Customer Reviews

Big Fish [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I saw "Big Fish" earlier this winter and loved the film. Tim Burton once again created a whimsical world of fantasy within reality. Next to the vibrant colors and incredible cinematography, the music also played a big role in the film. I am not a Pearl Jam fan, never have been, never will be but I just adored "Man of the Hour" which closed the film. I'm not really a fan of classic rock music either but I always loved The Allman Brothers Band's "Ramblin' Man". I remember first hearing Buddy Holly's "Everyday" in the classic film "Stand By Me". I always loved that song as well. When it comes to film scores, Danny Elfman is one of the most brilliant film composers in modern cinematic history. His work in "Big Fish" was incredible to say the very least. The intricate melodies took me back to the film. If you're expecting to find Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" like in the film trailer for the movie, then you are going to be in for a big disappointment. The song is not on the soundtrack. And if that is the reason for wanting the soundtrack to "Big Fish", then you are missing out on a gem of a cd, if not the point of buying this delightful cd. The music throughout the film was wonderful. Who cares if "Solsbury Hill" wasn't on the soundtrack? As big fan of soundtracks, "Big Fish" is a real treasure.

Being a longtime Burton/Elfman fan, I was pleasantly rewarded by both the movie and the music. Actually during the movie, I thought that some of the weakest parts were the other songs used (not composed by Elfman) but I don't mind them being included on the CD. This movie showed that both Burton and Elfman can tone down the weirdness for a while and make a solid movie with a great, subtle score.

No, the song by Yes is not on here -- but it wasn't in the movie, so why on earth should it be on the soundtrack?? Heck, the Peter Pan trailers used Coldplay, but you don't see that on the CD -- this is because the people who design movie trailers are essentially salespeople, NOT the same people who make the movies.

For those interested: The instrumental music on the Big Fish trailer was from Black Beauty (the beginning bit) and Edward Scissorhands (the end bit) -- two other excellent scores by Elfman which I highly recommend.

if you have seen the movie, then you will respect this soundtrack for its full spectrum of emotions. this soundtrack complements the movie and is perfect for remembering the poignant film about a son finding truth behind his father's colourful stories.

if you buy this soundtrack for a song you hear during the trailer (NOTE: trailers frequently use the same music over and over), then i suggest you see the movie first before belittling this oscar-quality soundtrack and one of elfman's best scores.

I've always been a fan of both Tim Burton and Danny Elfman and have really enjoyed their work. Elfman's music is always so perfect for Burton's films: eerie, highly original, quirky yet beautiful in its own way. Not everyone's cup of tea, but those who appreciate it will definitely see its value. And this soundtrack to "Big Fish" is no exception. Yet again, Elfman has composed music that perfectly complements the visual surrealism that Burton is known for.

But unfortunately there is one flaw with this soundtrack, and that is a lack of continuity, making it rather disjointed. Specifically, I'm referring to tracks 1-7. The first track, Pearl Jam's "Man of the Hour" is a great song and I have no trouble with it being on the soundtrack. But until track 8 (where Elfman's music actually begins) we have a total mixed bag of music. I'm not saying that these songs are bad. But while they may have been effective in the movie, they really don't fit in with Elfman's music. It's as if the soundtrack doesn't know what it wants to be during this time, and only settles down and becomes consistent at track 8. And since Danny Elfman's music is the strong point of a Tim Burton film soundtrack, this somewhat takes away from the overall effect of his music.

But that is my only gripe. I absolutely love the music from track 8 to the very end (and as I said, the new Pearl Jam song is great). I don't think that this soundtrack rivals some of Elfman's earlier work (ie: "Edward Scissorhands" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas") but it's definitely almost as good.

Tim Burton's film Big Fish is a wonderful movie, and composer Danny Elfman's Oscar-nominated score complements it beautifully. Elfman's music is very understated in the movie, and it wasn't until I listened to the film's soundtrack recently that I realized how hauntingly beautiful his music is.

Elfman's music is perfect for Burton's magical film about the larger-than-life character of Edward Bloom. Mystical, whimsical, and eerie at times, the score takes you deep into the weird and wondrous world of the character. The emotional "Sandra's Theme" is one of the best pieces of music on the soundtrack, and the jazzy number "Twice the Love" (the Siamese twins' song) closes out the CD with a bang.

The soundtrack is mostly instrumental, with the exception of the first seven tracks. These tracks are an eclectic mixed bag of music, featuring artists ranging from Pearl Jam to Buddy Holly to Elvis Presley. The real gold on this particular CD, though, is Elfman's music.

Even if you haven't seen the film (and you should; it's wonderful), if you enjoy quality instrumental music, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this soundtrack.

The music in Big Fish is a really great movie soundtrack. Pearl Jam, Buddy Holly, The Allman Brothers and more, all on one CD.
I really enjoyed it, and it brought back memories of this wonderful film.

I was invited to the movie by a friend who had tickets to a private screening. What a wonderful journey this movie took me on; I got teary-eyed when the son was carrying his father at the end of the movie. Danny Elfman is an absolute master of his craft; well done!

And for those who bothered to point out the lack of the song they played for the trailers on the CD... there's a reason they call these discs MOVIE soundtracks, and not TRAILER soundtracks. Using songs for trailers that do not appear in the actual movie is commonplace. And, just to reiterate what was said above, (and in my opinion), it's just stupid to buy a soundtrack, or any CD for that matter, just for one song. Either wait for the single, or buy the CD because you love the artist. That's what I did. :)

This soundtrack is such a beautiful score, by Danny Elfman. I am in love with everything about this movie, especially the musical score. There are also several non-scored songs on the soundtrack that are very enjoyable. If you like the soundtrack from Forrest Gump, you'll like these tunes. The scoring is similar to Danny Elfman's score of Edward Scissorhands (also a Tim Burton film). In fact, you can recognize a lot of similar sounds in the two scores, such as the choir accompanying the orchestra.

If you like film scores and/or soundtracks, this is definitely one to add to your collection! And MOST DEFINITELY SEE THE MOVIE! It's brilliantly creative (based on the book, Big Fish), incredibly entertaining, and a heartwarming story.

It is always great when you buy a soundtrack that actually plays the music exactly as it happened in the movie. There have been some that I've bought that are 'inspired' by the movie.

My only disappointment was that there were some songs like Sandra's Farewell that I just craved went longer than 1min 16secs.

Despite this, I'm glad I have got it.

This cd may have a few songs on it that don't have much of a feel, but as a whole it's worth every penny for the inclusion of it's main themes. I mean, you can't have everything when you're dealing with album execs...but i'm sure this thing will expand in some medium or other - especially once it gets a few Oscars, God willing.