Soundtrack Review: Eagle Eye (2008)
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This is a review of the motion picture score for Eagle Eye by Brian Tyler.
“What is totally convincing however, in this and everything he does, is Tyler’s unabashed devotion to bombast, and on occasion for all its excessive volume it does connect”
 Title: Eagle EyeComposer: Brian Tyler Tracks: 22 Length: 1:16:59 Label: Varese Sarabande Price: $13.99 Release Date: September 30 2008 |
Action scoring of the new millennium consistently under whelms me, probably because composer’s current objectives in the genre are largely uninteresting and without any real merit. Action scores of recent years have it seems, done away almost entirely with the necessary nuisance of crafting moving, stirring themes that linger and cause you to care as much for the characters in the story as they do rouse you. It’s no longer about having listeners invest themselves in the music but simply about making their ears bleed. Chief culprit among them and very much at large, is Bryan Tyler, whose work in the last couple of years, wears you down when it ought to exhilarate.
In this sense, the modern action score is now much more akin to horror scoring 101, stabbing and pounding you into submission with unrelenting force and exclamation. This is the raison d’être that characterises Eagle Eye.
Track List
- Eagle Eye
- Eagle Eye Main Title
- Final Manipulations
- Escape
- Honor
- Chutes
- Ladders
- Ariia
- Dead End Clues
- Loss Of A Twin
- Clutch Then Shift
- Picking Up The Trail
- The 36th Floor
- The Case
- Copyboy
- Special Delivery
- Hidden Message
- Further Instructions
- Injection
- Operation Guillotine
- Potus 111
- Eagle Eye End Title
Modus Operandi
Now I don’t mind the battering from a suitably aggressive action score, so long as the characters are at the source of the musical peril. If you compare Tyler’s AvP-R score to that of John Frizzell’s Alien: Resurrection from the same franchise, you have in a nutshell, my problem with Tyler’s modus operandi approach to the genre. He chooses volume over tangible emotional stakes, aural assault over sympathy. Frizzell’s multifaceted masterstroke score deftly maintained a sober air of gothic dread throughout, while expertly balancing both action and horror sensibilities with equal aplomb. The fear came directly out of the various character’s deep-rooted emotional plights as much as it did the primal instinct to stay alive. Eagle Eye aspires to no conflicting atmospherics or variation whatsoever over any of its overlong 22 track running time. The tone is problematically constant, resulting in cues, which while displaying all the requisite hallmarks for a spy thriller are in no way distinct, as it’s impossible to distinguish intrigue from suspense, distrust from deception.
It is so frustratingly one-note that it actually succeeds in not committing plagiarism, an epidemic presently rife in the genre. Only during the cues “Honour” and “Eagle Eye End Titles” does the Armageddon theme threaten to burst forth at any moment.
One of the rare moments Tyler does try to get the listener to invest emotionally (“Honour”), his hand is a forced one, the result being far to “big” to come off as an honest moment. I was utterly unconvinced.
Chase Music
What is totally convincing however, in this and everything he does, is Tyler’s unabashed devotion to bombast, and on occasion for all its excessive volume it does connect. In this respect “Ladders” is the one standout, full-on action cue, rocketing along and refusing to let up. Within this cue, a successful staple of the album as a whole - chase music, awash with rhythmic percussion, propulsive in creating unending forward momentum.
Other than that’s there’s sadly not much to go on. It’s anything but a wide-ranging score in this regard. Like Bangkok Dangerous before it, Tyler wears out his welcome before we’ve even reached double figures on the track listing and if he insists on hammering the same tune, the one thing he’s in dire need of is a capable editor who can cut and compound the number of tracks on his records by half.
The closing cues failed outright, to instil any goodwill in me towards this tiring listening experience, “Operation Guillotine” being the most obnoxiously, loud track yet and “Eagle Eye End Titles” sounding like the final cut-scene of a cheap, 16 bit console game like Streets Of Rage 3 from the early nineties.
Recommendation and Conclusion
Might I recommend instead, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Snake Eyes, a score of this ilk that does everything right; the element of danger being directly proportionate to the sense of time ticking down, a quality sorely absent here.
I do in fact own many Tyler albums, but with his recent direction am adamantly opposed to his being crowned the new king of action, as many aficionados seem to be clamouring to suggest. Your pulse may pound in spots, but a crucial lack of stakes or deviation into anything even slightly melodic, means that you’ll be hard pushed to accurately remember any of the cues, none of which are remotely memorable.
Ultimately, the louder this one got, the less I cared. I may start caring again once he breaks out of his big-budget comfort box and gives us his scores of old that had all that I’m bemoaing is absent here. The likes of BUG, PANIC and THE FINAL CUT. Once he’s crowned king will that be too much to ask?
Listen to Eagle Eye by Brian Tyler below:
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(14 votes, average: 8.79 out of 10)
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Comments
Tyler has always struck me as sort of a Klaus Badelt-ish composer–I cannot remember a single note of anything he has written. I’d be have to be pressed to give Eagle Eye a listen, but the film itself does look slightly interesting (despite Shia Labeouf being the silliest choice for an action hero lead ever).
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What is this reviewer talking about? The themes are very strong in this score. “Loss of a Twin” is one of the most beautiful themes in a long time and that theme occurs throughout the film and develops brilliantly. Tyler is one of the great hopes in scoring today in that he writes themes that are memorable and composes the right way. He doesn’t have some team writing for him nor does he record the orchestra one at a time like Zimmer and company (who treats the orchestra like a computer sampler instead of living musicians). Instead, Tyler writes by hand plays countless instruments, and even conducts the orchestra (who does that anymore?). We should be applauding this. I don’t know what you listened to but I firmly believe that this score is the best of the year. I hear wonderful, intricate film score here.
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While I don’t agree with you Tim, I can’t deny your talented writing. You did sum up the score in a nutshell - ironically, everything you mentioned that you hated, were things I agreed with but nevertheless loved. But it was a very well written review, and I look forward to reading more of them from you bud.
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Duncan: I feel there’s nothing wrong with the action scoring these days. In fact I would argue that scores like Eagle Eye shows what’s great about it. Tim’s suggestion that Tyler keeps banging the same tune is a bit unfair, although it’s far from being as varied as his preference. Spider-Man was great though, is great. I am not one of the Elfman crowd, but he surprised me positively there.
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Mina: Badelt is more memorable, but Tyler is more in-the-moment fun. Just listen to Badelt’s excellent Premonition and Pirates Of The Caribbean for memorable listening.
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Cameron: I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head here. People will hear what they want to hear and personally when I listen to Eagle Eye I am truly enjoying myself. For me it is one of the best scores of the year and one that I will come back to and listen to often. Although, even though Tyler conducts and does it mostly all by himself, it doesn’t mean every score he makes has to be great, but in my book Eagle Eye hits the sweet spot.
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Cameron: I listened to this score five times, so I certainly know what I heard and have a pretty good handle on how I felt about it. The outcry in my words was also directed at the current state of the genre at large - maybe I would have enjoyed EAGLE EYE more if its (albeit one speed) action sounded fresher to me.
Having said that, I will now go back and listen to the cue you made special mention of.
Riley: Thanks for your kind words! I know you’re going to not only enjoy, but hopefully agree with me on the next one. I much prefer having nicer things to say!
Duncan (and other readers): Never warmed to SPIDERMAN, but being that my opinions on Elfman have had quite a shift recently, how about recommending your five fave cues from the score?
Mina: You would be right in making that comparison today, but at the end of this review, I listed three of his prior works I find to be strikingly memorable.
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I’m disappointed, EE is much worse than Bangkok dangerous. Maybe it plays well in the movie, but this score tells me nothing, being apart from the picture, and it’s in no way comparable to the J.Bourne scores.
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Tim: About Spider-Man, that was very score which got me fanatical about film music, eventually leading me to want to become a film composer in the first place. I was 15 years old when it came out, and was just so completely blown away by Elfman’s music for it, and continue to be today. As per your request, I’ll list my five favorite cues from the score.
“Main Title”: an extremely driving, exciting piece of music establishing a few of the main themes.
“New Powers”: (not on the commercial score CD) when Peter Parker first climbs a wall, Elfman does a bit of micky-mousing here, but it didn’t at all feel “silly” or “cute” to me. In fact, that was one of the first moments I really noticed the music and thought, “Oh, that’s cool.”
“Revenge”: the first time (other than the main title) that Elfman begins using Spider-Man’s theme in heroic context, as Peter is chasing down his uncle’s alleged killer.
“The Final Confrontation”: that moment in the score when Osborn (Green Goblin) forces Peter to choose his responsibility — the life of his beloved Mary Jane or the people of New York — to me is spine-tingling.
“Farewell”: most of the cue is a very touching, yet ultimately bitter romance between Peter and Mary Jane, but it’s finale consists of one last moment of heroism as Spider-Man swings through the city.
I’ve heard many complaints before that Spider-Man lacks thematic material, but that is so completely far from the truth, Tim. Just listen carefully. I hope this helps!
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Referring to my previous post a moment ago, which was supposed to read, “…that was *the* very score which got me fanatical about film music…”
Sorry, I couldn’t leave my own grammatical error alone. Wish I could edit my own posts.
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i love this score and want more that was unreleased. i enjoyed every track. i am a big fan of tyler’s music. potus 111 is my favorite i love the brass part at 2:40 very beautiful, my grandmother who is very musically inclined loved it as well. i have all of tyler’s scores on cd, the ones that were released that is, so far. i can’t say enough good things about him. he is a wonderful man and very talented, he is the next john williams in my opinion.
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Nice review Tim. On your recommendation I shall just listen to my copy of Snake Eyes instead of buying Eagle Eye!
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I couldn’t disagree more with you regarding Brian Tyler. The Eagle Eye score is exactly what it should be for the film, and if Tyler attempts to make things more personal or emotional or less bombastic, than he’s going against the director’s orders. So many “critics” of soundtracks usually have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to the process of writing a score. So much of what’s actually written is not necessarily the composer’s wish at all, but is subjected to a director and several producers who have temped the movie with other soundtracks and get married to that music. The composer is then forced to copy that sound almost to the note in many cases, and if he takes too many liberties, he will be replaced. Unfortunately, it’s less about trying to express yourself artistically and creating complete album experiences than it is making a good living by giving the client what they ask for. But even with all that said, Tyler’s score for Eagle Eye does everything right in the way the movie demands. You can’t make every score have everything because not every movie allows it. As a composer, I get so frustrated when a “critic” makes comments from a completely ignorant point of view because it points out how incompetent they are. Tearing something down does not make one an expert on the subject, especially if the insults are uneducated opinion. If you have a problem with the score, take it up with the director who decides what it will sound like. Brian Tyler is very talented and one of the A list guys for good reason.
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Jason, thanks for the comment. I totally disagrees with Tim’s review as well, but as a fan of movie music, not a composer. Most critics are just fans and it would be unfair to demand that we know what it’s like being a composer. I happen to know that Tim likes Brian Tyler, both as a man and as a composer, but his points about the action industry are valid from his standpoint. I don’t agree with it, but this certainly is no attack against Brian Tyler himself, but more of the type of music he has been producing for action scores recently and modern action scoring in general. The composers might be the victim of the director, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t say anything (as fans) if we don’t like the music. Personally I think this is some of the best stuff Brian has done and I hope he makes more similar scores in the future.
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Jason: Everything you said, I’m in fact well aware of. As with any sphere of filmmaking, much of it is often about compromise. What you point out is actually a given, that any self-respecting film music fan should be aware of, particularly those who choose to review the albums. This “critic” is only too aware of the points you raise. I’m not looking for self expression, I’m looking for something that marries perfectly to the film. The film is what matters most, not the complete album experience. I’m not expecting a score to give me a multitude of flavors, but it has to interest me. This score was not only uninteresting, but one-note like the worst of them and overlong with it.
The scores I love the most, actually tend to be in some degree because i love the films also - the scores take me back to all the momments i love if i hadn’t seen BOILER ROOM for example, it would not be a 10/10 album, ’cause it’s too odd a score to fully make sense of or comprehend out of context, but it is one of the few scores that really serves as a heartbeat to the film it is in and makes the film that much better. Some scores just work that much better when you are familiar with the film as it should give you a much better idea of EXACTLY what the composer was going for… therefore you are much more likely to accurately gaugue how far they succeeded. The way i see it, if the film has beautiful music that can stand on it’s own (especially if you are yet to see the film itself, as is the case here), that’s simply a wonderful bonus, but what i’m most concerned with as I’ve already said is the fundamental marriage of image and music and how that compound moves me in a
specifically intented way. Composers know that, AS DO I as an audience member and film enthusiast …usually i buy scores because the film makes me want to go out and do that, only a short list of composers like Dyanna and
Burwell, that I will automatically spend money on the day of release, at
which point the film is not usually out by then anyway. Point being, I am not tearing down for the sake of it, I’m guessing you merely scammed the review and didn’t see quite clearly that I’m a fan of Brian Tyler and listed 3 albums of his I loved. Neither am I operating from a place of ignorance, it’s called “impassioned opinion”. I tell it how it is, I don’t pander to composers based on the constraints they may or may not have had making it. If I did that then everything would get a good review. For all you know, Tyler may not have been working to the degree of constraint you imply. Neither you or I can know for sure. What I am sure about, is that the music is uninspired. Tyler working in his supposed genre of which he is supposed to be a master, has come up with something really weak in my opinion. This only tells me that he might not have had that much to be inspired by and that the film itself is similarly uninspired. You’re a composer, I GET your struggles, I sympathize. IIs EAGLE EYE any good? A resounding no from my quarter. I get accused of attacking, yet I’m the one under attack. I hope this helps you think better of my opinion (that’s all it is after all) if not my thoughts on the film.
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I agree 100% with what Riley said - I agree with what you (Tim) said in the review, however, I still love the album. There are a few songs that I feel are too long, but that’s not a problem for me. I love soundtracks so much (especially for doing homework - words are distracting!), but on many soundtracks, the songs are so short that I’m constantly distracted.
And there are 2 big themes I’ve noticed in this soundtrack - the main one (as expressed in Eagle Eye Main Title & Eagle Eye, appropriately enough) and the more emotional one (The Loss of a Twin, end of Honor, Eagle Eye End Title mainly). And to be honest, because of the movie, I DO notice and connect emotionally any time I hear the second theme. Maybe it’s just because for me, seeing Shia LaBeouf cry definitely makes me sad as well. So Loss of a Twin gets to me.
But anyway, basic idea is I agree with the basics of your review, except that I absolutely love the soundtrack.
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Can’t disagree with any of that, except I haven’t seen the movie yet so I can’t connect that way. Still, this score is one of the highlights of 2008 for me with it’s high intensity and raw energy. I also love to put on soundtracks for anything I have to do, whether it’s writing or something else. What are your favorite homework soundtracks? I seem to do a random rotation a lot, but if I need to be creative I can put on Fight Club or Monster which just gets me going.
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Actually, right now my main homework soundtracks are Tranformers, Prince Caspian, A Beautiful Mind, Lost Season 1, and The Holiday. However, once I have a soundtrack TOO memorized (like, say, Lord of the Rings) I can’t use it for homework anymore - then I’m too distracted singing along. So unfortunately, Transformers will soon be off the list, along with Prince Caspian. Which for me is depressing because I absolutely adore them.
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Yep, that’s the trouble. Finding new scores all the time which does the job as well as the old ones. Luckily I have a big collection and random does seem to get the job done.
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isn’t Eagle Eye the one where Shia LaBeouf becomes Indiana Jones? dang, now i’m all confused…
patricks last blog post..The Man of La Mancha — Crazy Good
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hehe yeah, what happened there? He seems to be everywhere. I think someone cloned him, but I can’t prove it…
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Haven’t seen the film yet, but I plan to do so soon. Couldn’t agree more with your opinion on the direction music is going these days with action and suspense scores. Just did a presentation the other day, in fact, of Danny Elfman’s brilliant score for Spider-Man — an example of a “good” (even “great”) action score, in my opinion.
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