I, Robot

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Quick scoring becomes a frequent affair it seems, Troy, I, Robot and many before that! This seems not a good thing and frankly it isn't, since composers can't bring originality, enjoyability and focus on the film on just several weeks. Occasionally there is the man or women who proves otherwise but still, mostly this comes off as nothing more then stock affair. And I have to agree with the fact that I, Robot is that. Perhaps I'm being harsh on it but if I consider Troy to be Horner stock with several good ideas then I'm forged and urged to do the same for I, Robot, Marco Beltrami's swim to save the movie of Alex Proyas. Marco's score in the end listens as a score solely composed by him, which means his style is all over the place and that the scoring at times listens close to scores of him of the past, all in all this is not that bad but Terminator 3, Mimic, Scream and Joy Ride did feature the same ideas and even a theme partly stated on Hellboy is making its way onto the album, which means only time constrains were the reason for this behavior of Marco. And still the score works, but if people equal it to Hellboy's standards, then that is the insult to that work, because Hellboy had more color, versatility, daring originality and solely the fact that the great heroic theme was missing on that album made the score not reach that 4 star quote. Here, I, Robot comes off as a functional score with the ideas and the themes, but the ideas are already used and presented in other Beltrami scores and the themes are functional but not as strong as those heard in Hellboy, which makes this score not that interesting, if not for the fact that at least Beltrami throws in his usual sharp rhythm and frantic action style.

The score has several themes, one of which is presented in the first track though surrounded with atmospheric strings in 'Main Titles'. The attacking music so heard in Terminator 3 is returns again in 'Gangs of Chicago' and this attacking theme is the secondary theme, returning also in 'Tunnel Chase', which more then ever states the exact Beltrami string moves and brass functioning, how effective these may sound he also used them in Terminator 3 and Joy Ride, and perhaps only time constraints made sure they were inserted again. The main theme of I, Robot appears with dark strings and brass and grows to a menacing and dead color in 'I, Robot Theme (End Credits)' but its the third theme which states some light along with Beltrami's usual solo singer, however, that this theme is partly the same as Professor Broom's theme is what makes it sad. Some Goldenthal strings are heard in 'New Arrivals' while true Goldenthal brass erupts 'Chicago 2035' and shows there is a little Elliot waiting to emerge. 'Spooner Spills' returns with the main theme and again this theme grows at the end so bleak, its even so understandable that you get a kick out of a theme so darkly potent. '1001 Robots' has after minutes a brass attack that can only come of Beltrami while the strings ever so doomful glide the main theme in 'Dead Robot Walking'. Fortunately it are the final 2 tracks that differ the approach of Beltrami's work, and perhaps here is were all this hype comes from, first 'Spiderbots' which is action music, but here the somber main theme is used as an action fanfare and some choir also states the epic size of Beltrami's writing, it moves to the other action theme, the main theme and choir and is frankly coming too late to save this score, how good it listens all the same.

The final track adds finally some color and it all sounds a little more relieved here. 'Round Up' lets the main theme perform with choir and here it truly sounds more then colorful, the cello further sets this theme alight and the drama theme ala Prof. Broom is back again, the main theme and a choir give it the sendoff. Frankly this all is not enough if people again don't praise this score to the bone, because that's what made my impression more then disappointing. Again now you accept this score for what it is, but if quotations equal it with the quotes of Hellboy, then you expect the same and that it isn't. Hellboy has color and every conceivable Beltrami trademark while I, Robot has the trademarks in a dreaded bleak color but without the surprising qualities of that Hellboy. It is in the end a good score for its time consuming patch up work but Beltrami fans have to know better, this is like Joy Ride without the choir, Terminator 3 without that famous theme and Hellboy and Mimic are so much better then all of this. I now enjoy I, Robot for what it is, but again these impressions aren't working for people searching for the next great score. Then Hellboy (even if its not possessing one of its killer themes) is so much better, and so much surprising then I, Robot. Again all is better then the next but weeks don't bring great scores to life if weeks is all you have. Its not a great score because it could have been more then what we have now, and proves that the time made Hellboy work, and that the talented composer was at the same helm of these projects, only with Del Toro he had that time, here I, Robot asked for no nonsense functionality with some epic scoring, some aggressive action moves and a somber theme, and Beltrami is all that without time. That little extra is what you get when you give him time.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Titles (1.31)

2. Gangs Of Chicago (3.13)

3. I, Robot Theme (End Credits) (3.15)

4. New Arrivals (1.05)

5. Tunnel Chase (3.10)

6. Sonny's Interrogation (1.27)

7. Spooner Spills (4.21)

8. Chicago 2035 (1.36)

9. Purse Snatcher (0.59)

10. Need Some Nanites (2.53)

11. 1001 Robots (4.16)

12. Dead Robot Walking (5.09)

13. Man On The Inside (2.25)

14. Spiderbots (4.19) Excellent Track

15. Round Up (4.24)

Total Length: 44.11

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Marco Beltrami ===