too much this year. He sticks to the old formula. This is perhaps his biggest strength and weakness at the same time. He keeps his loyal fans, but further alienates potential new fans. I’m not saying he should go after the Media Venture fans, but it wouldn’t hurt to increase his range a little. I felt he was on the right track with The Kingdom from last year, but he appears to have taken a step back again. Some of the tracks here are a bit Tim Burton-like, with some ghostly sounds and interesting orchestration. Those are perhaps the best tracks of this score, but there aren’t enough. He may well keep his old fans, but he won’t be gaining many new fans. It’s also interesting to notice that the first score by Marco Beltrami isn’t very different from this score. The only difference being in the choice of instruments. Beltrami plays the smoother instruments while Elfman plays the more noisy ones. Take your pick. I think its ok, but nothing more. Listen to Hellboy II: The Golden Army by Danny Elfman below:
http://soundtrackgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/hellboy2.flv
Film Review for Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Other articles of interest:
(4 votes, average: 8.75 out of 10)
Loading ...If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Hellboy 2 was fun; for sure that director has an amazing imagination, reminded me a lot of his work in Pan’s Labyrinth
[Reply]
mdx: I agree, it’s Elfman. Wanted had it’s highlights too, but it didn’t stand out too much either.
Patrick: Great! Can’t wait to see it. Loved the first one.
[Reply]
Major quolms here…
1. I think the score’s a lot better than you’re giving it credit for. A rating like this in my case would be for something that was decent but unexciting and ultimately too uninvolving for me to give a solid recommendation. HB2 is not that kind of score. “Sticking to the old formula”, as you put it, is exactly the kind of orchestral excitement that fans of Elfman’s earlier works have been demanding for a while. While those fans haven’t outright rejected his more modern works (Spider-Man scores = both 4.5/5 in my book), they still harken for the days of inventive, grand takes like Batman or, to push things a little closer to present day, Sleepy Hollow.
To me, this work is the closest Elfman’s come since Sleepy Hollow to belting out his gothic side, and the opening two tracks really catch you with pounding brassy music. This style dominates most of the score…indeed, the style and consistancy is what makes the package so attractive. Elfman takes it to places thrilling (the harsh racket of “Where Fairies Dwell”, big thunderous moments of “In the Army Chamber”), creepily mysterious (theremin wailing in “Teleplasty”, the scratching opening of “A Choice), and of exotic fantasy (the awesome choral entrance in Troll Market being a highlight).
I don’t really understand how this kind of music is “isolating” to people, and in order for me to clash you on this point you’re really going to have to warrant such grand statements a little better.
Anyways, one would think this kind of raving on my part would merit 5/5 stars. However, while the themes for Nuala and the Army are quite effective, I feel Elfman really lets us down in the more major themes. Beltrami’s score excelled in this department, with a grungy theme representing the character’s “cool” factor and a rousing heroic theme for his action exploits. It’s one of the better representations of duality in recent superhero scores. Elfman chose to abandon both good themes and instead gives us a descending three note motif. Now, we know Elfman likes to insert his themes in shorter snippets into his action works…both Batman and Spider-Man feature four-note inserts of their main themes at various points. But there’s no point at which this theme expands. One could analyze the intelligence of a descending motif for a more doomed, less heroic character than other superheroes, but still, as a representation for the main character and a musical device, it’s a disappointment.
My disappointment also extends to the love theme, which is nice and serviceable, but pales against both former Elfman love themes and, more importantly, Beltrami’s for the first film. His was a very sweeping and moving theme, and to have that power removed is saddening.
I realize that all scores have stand-alone merits, but in a series of film scores, the proceeding works set a standard the others have to follow. It’s the reason why I only give 4 stars to The World is Not Enough…Tomorrow Never Dies already raised the bar. Elfman’s gothic stylings are very strong and entertaining, yet one can only imagine how good this score could’ve been with great themes. 4/5
2. Did you listen to Beltrami’s score? Seriously? You can’t possibly find these two scores “not very different”. I’ve already emphasized the thematic differences, but one could also list the raw choral explosions or more chaotic nature of Beltrami’s action material, just to name a few. Seriously, get the 2-disc complete score (mainly so you can actually hear the heroic theme…stupid lacking commercial release, and open your ears.
3. I don’t really think this is much of a review. Please don’t take this as attacking. But if I were a reader who hadn’t heard it yet and the only specifics I got were “ghosty sounds”, “interesting orchestration”, and “noisy instruments”, I wouldn’t be any more informed.
[Reply]
Well you are obviously an Elfman fan and I think form your standpoint you are absolutely correct. Reviewing scores is obviously subjective and we only have ourselves to count on. Personally I didn’t find much difference between Beltrami and Elfman’s effort. The differences lie solely in that they have different styles and methods of working, but if you really listen closely, you would be hard pressed to find anything revolutionary. I write my reviews the way I hear them, it’s not my job to tell the readers how to listen to scores and therefore I give a musical preview listen to every score I review. I could tell how each track sounded in my ears with excruciating detail, but it wouldn’t matter as each and every person will think differently. Ultimately it’s people’s own opinion that matters, like yours, not mine.
[Reply]
This score isn’t that special in my opinion. There are some tracks that stand out due to great choral arragements. His other score for the movie ‘Wanted’ is much more exciting has a lot more and better themes and variation.
[Reply]