Soundtrack Review: The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)

Posted by Jorn Tillnes

December 29, 2008

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120808 1751 soundtrackr1 Soundtrack Review: The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008) This is a review of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor by Randy Edelman.

“The fun-filled imagination of Randy Edelman makes this score an instant winner and it’s easy to give top marks to one of the most entertaining pieces of music seen this year (or any year).”

First of all, yes I know it is a summer movie but luckily film scores are timeless and if it’s good today, it will be in 10 years from now, just ask Randy Edelman who has provided beautiful film scores like The Last of the Mohicans and Dragonheart to name a few. Of course not all scores will be remembered like that, but Edelman has that capability, perhaps more than most. This year he composed a not so memorable score in “27 Dresses” back in February which I did a review of. This time he is doing what he does best, the fantasy-drama genre. This allows Edelman to have fun, not play by the rules and just go with it. Jerry Goldsmith and Alan Silvestri did the score for the 2 previous movies in the series and they did quite well I might add. With Randy Edelman the score is bound to feel a little different. Has Randy Edelman succeeded in creating a memorable score?

Track List

A Call To Adventure (Theme From Mummy 3)
Silently Yearning For Centuries
Open Wound
The Reign Of Terror
A Family Presses Close
Formation Of The Terra Cotta Army
Reading Of The Scrolls
Crash And Burn
Alex And Lin
A New Assignment
Yang Follows The O’connells
Shanghai Chase
Mother And Daughter Reunion
Ancient China
Rick’s Long Rod
Entering The Tomb
Visit From A 3-Headed Friend
Memories, Retirement And Dinner
New Year’s Betrayal
The Emperor Versus Zi Yuan
Love In The Himalayas
2nd Century B.C
The Museum Becomes Alive!
Rick And Evy In Battle
A Warm Rooftop
Heartbreak
Return Of The Dragon
Shielding A Son
Finale
My Sweet Eternal Love (By Helen Feng)

Edelman Maestro

Ah Randy Edelman, he knows good music doesn’t he? Especially when he gets it done his way, and just put out those great sounding themes that just sticks with you and he has brought some of his greatness over to the unlikely third movie in the Mummy series (Scorpion King doesn’t count). It starts off in a true heroic fashion with “A Call To a Adventure (Theme From Mummy 3)” which is more of a theme for the O’Connells (which is the main characters if you didn’t know). We hear it as Evelyn O’Connell dreams back to old glorious battles and fight off her shadow in the study and that’s a superb theme for them. It’s kind of fun, brash and really truly cheesy heroic. You might puke, but you have to like it. It gets better with “Silently Yearning for Centuries” which as a theme of its own and it’s spectacular with its Chinese undertones and violins with feelings, that’s right, feelings! It gives me goose bumps when I hear those sweeping sounds that caresses my very soul. It’s so simple and yet so genius, just two strokes varied by its pitch. Bravo Mr. Edelman!

There are a lot of great material here to look forward to like “Open Wound” which starts with a deep man’s voice and uses a bit of the ending for “Silently Yearning for Centuries” and Edelman’s excellent imagination brings us to China again at the end for a short while. Now the first 3 cues has been a little on the quiet side, but in Mummy there’s of course action and in “The Reign of Terror” which starts of in a furious fashion, then it has a more quiet middle part, but it revisits some of the action within. I could probably go on and on about all the great cues that comes next such as the quite but brilliant woodwind and piano theme in “A Family Presses Close” which is subtle and emotional or the spectacular theme for “Formation of the Terra Cotta Army”, a cue which Jerry Goldsmith would be very proud of, but let’s focus on the best cues on this score and there are two in particular.

Superb Themes

First there is the love theme between Alex and Lin simply called “Alex and Lin” which reminds me quite a bit of Brian Tyler’s excellent “Battle Adagio” from Rambo earlier this year, but similarities aside, it’s a touching if a bit short cue about love between the the two characters. Then you have “Ancient China” which takes the superb theme from “Silently Yearning For Centuries” and makes use of Chinese instruments to make it even more Chinese-sounding which actually makes it even better in my mind. It’s a variation of that cue, but it’s so beautiful and even if this score relied on this cue, which it doesn’t it would be a worthwhile purchase.

There are some cues that are good, but not great, and especially the second half of this score has some cues which could have been better, but is very likeable like “Visit From a 3-Headed Friend”, “Memories, Retirement and Dinner”, “The Emperor Versus Zi Yuan” and “Shielding a Son”. I have to say though when listening to them that they are pretty good, but the cues I’ve mentioned before sets the standard ridiculously high for them to compete.

Conclusion

Randy Edelman, what can I say? I can’t say I am surprised, but this is at least 27 times better than “27 Dresses” that’s for sure. The fun-filled imagination of Randy Edelman makes this score an instant winner and it’s easy to give top marks to one of the most entertaining pieces of music seen this year (or any year).

120808 1751 soundtrackr2 Soundtrack Review: The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)