Customer Reviews

Entrapment: Original Motion Picture Score

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The music was one of the main reasons why I went to see "Entrapment" over and over again in a movie theatre with a good audio system. The piano score (as on track 3) is indeed a beautiful work of art. Therefore, I obtained the soundtrack CD, expecting quite a lot of it. However, I was quite disappointed to find out that the music of the film was not composed - or at least not included on CD - in more length than was present in the final cut. Brilliant ideas are chopped to tracks that are about a minute and a half long, first impressing you, then letting you down as everything ends abruptly. The result is not really a complete album - it is like a musician's scratch book - full of sequences of notes that never made it into a complete song. Don't get me wrong - this has its moments, but they are way too brief to be completely enjoyable.

You'll see, when you sit down and listen to the soundtrack for the first time you'll love it. I admit it is a bit short but when you listen to track number 3 you'll understand why it is such a beautiful soundtrack. I would recommend this soundtrack to anyone who is a contemporary classical fanatic.

When Christopher Young gets the opportunity to score an action film, the results are nothing short of greatness. Here, Young utilizes an interesting mixture of instruments, such as tin whistles, Celtic drums, serenais, and gamelon gongs. Young's usual synth pad grooves are also present in the score. "Entrapment" contains lots of suspense, introducing us to the ride we're about to be taken on. The synthesizers function well with the orchestra, providing a contemporary sound to the music that an orchestra cannot. I always enjoy Young's action music and in cues such as "Saints and Sinners", "Millennium Countdown", and "Try, Then Trust", he lets the orchestra and electronics rip. "Bright Moments" contains lots of bright moments with pulse pounding brasses, as used in Hard Rain. "The Dancing Jars" introduces a piccolo into the music and "Wondering Aloud" introduces an electric guitar. A love theme between the 2 main characters in the film can be found in "La Fleur De La Musique" and the final track, "Thank God". As Christopher Young has primarily been composing music in the horror genre, it's nice to see him break away from that and write music like this. As director Jon Amiel says about the score: "Chris Young's magnificent multicolored score always tells the truth. At times it twines itself through the fabric of the movie like ivy through an iron railing. At times it is the railing on which the scene is hung. Sometimes it lies hidden like an alligator in a swamp waiting to bite you, hard. The result is big movie music at its very best - huge but never grandiose, emotional but never sentimental." Prepare, the trap is set.

I would agree with some of the other people who reviewed this CD. The music is absolutely wonderful, but far too short. There are several tracks that have that hauntingly beautiful main theme but under different titles. Tracks 3, 10, 15, 18, and 20 should have been combined into one continuous cut. All in all, still enjoyed the music.

After I saw this movie, and heard the music there, I was eager to purchase the soundtrack (Too eager, I paid more to purchase it at the music store than here at Amazon). But when I got it I was disapointed. The music that I had remembered hearing, and liking so much, was barely on it (Just tracks #18 and 20, and scattered various other places), and a lot of the music was themeatic, and not as good apart from the movie as it was in the movie. There is a lot of variety to the tracks though, as well as a wide number of internationial sounding tracks. So I don't know if I'd recomend against getting it, but just know that it's not a beautiful score, and I personally was disapointed with it. But others may (And obviously do) like it. One note, the last part of track #20 is one of the most annoying pieces of noise I've heard on a soundtrack. Definitely skip past that when you get there. Coulda' been better, coulda' been worse. Two Stars, maybe two and a half.

The Entrapment soundtrack captures (of course!) the feel of the movie. Somehow the action and romance of the movie did not quite carry over when I listened to just the music. For devoted fans of the movie, consider this album. For others, listen to a few samples before you decide.

Although this CD may not be the BEST example of Chris Young's talent, one cannot argue the music suited the film exceptionally well and that's the most important element of this soundtrack. Comparisons to other scores written by Young for other films is erroneous because each musical score is written for a certain set of circumstances and film genres. Having seen the movie myself, I can remember more than a couple people coming out of the theatre remarking on how good they thought the musical score was. Listening to it as a stand-alone is a bit different that coupling it with the film as is sometimes the case with soundtracks, but I did enjoy this CD thoroughly nonetheless.

Good addition to any soundtrack collection!

It is with great pain that I write this because I have read enough interviews and what not to know Mr. Young's work ethic, etc. plus I am a big fan of his, so I am going to try not to sound insulting. Compared to the high standards he has set in the past, this is such a mediocre non-effort, that I honest to God can't remember a freakn' tune out of this whole thing! Knowing him, it probably was the lackluster and uninspiring material from which he had to try and derive something. That, and probably temp tracked. But in any case, what you get across is some muted strings with a lot of clanging and banging. I want to know, what the hell is going on with this dissonance and minimalism?! Why does everyone want their movies to sound like nothing?! What happened to real music? That is NOT music people! Chris Young, Elliot Goldenthal, Jerry Goldsmith to some extent,and a slew of others have used dissonance as a tool in some of their best scores, but when dissonance is left by itself, it's crap. Here is a simple rule I go by: If you can't remember anything you just heard and/or can't hum anything from it, then it is not music. It is as simple as that. Since I am a big fan of Mr. Young, let me point you all to some of his masterpieces, which I believe a lot of them may be available on Amazon. Try Hellraiser 1 and 2, The Fly 2, Flowers in the Attic, Hider in the House, The Dark Half, and to a lesser extent Jennifer 8. See what this guy can really do; it sure isn't this!

This is in my opinion one of the best soundtracks that I have heard, it has everything that a good action movie needs.