Bicentennial Man

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

James Horner is criticized for re using his musical themes, but what if he uses them so well in an otherwise beautiful effort. Does it then also count as the hack of all times? Well, Bicentennial Man may then upset fans, may then frustrate the Horner haters but any person that simply doesn't care (in of course a matter of speaking) will love the emotion that runs through the veins of this beautiful score. Chris Columbus' movie may not offer much new and it all might come as just another family drama, still I was weeping tears with several scenes. Not only because the actors and story development made the impact on the deaths incredibly touching but also because a single James Horner made the music so beautiful, it was harder not to cry at all. After Titanic and The Mask of Zorro we have Bicentennial Man, indeed a score with some inferior usage's of repeating material but all presented in emotional high standards that it doesn't bother me anymore, a hack job with high prosperity is what they call that.

It is the main love theme that will send people either crying or running with an axe to kill that singular disc. Indeed, the astonishing beautiful main love theme, heard in Braveheart's track 'For the Love of a Princess' is the basis of the score. It has the same melody and performance yet only the end it different, it nonetheless might hold several people off. Of course mainstream buyers who don't know nothing of Horner will love it and rightfully so. Its performance is best heard during the trio combination 'The Wedding', 'The Passage of Time, A Changing of Seasons' and 'The Search for Another', offering you almost 20 minutes of supreme emotional linked music. It also uses soft vocal - and perfect piano accompaniment. Yet, some parts are different in tone with this emotional sound, the begin 'The Machine Age' offers you from the start piano movements straight from Searching for Bobby Fisher and Sneakers and even that Sneakers' memory is revisited in 'The Magic Spirit' through the use of soft choral singing. Its not always emotionally packed and more lighthearted tones are also heard, for instance in track 4 or with more upbeat pleasure in 'A New Nervous System' which truly sounds wonderful.

At the end we also have the familiar Celine Dion introduction. Using the main love theme, it is a beautiful song and again one of the better I heard during the past years. Of course, it will never become the next Titanic seller but truth be told, I like it. If people will like the song, then of course they will like the score and vice versa. Bicentennial Man is a gorgeous score and accompanies its movie with perfect wisdom. I know Horner haters will have the time of their life now but that's their concern and I simply think it is a beautiful and satisfying release of a score. At some occasions, it might meander a bit (mainly because this is once more a very large Horner score, 62 minutes without the song) but it never bores which is frankly the best thing. Not one moment I would say this is originality in abundance but emotion, style and flair all wrapped in another winning combination. It might even be considered one of the best Horner scores of the last years, and that for a hack job is a hell of a compliment.

\도도/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Machine Age (3.32) Excellent Track

2. Special Delivery (2.59)

3. The Magic Spirit (3.01)

4. A Gift For Little Miss (5.28)

5. Mechanical Love (2.02)

6. Wearing Clothes For The First Time (2.10)

7. The Wedding (6.49) Excellent Track

8. The Passage Of Time, A Changing Of Seasons (8.32) Excellent Track

9. The Search For Another (3.15) Excellent Track

10. Transformed (2.25)

11. Emotions (3.55)

12. A New Nervous System (3.51)

13. A Truer Love (2.36)

14. Petition Denied (1.56)

15. Growing Old (3.12)

16. The Gift Of Mortality (6.10)

17. Then You Look At Me: Celine Dion (4.22) Excellent Track

Total Length: 66.29

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

=== Link to Composer Site: James Horner ===