Review: I Am Legend by James Newton Howard
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It’s Tuesday, and i’ve been waiting for this one for a long time. My anticipation score for this was very high. In truth I always wait with great anticipation on James Newton Howard work. The I Am Legend soundtrack consists of 14 tracks and the play time is approximately 44:29. So what has James Newton Howard cooked up for us this time? It is a varied soundtrack in a way as it is a fair mix of slow songs and fast paced action songs. First the negative, I feel the main theme is a little weak for a movie such as this. It’s not a major thing as most composers don’t think much about that these days, but I still think the main theme and overall theme for this soundtrack could have been a little bit stronger.
The good things about I Am Legend are many, I’ve already mentioned that it’s a nice mix of soft and hard songs, and I also like the use of strings throughout this soundtrack. James Newton Howard always seems to use the whole orchestra instead of playing on that one violin which I like very much. If the theme was a little bit stronger, this would have been used to superb effect. This is very much a movie soundtrack in which I mean that it sounds better when you are watching the movie. Listening to it alone will evoke some feelings you got when watching the movie and some from the music itself. The overall feeling I get when listening to this is solitude and sadness, so in that way, James Newton Howard got it right. I am legend is not a perfect soundtrack in any way, but I enjoyed it a lot and I will enjoy it for a long time. I also have a sneaking feeling that it will get better, the more I listen to it. Listen to it below and tell me what you think.
http://soundtrackgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/iamlegend.flv
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(1 votes, average: 9 out of 10)
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Comments
I did like the movie. It was entertaining. I didn’t go see it for the acting, and the story was fine, noting special. Sometimes you are just in the mood to get entertained and when I went to see it I had only that expectation and I wasn’t disappointed 
STG, I suggest that you read book this film is based on. You will not like the film in the slightest if you do. Its a great read. I recently wrote a post about the alternate end to I Am Legend with some DVD info as well here: http://film-book.com/i-am-legends-alternate-ending/
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I actually think this is a very strong theme for the score. Another attempt at this could’ve featured something that exposed the grandeur or the creepiness of such an apocalyptic view, but JNH’s theme really captures you in its restrained flowing beauty. It exposes the isolation and triumph of the main character, and is a stunner on album. A true surprise for me since I, while a big JNH fan, was not jumping for joy at the idea that he was scoring this.
So, theme aside, what of the rest of the score? JNH’s quieter take on this genre uses a lot of piano and quiet choir to convey the tribulations going on screen, and it’s a consistent, gorgeous effort to listen to. But when the score unleashes itself is where I embrace it, like the choral buildups of “Evacuation” and “The Pier” that just floor you with their beauty, or the sweeping string handling of the main theme for “Epilogue”. The action is quite sparse here. “Darkseeker Dogs” is nothing we haven’t heard before, but “the Jagged Edge” features a very intense percussive and choral outburst to close itself. Only a sense of repetition holds this score back from the highest rating. Its main theme is all-pervasive, and the lack of other noticeable motifs means we don’t get the sense of a full package. Still, a soaring effort, and a shame much of it didn’t make it into the film. 4.5/5
I feel that a more apocalyptic theme would be better here as the theme is too light, it doesn’t capture the drama and severity of the movie. James Newton Howard is a hit and miss for me, and recently there has been more misses than hits. Saying that, this represents JNH best work so far this year.
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Did you like the movie? I didn’t! I didn’t like the acting, the ending and the story! A complete waste of my time to view!
About the music.. it was ok, nothing catchy or strong..
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