Con Air

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Stand aside or be judged. When you will listen to this soundtrack you will know if you accept or hate it. So I only see it as the undeniable kick ass score (meaning I love it and want it) or as the listen with someone who keeps shooting nails at my ears (meaning I loath it). For those who are interested in the end result, I'm sticking with the first. Sorry, I know this isn't something of everybody's taste but just sometimes I need a listen, no orchestral or subdued pieces but simply the one explosion of sound after the other. Those that stick with the second (I don't doubt there will be many) will see it as the one explosion of noise after the other but I only can admit that Media Ventures as a whole delivers the biggest action packs of roller coaster rides you can find today. Zimmer did it first, those that could do it followed and Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin (had to replace Mancina when he was sent to score Speed 2 at the end) surely are masters of it too.

It perhaps all starts too bad for several people, I admit it isn't something that could receive the beauty award for starting an original soundtrack but I think it presents the best possible sound for the bad ass criminals that sit in that plane for sure. Con Air's first track 'Con Air Theme' surely tingles my spine with an excellent main theme, a heroic and totally perfect action moment. Of course you have several different moods, the criminal in your face sound will blow up your patience if you would hear 'Carson City', 'Lear Crash' and 'Lerner City' but they work just fine in the movie and they give me energy and power. It all stands as the rough sounds of the criminals in the movie. The other mood is just as typical as the action sound, the softer emotional love resemblances with 'Trisha' and 'Poe meets Larkin' are obvious stand outs. And action all the way (I love it) in 'Battle in the Boneyard' and 'Fire Truck Chase'. Sure some will despise it, others need it for a good time. It's simply a question of taste. See it in my direction: "Simon West's blow up everything movie is loud and big, so the score had to be the same to equalize on it's strength. Mancina and Rabin delivered it with a pounding and electronic bombast score of immense proportion".

So, Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin continued to shock movie fans. They don't make those orchestral action scores but time correct me if they made such movies twenty years ago. The evolution made sure that movies became capable of doing everything they wanted and scores had to follow in those footsteps. I for one don't mind because sometimes I have to listen to something that simply rocks. But others will surely throw it in the dumpster or in the worst case imaginable, will be dead after it. Advice for granted, "Stay away from it if electronic guitars don't suit you but try the blasting power of your speakers with Con Air's loudest moments if you want to be blown away". That was warning number one! If you didn't like the movie then you have already made up your mind. Warning number 2! The third warning starts with Ying Yang, "a waste of money or purchase with futuristic enjoyment". Figure it out.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Con Air Theme (1.34) Excellent Track

2. Trisha (1.04)

3. Carson City (3.05)

4. Lear Crash (4.44)

5. Lerner Landing (3.28)

6. Romantic Chaos (1.23)

7. The Takeover (3.52)

8. The Discharge (1.09) Excellent Track

9. Jailbirds (0.59)

10. Cons Check Out Lerner (1.56)

11. Poe Saves Cops (2.26)

12. The Fight (0.23)

13. Battle In The Boneyard (7.41) Excellent Track

14. Poe Meets Larkin (1.15)

15. Bedlam Larkin (0.49)

16. Fire Truck Chase (4.22) Excellent Track

17. Overture (4.19)

Total Length: 44.58

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

=== Link to Composer Sites: Mark Mancina & Trevor Rabin ===