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Soundtrack Review: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Reviewer: JØrn Tillnes

X-Men: First Class Soundtrack review: This is a review of the film score X-Men: First Class by Henry Jackman.

"I applaud Henry Jackman for trying to create something more than just a mindless action score"

It's time for X-Men again and this time it goes back to the very beginning. In 1963, Charles Xavier starts up a school for humans with superhuman abilities or mutants if you will. It's been called 90210 meets X-Men and I certainly not hope that's the case. Kick-Ass and Stardust director Matthew Vaughn continues with his collaboration with Henry Jackman who composes the score for the latest installment in the X-Men series of films.

Track List

1. First Class	*****
2. Pain and Anger	****
3. Would You Date Me?	*****
4. Not That Sort Of Bank	****
5. Frankenstein's Monster	****
6. What Am I Thinking	***
7. Cerebro	****
8. Mobilise For Russia	****
9. Rise Up To Rule	****
10. Cold War	****
11. X-Training	*****
12. Rage And Serenity	*****
13. To Beast Or Not To Beast	***
14. True Colors	****
15. Let Battle Commence	****
16. Sub Lift	*****
17. Coup d'Etat	****
18. Mutant and Proud	*****
19. X-Men	****
20. Magneto	****

Henry Jackman comes out of Remote Control Production, but like John Powell, he doesn't seem to create Zimmer-copies. His input have been versatile and impressive, from Monster Vs. Aliens to Winnie The Pooh, he seems to create music to any genre with little effort.

Kick Ass

So it is with high expectations that I picked up X-Men: First Class. I am first of all hoping for something different, not Harry Gregson-Williams different, but something that kicks ass, literally.

Jackman continues on his good efforts from before and runs with it. You can hear in the cue 'First Class' how he uses a great theme in a dramatic cue. Same can be said for a lot of cues on the score even though most of them doesn't quite reach the top of his achievements. There's the bittersweet love song 'Would You Date Me?' and the modern almost a hybrid of techno and rock track 'X-Training'. 'Rage and Serenity', 'Sub Lift' and 'Mutant and Proud' are beautiful heroic tracks. Finally there's 'X-Men' and 'Magneto', particularly the latter has a very dark and gritty sound to it.

Sure there could be a little refining, but the fact is that most four star cues are close to getting a five and that's quite impressive.

Conclusion

Personally, I think this is a big step upwards from Harry Gregson-Williams X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It's much more melodic and still kicks ass. I applaud Henry Jackman for trying to create something more than just a mindless action score. There's a lot of thought behind this and it shows. Jackman is one of the very brightest lights in the world of film music now and long may it continue.

->Buy the CD on Amazon<-

->Buy the MP3 album on Amazon<-

->Buy the album on iTunes<-

Listen to the X-Men: First Class soundtrack by Henry Jackman below:

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