Chill Factor (Expanded Bootleg)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

In the career of Hans Zimmer there have been various action scores, most of them never released except on the black market bootleg and one of those obscure titles is Chill Factor, for me a solid and fun action movie. The score was instantly noticed and since there was a bootleg available, I couldn't wait before grabbing it. Yet the difference is, there is a bootleg with 2 tracks (running for about 29 minutes) and a bootleg with expanded material. I decided in taking the expanded one since it might capture more music. And basically it did, yet unfortunately in such a design that the score became a mess, never to be salvaged by already the score that leaned on various electronic whooshes and not to strong on orchestral and melodic might. In theory, I still think that the bootleg with the two tracks will do the score justice but this 28 running track score has all the faults a bootleg occasionally has. Too many tracks, running for just about 20 seconds to a minute on most occasions, reappearing tracks with barely a sign in difference, the occasional bad sound quality and the simple fact that the listening experience fades in an instant if you figure out that the tracks stop and go when they want, not when they should.

Composed primarily by Hans Zimmer and John Powell and assisted with additional music by MV composers Jeff Rona and Klaus Badelt, Chill Factor still remains an average to solid action score with all the trademarks but not enjoyable in a design like this. The two themes are nonetheless catchy and always in the MV standards also interchangeable in tone. Meaning the main theme for the two heroes can work as a fun guitar theme in tracks as 'Track 11' and 'Track 26' but also as an action theme when it rocks the movie, unfortunately not heard once on the bootleg. The other theme is an electronic whoosh of tones but in all the sanity, it really becomes a melodic piece of anger, danger and bud guy resembling. It works to present the threat of the weapon as the bad guys, sounding so cool in already the first track, but the best in 'Track 14' and at the end. Several tracks run for about 2 to 4 minutes, and in 'Track 27' the bad guy theme is reprised with techno gadgets and even a female vocal through the proceedings. 'Track 28' is simply for the stupidity the same. Chill Factor "Expanded Bootleg" is an average action score that could have worked fine on itself if simply none of the mentioned faults were represented. Let's hope if the original 2 track bootleg does the score more justice. Because for now this is music that makes sense during the movie, occasionally cool on disc but completely forgettable when listened to in this complete obnoxious form of presentation, making no impact whatsoever to remember after it, except the themes.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Track 1 (1.15)

2. Track 2 (0.38)

3. Track 3 (0.39)

4. Track 4 (0.38)

5. Track 5 (0.39)

6. Track 6 (0.38)

7. Track 7 (0.39)

8. Track 8 (0.39)

9. Track 9 (1.54)

10. Track 10 (0.52)

11. Track 11 (2.06)

12. Track 12 (1.30)

13. Track 13 (0.44)

14. Track 14 (1.09)

15. Track 15 (0.37)

16. Track 16 (0.38)

17. Track 17 (0.39)

18. Track 18 (0.23)

19. Track 19 (1.28)

20. Track 20 (3.28)

21. Track 21 (0.40)

22. Track 22 (2.44)

23. Track 23 (0.39)

24. Track 24 (1.38)

25. Track 25 (3.56)

26. Track 26 (3.10)

27. Track 27 (4.16)

28. Track 28 (4.18)

Total Length: 42.21

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Sites: Hans Zimmer & John Powell ===