Soundtrack Review: Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (2004)
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This is a review of the video game score Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault by Christopher Lennertz.
This score is probably only for those looking to complete their Medal of Honor collection. There are a few worthwhile cues. The opening main theme is superbly patriotic with its solo trumpet work in the opening track, similar to something one would here on the American Experience show on PBS. The stylistic nods to Saving Private Ryan in “Tarawa” are a nice touch. The rest of the cues are unmemorable. The secondary theme in “Marching Hymn” and “Dear Dad” is appropriately mournful but lacks the emotionally devastating feel of the more moving elements of Lennertz’s work for Rising Sun, let alone anything done by Michael Giacchino for the series. The action music is Rising Sun lite, lacking energy and exciting brass blasts. The mild underscore is pleasant and inoffensive enough at best, mundane at worst. Only the commercially released “Opening” leaves an impression, making that release preferable to the promo album. Per various game rips of the score, there’s a lot of aggressive action material to be had, but all these rips are unlistenable due to too many short cues and idiotic alphabetical ordering. If you’re looking for a high-quality, sub-20 minute release for this series, Allied Assault is immensely preferable.
Geek Score: 5
Promo (16:19)
1. Main Theme (2:17)
2. Marching Hymn (1:22)
3. 3 Week Wonders (0:59)
4. Dear Dad (1:06)
5. The Jungle (0:29)
6. Battleground (1:32)
7. Reunion (1:11)
8. To Guadalcanal (0:50)
9. Boot Camp (1:18)
10. Rein (0:40)
11. Tarawa (1:03)
12. No Fear (0:39)
13. Trumpet Solo (0:51)
14. Endless (On Patrol) (0:47)
15. Pearl Harbor Ending (1:20)
Commercial Album (15:56)
1. Pacific Assault Main Theme (2:21)
2. Opening (1:51)
3. Dear Dad (1:09)
4. Boot Camp (1:21)
5. No Fear (0:43)
6. Pearl Harbor Ending (1:24)
7. Battleground (1:36)
8. Tarawa (1:07)
9. Rein (0:44)
10. To Guadalcanal (0:54)
11. Reunion (1:14)
12. 3 Week Wonders (1:02)
13. The Jungle (0:32)
14. On Patrol (0:46)
Listen to Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault by Christopher Lennertz below:
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Comments
The main theme for Pacific Assault always reminds me (both melodically and instrumentally) of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man”. I suppose it’s a fitting reference point, considering the time period.
Personally, my favorite MOH scores are the first one, Allied Assault, Frontline and Christopher Lennertz’s European Assault (sheesh, theirs a guy who needs a big movie score to catapult his career… Dogs of War from MOH: EA is pure awesome). The others are great too, but those are the most moving and involving for me. 
Soundtrack Seek
i mainly was interested in giacchino’s MoH soundtracks, but really liked the score lennertz turned in for ‘rising sun’ — but wasn’t too overwhelmed by either european and pacific assault.
a 6 out of 10 seems about right on the nose for me.
Reply