The Desolation of Smaug Score Review

The realm of Middle-Earth returns once again in musical form. And what a glorious visit it is. The incredibly talented Howard Shore has crafted yet another musical masterpiece. I was initially very hesitant to grab this soundtrack (don't mock me, guys) due to the little bit I had heard seeming rather bleak and dull. Several weeks ago, I finally decided to give it a try. Howard Shore, I'm sorry I ever doubted you.

If you are at all familiar with Shore's work, you know he consistently takes thematic approaches to whatever movies he scores. In the soundtrack for An Unexpected Journey (a review will be coming for that one soon, Lord willing), he established a vast number of new themes, but many of the ones we heard predominantly were from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here, this is absolutely not the case. Nearly every single theme we hear is a new one. The best of the lot is Smaug's theme. I could rave on about it for hours, but to put it briefly: It's incredible. Others that stand out are the theme for Laketown, the Dwarf theme, and several other character themes.

This journey to Middle-Earth feels very much unlike any of the previous ones. The music here is much darker, far more intense, and very emotional. There are moments where hope breaks through the shroud of evil, but they are far fewer than we've come to expect. However, this makes those moments far more powerful than they would be otherwise. I See Fire is a very different credits song. At first listen, I honestly was not very impressed with it. But after listening to it a large number of times, I can say that it's an excellent song. It just may take a few listens to adjust to it.

Highlights include: Flies and Spiders, Feast of Starlight, The Forest River, Kingsfoil, The Hunters, Smaug, My Armor Is Iron, I See Fire, and Beyond the Forest.

Overall, this is another incredible soundtrack from Howard Shore. I'm so tempted to rate it above what I actually can, but I guess I'll have to settle for giving it five raging dragons out of five.

You can buy it here.

Comments

Revenge of the Sith Review

I’m sure you’ve probably heard that Revenge of the Sith is just slightly better than The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. In my opinion, that is completely untrue. Revenge of the Sith is a masterpiece. Let me explain why I think so. First of all, the plot here is just so much better. Even the dialogue is greatly improved. It’s still not perfect, but it’s only cringe-worthy in a few scenes. That in and of itself is a huge improvement. Secondly, George Lucas has the power of his own legendary original trilogy behind him this time. Finally, we get to witness Anakin become Darth Vader. And it’s glorious. We finally get a little bit of believability when it comes to why Anakin turned to the dark side. This time, it’s not just because he was an arrogant brat. We’re finally able to believe that he was pushed over the edge. On a technical level, everything is flawless, and the CGI still looks incredible today. The acting is far better this time around, and Hayden Christensen i...

Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2 picks up right where the first left off: superheroes may be illegal, but the world’s greatest superhero family is still fighting crime uninhibited. Until, of course, they’re forced to stop. Soon, however, Elastigirl gets an offer that allows her to fight crime and fight for the legalization of superheroes. All is well. Incredibles 2 was the sequel everyone wanted, but no one expected. Arriving in theaters 14 years after the original, it might have been easy for the world to assume Pixar simply had nothing else of substance to offer from the world of the Incredibles. The world would have been very wrong. The film sees Brad Bird, director of the original film, make his triumphant return to the series. He wrote the film as well, ensuring the film’s singular, streamlined vision. Bird directs the film spectacularly, maintaining a consistent tone throughout and establishing an effective blueprint for the world the Incredibles inh...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

Ah, Peter Jackson. You sly son of a gun. Let’s hear it for him, people. He split one short book into three. Actual. Movies. And they were like three hours long each. Dang, that takes talent. If only it had worked. Yeah, that’s right. We all knew (except for me, as I was a wee lad at the mere age of thirteen or something) that there was absolutely no way this movie could live up to the hype. Congratulations, we were all right. Except for me, of course. I was wrong. That’s not to say that this movie is an atrocious wasteland of absolute filth like Batman & Robin. Compared to that movie, An Unexpected Journey is basically Return of the King or The Dark Knight. But heck, even a terrible movie like Star Trek: Nemesis could claim that honor. So, on to the review. An Unexpected Journey opens in dazzling fashion, with the infamous Smaug (does anyone know how you actually pronounce his name?) destroying Erebor. Soon enough, the dwarves arrive and the quest has begun. What is it I d...

SkyWorld

Search This Blog