Spider-Man 2

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Spider-Man was a solid movie that did things good, and its score was equally solid with great highlights and several more harder to take ideas, typically Elfman you would say. And so I didn't snatch directly the sequel up. But the movie turned out to a better clone, with the same solid acting but with more character depth added to the special effect battles, and so the movie turned out to be good. And the score sounded nice, but I missed out still the scenes that would grade this score and that was the action music. Elfman's action music in the first was at times chaotic, at times solid, at times stunning. Danny Elfman keeps his music typically trademark like but also sometimes chaotic that even fans at times swallow a couple of times through the hard to digest scoring attitude. Yet here, I feel fortunate to say its much more cohesive in the end then first imagined. Don't take this as Elfman being now simple because that never will be the case, but its more streamlined if you compare it with Spider-Man in the end. Of course reoccurring themes are a must because who can't forget now the main Peter Parker / Spider-Man theme. And so it occurs almost 90% the same in 'Spider-Man 2 Main Title'. Recall basically the first track of the first score, and you basically get that, the difference is where the Doc Ock theme is added in the middle, and that some bells are added, some electronic whooshes and especially more choir. There was criticism that it wasn't loud, powerful enough for many fans in the first, which was a stupid criticism anyway. But now Elfman added the oomph to the test and naturally, no one's complaining anymore. And that solely for the opening piece that very well told the first film through storyboard drawings over the titles.

The next track 'M.J.'s New Life / Spidus Interruptus' has several things returning to greet us, the soft theme of Mary Jane, followed by the great choral version of the main theme added to that, followed by an orchestral blowout. This didn't happen until the end in Spider-Man, so already a version like this is great to start things with. The only hard to digest and swallow Elfman piece is then 'Doc Ock is Born', trademark Elfman in the end with a hectic action sound, but here does Doc Ock's theme come to life for real in the film. This theme is reprised by some mystery strings in 'Angry Arms / Rebuilding', the Doc Ock theme is a little like what you heard in Sleepy Hollow, and so another case in point is made about the more cohesive sound of the score. Sleepy Hollow was no easy walk in the park, but through its cohesiveness it didn't stray away. What I like also about the album is the more relaxed tracks in between the action scoring, like 'A Phone Call / The Wrong Kiss / Peter's Birthday' with the version of the main theme, even by piano and later MJ's theme. Then the action music, with 'The Bank / Saving May' as a more cohesive highlight, in all the chaos the main theme is heard and so does Doc Ock's theme make special requests, but its the more suspension build up towards a heroic version of the Spidy theme with choir that makes this track succeed. And again the mix between soft and louder, first 'The Mugging / Peter's Turmoil' with a soft version of the main theme, followed by heftier action scoring around the Doc Ock theme in 'Doc Ock's Machine'. It all makes it much smoother, with 'He's Back' leading to a beat, choir making a different version of the main theme work and leading to the Doc Ock theme, which leads it all to this score's biggest piece.

That this piece was changed in the film, and re scored by Christopher Young is sad, since 'Train / Appreciation' really works. It basically has everything Elfman stands for, electronic pounds, choir, heroic versions of the theme, the Doc Ock theme fighting musically with the Spidy theme, a choral wash around 2.40 and the Spidy theme leading a more cohesive tone to a halt, and literally when the train slows down, so does the orchestra with a musical fade-out, which truly sounds cool. It leads to a soft choral version of the main theme for the appreciative citizens who carry Spider-Man to safety. Further in the film, I seemed to remember there was more choir in the scene 'Armageddon / A Really Big Web!', if everything is placed here on disc remains to be seen, however this is not action scoring but it carries the Doc Ock theme for a moment with choir, and the Spidy theme receives attention too, and so does the MJ theme which grows to a more romantic finish with the ever so fateful Elfman strings gliding their magic over it. The introduction of The Goblin (for part 3) is starting here with a version in 'The Goblin Returns'. And so does everything explode with massive choir ala the end in Spider-Man, and so does 'At Long Last, Love' achieve. Its big and it ends softly with bells when the camera faces MJ, so we know something will happen to her in the third film (what else is new). Altogether, I enjoyed so much more Spider-Man 2, because it doesn't carry that non structured typical Elfman tone to the degree that it fails to enjoy. Here all the trademarks are accounted for, but in a more cohesive manner that even non Elfman fans can enjoy it, if they heard the first score naturally before that. Spider-Man 2, like its film is much more to be appreciated and therefore I'm glad to see Elfman doing another take on Spidy the third.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Spider-Man 2 Main Title (3.21) Excellent Track

2. M.J.'s New Life / Spidus Interruptus (2.31)

3. Doc Ock Is Born (2.23)

4. Angry Arms / Rebuilding (2.51)

5. A Phone Call / The Wrong Kiss / Peter's Birthday (2.06)

6. The Bank / Saving May (4.27) Excellent Track

7. The Mugging / Peter's Turmoil (3.21)

8. Doc Ock's Machine (1.42)

9. He's Back (1.50)

10. Train / Appreciation (6.16) Excellent Track

11. Aunt May Packs (2.51)

12. Armageddon / A Really Big Web! (6.27)

13. The Goblin Returns (1.36)

14. At Long Last, Love (2.59) Excellent Track

15. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head: B.J. Thomas (3.14)

Total Length: 48.04

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=== Link to Composer Site: Danny Elfman ===