King Kong

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

To many it was a shock, and frankly its still today. When it was announced Peter Jackson would recreate the famous king of them all namely Kong, people soon saw potential this movie could hold its strength alongside his classic LOTR saga. Because Peter Jackson has grown from a fanbase director of Braindead and The Frighteners to an all time favorite of many for doing the impossible, recreating Tolkien's vision from book to image and succeeding to do it right. Now with King Kong it was long decided the wonderful Naomi Watts would play the title role of Ann and that composer Howard Shore would try to bring both Max Steiner's legendary score a worthy successor and equal his own success and magic of LOTR. The people were like Jackson falling in love with Howard Shore after LOTR, and for good reason too. So it was for many a complete shock that due to creative differences, composer and director separated mere months before the premiere. Consider it a Gabriel Yared spoof without the angry retaliation from both parties at the end. Here, Howard Shore never struck back at Peter Jackson and the 2 remain friends no matter what. Shore continued to remain in the movie as a conductor in a cameo appearance, but faithfully they decided that he would not be squashed by Kong's hands when he would break free. Talk about respect haha! Anyway now with Howard Shore gone, composer numero 1 would be James Newton Howard, who was long working on the picture after the word was spread around. But the question was: how would it sound like, what could James Newton Howard deliver in mere weeks to months and what would Shore's ultimate effort have sounded like? Questions that will not be fully answered when listening to this score. First of all, people hoping that James Newton Howard would fail aren't fully honest, but mere angry loyal followers to Howard Shore. Because if the score of Howard would have failed big time, I would be the first one to agree. But Newton Howard still was able to bring a sometimes thrilling and overall noteworthy powerful score, perhaps not in the big league Shore admirers or Kong admirers would have wanted it to be.

That the score perhaps lacks a strong big main theme is not entirely true, but then the score has various other themes to offer, perhaps the big main theme wasn't needed at all. First of all, Howard delivered a simple yet effective Kong fanfare already from the beginning. Besides the departure theme which is more a mystery theme per se, the Kong fanfare is heard over the letters in 'King Kong' and feels like something Max Steiner would have composed to signal his Kong in the 1933 movie (which he did, only it was a 3 note fanfare). 'A Fateful Meeting' is gentle strings with piano, whether or not presenting a theme for Ann, not entirely sure. With 'Defeat is Always Momentary' we have a more rushing scherzo in begin and end, interrupted by a more relaxed lounge comedic theme. Sadly I felt the first part of the movie is like the score, needed but too long and at times a bit boring. The character development needs to be there but its just a bit too stretched out and sadly the first 6 tracks are a bit too much on this disc. 'It's in the Subtext' is like 'Two Grand' not really necessary, considering the biggest half is spend on Skull Island and that's where the action awaits us! Anyway the first is the departure theme on more mysterious strings while the second captures too the departure theme briefly with more racing music. 'The Venture Departs' again brings us the departure theme on strings and after that a brief what seems like part of the love theme, together with Ann's lounge music (presenting her as the comedic artist). With 'Last Blank Space on the Map' we finally reach the more thrilling part of the score, meaning the second part of the movie and CD, and here loud percussion and whispering ethic flutes lead to a brass and choir eruption signaling briefly a much welcomed action moment before it fades out quietly and eerie again. It feels like you have to battle your way through the film to get to the really good parts and its a bit the same with the soundtrack.

I expected 'It's Deserted' to be boring but luckily its one of those tracks I didn't really notice in the film. Its beginning with the Kong fanfare and moving to a wondrous Abyss like choral movement for the wonder of Skull Island. Next in this track is the attack on the group and with attacking brass and screeching strings (Dreamcatcher) it moves into fulfilling heroic action music. The kind we wanted in the end from whichever composer. And then there's no stopping the quality. 'Something Monstrous ... Neither Man nor Beast' is back a dark ominous Kong fanfare racing into a departure theme statement while 'Head toward the Animals' is a furious Dreamcatcher like rhythmic attack on the senses, but in a good way. Its powerful and rhythmic and moves into another racing departure theme with heroic statements, quite thrilling in the powerful sense of the word. But thrilling in the whole sense is 'Tooth and Claw', underscoring one of the most visually astounding scenes ever created, the battle with the 3 T-Rex. Anyway the opening brass fanfare is kong's variated fanfare and when the departure theme is brought together with choir and cool brass rising (with especially the Kong attacking heroic theme in the mix) its really good, no excellent. In fact its the best action track this disc has to offer and a piece of music you missed big time in the movie, because the visuals take up your complete attention. In between we have some respite with 'Beautiful' which is the love theme. As in Batman Begins, Newton Howard can really create loving themes and this one is no exception, only here its too light and soothing, in 'Central Park' its growing with Peter Pan sweetness to a wonderful concert arrangement for piano and strings.

With 'That's all There is' we reach a more funny track, with Ann's lounge like comedic subtheme which is another respite from the action, moving directly in 'Captured' stating Kong's fanfare and a growing orchestral heroic statement of Kong's attacking music. With the third part we reach New York city and also here the music is good and better then the begin, creating a slightly sad ending. Yet all of the tracks of 'Beauty Killed the Beast' create one thing, whether its action with I and II recreating music based on the departure theme and Kong's attacking music, or more emotional links for the doomed finale with 'Beauty Killed the Beast IV' being the most noteworthy, bringing emotional choir and a solo vocal to bring the most out of it. Together this will be enough for some, not even close for others. Its I think the perfect example of a blockbuster score not reaching the highest level but still bringing enough thrills and moments to enjoy and respect it. I don't know how much time Howard received, and in regard he had to compose music for a 3 hour movie (meaning 2 to 2.30 minutes of music), it still comes as a testament its this good. Troy was an example where it didn't bring the satisfaction and I'm happy to report that King Kong is neither the failure nor the disappointment. It just doesn't come close to Howard's most epic adventure of them all namely Waterworld. Shore lovers who want nothing more then an eclipse of LOTR magic will feel they are at the wrong address, even I am not sure composer Howard Shore could recreate the pure wizardry of that saga, but at least it would have been different. How different, how good, how epic is a question I'm not sure we'll be able to answer in the future. But I know James Newton Howard at least brought thrills, excitement and emotion to an epic 3 hour movie and that in a time limit most of us didn't see him succeeding at all. Wonder who's the King now?

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. King Kong (1.09)

2. A Fateful Meeting (4.16)

3. Defeat Is Always Momentary (2.48)

4. It's In The Subtext (3.19)

5. Two Grand (2.34)

6. The Venture Departs (4.03)

7. Last Blank Space On The Map (4.43)

8. It's Deserted (7.08) Excellent Track

9. Something Monstrous ... Neither Man Nor Beast (2.38)

10. Head Towards The Animals (2.48)

11. Beautiful (4.08)

12. Tooth And Claw (6.17) Excellent Track

13. That's All There Is (3.26)

14. Captured (2.25) Excellent Track

15. Central Park (4.35) Excellent Track

16. The Empire State Building (2.36)

17. Beauty Killed The Beast I (1.59)

18. Beauty Killed The Beast II (2.22)

19. Beauty Killed The Beast III (2.14)

20. Beauty Killed The Beast VI (4.45) Excellent Track

21. Beauty Killed The Beast V (4.13) Excellent Track

Total Length: 74.40

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=== Link to Composer Site: James Newton Howard ===