X2: X-Men United

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

When in 2000, Brian Singer announced that he would bring the comic heroes of X-Men to life, he wanted nothing but to work with his buddy, co composer and editor John Ottman. Yet problems arose with John directing, scoring and editing Urban Legends: The Final Cut in the same year and so he wasn't available for the gig. The scoring assignment went to Michael Kamen instead, who composed (as we know it by now) a score that suited the movie yet was average on disc. The cry for Ottman for the sequel was then of course expanded by the years that followed. And by then Ottman fully scheduled his task to do X2, editing and composing it while Brian Singer lent him a hand in whistling the theme for the movie all day. I have heard criticism about Ottman's theme being a virtual identical if changed alteration of Michael Kamen's original theme for the first X-Men. True, the theme is very similar in the style if only here a little more fleshed out by the orchestra (meaning sounding more heroic and noticeable) but hold you horses just yet. Ottman wasn't copying nor adjusting the theme of Kamen, he was doing it to the X-Men theme of the animated television series. You see Kamen used an alternation of the theme of that series in the first movie, Ottman did the same of the theme of either Kamen or just the show. So basically, the theme is directly linked to all sources and basically you should criticize Kamen too if you assault Ottman first. But I don't care, the theme for the television series was cool, Kamen's a bit dark and underused (if receiving a great performance at the end credits of the movie) and Ottman's is the one Singer was whistling all right, receiving the heroic credit of the mutants here and appearing at least several times with gusto on screen.

And its a difference to comic book readers or film music listeners that you state simply a theme in the begin that they know the heroes have at least something that backs them up. And Ottman and (of course) Singer knew that, so they used the main theme as the corner stone for the rolling title on the movie (with great effect). It also opens the score with a special rearranged format of a suite in 'Suite from X2', giving us already the enjoyable brassy main theme with some great use of choir, stating the choral theme that would receive at the end more emotion before exploding at the end again, stating this theme. 'Storm's Perfect Storm' is another highlight, using ferocious choral display to state the awesome power of Storm, it has the choral theme in quite stunning display. One of Kamen's good touches was the mysterious use of instrumentation for Mystique and Ottman does something similar in 'Sneaky Mystique' for our lovely shape shifting beauty, in using the same cello technique but adding soft mysterious vocal effects by Bobbi Page. Later in the track the bells, percussion and orchestra round up a terrific sense of urgency. Another lovely track is 'Cerebro', stating warm cello sounds with light strings to create a mysterious tone. 'Mansion Attack' is a 7 minute package of at times ferocious action music, but overall it remains this for just a few minutes, adding some of the loudest percussion in the 2nd minute I heard for quite some time to the mix, along with some nifty action variations on the main theme. Yet it doesn't stay like this making it not a highlight, which it should have been. 'I'm In' has at the end the vocal mysterious tones for Mystique directly sequencing itself into a choral statement of the main theme, and even how short it is, it is splendid.

One of the best tracks is 'Magneto's Old Tricks' covering for the most part simply choral phrases, being in the begin either the main theme or choral theme but after 3 minutes stating the choral delight of Magneto's theme with great menacing display. Further darkness aplenty in 'If you Really Knew' with some strong organ and choral tones creating the menacing truth behind Wolverine's existence, sounding like Wes Craven's New Nightmare in its off scale choral performances. 'Death Strikes Deathstryke' is actually a bit disappointing in its melodic effect but it does have a fanfare ala The Usual Suspects which gets noticed rather easy. And at the end we have some action tension music in 'Getting out Alive', some emotional choral glimpses for the surprising ending in 'Goodbye' and a truly wonderful statement of the main theme with additional light choir that concludes the score with a bang in 'We're Here to Stay'. Together, X2 isn't still the score I'd hoped for. But it has advantages, first of all that it works like dynamite in the movie (with some unreleased gems), secondly that Ottman's score is simply better to listen to then Kamen's one and thirdly, that it carries simply great ideas overall. Even if the listen isn't anything up to what I hoped for, almost each track carries an idea of 10 seconds to a minute that I simply adore. And by that it means that overall the score has something waiting for me (or you) in each track, making the listen at least that promising. However, don't expect I fully worship X2: X-Men United since I don't, but it glues better then Kamen's effort, it listens like a strong orchestral and choral comic book score and it has above all a theme which, when it appears kicks ass. For that, I love the moments in the score, and for that I give it this quotation, take it or mutate it!

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Suite From X2 (7.09) Excellent Track

2. Storm's Perfect Storm (2.18) Excellent Track

3. Finding Faith (1.29)

4. Sneaky Mystique (3.30)

5. Cerebro (1.26)

6. Mansion Attack (7.33)

7. Rogue Earns Her Wings (1.34)

8. It's Time (3.38)

9. Magneto's Old Tricks (4.57) Excellent Track

10. I'm In (4.10)

11. If You Really Knew (3.20)

12. Playing With Fire (2.43)

13. Death Strikes Deathstryke (4.50)

14. Getting Out Alive (3.57)

15. Goodbye (5.26) Excellent Track

16. We're Here To Stay (1.48) Excellent Track

Total Length: 60.18

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

=== Link to Composer Site: John Ottman ===