Customer Reviews

The Iron Giant (1999 Film)

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

 

 

A truly epic score to a charming film. Sweeping themes, and the last track will bring tears to your eyes. And absolute must-own for all fans of the film. And don't forget to wait for the hidden track (featuring, if I remember the film's closing credits correctly, the melodic tones of Director Brad Bird).

Here's a score I found almost by accident. I havent seen the movie yet but this thing still moves me like no score has in along time. A very flavorful and varied musical pallette. I cant wait to see the movie!

This is the type of music which drew me into
soundtracks decades ago. Sweeping in its
symphonic might, its derring-do penetrates
with astonishing subtlety, playful insight
and a sensitive clarity perfect for its
gargantuan subject. Composer Michael Kamen
was a deft composer of many a film score,
but his prodigious skills were never better
employed than when he contributed his
considerable skills to Brad Bird's animated
epic, THE IRON GIANT.
A cinematic adaptation of poet Ted Hughes'
sole prose presentation, the Warner Bros.
film stands as a landmark of folkloric
proportions. Great credit for this must go
to the inspired use of music in this film.
Even the incidental music (available on
Rhino, with at least one Kamen selection
not on this release) is hardly that. A
snazzy collection of Jazz, Blues, and R&B
used in the film, it exudes a charm and
presence which will not be denied.

As this Varese Sarabande release reveals,
it is the Kamen score which is all-pervasive
in its wonderful ability to dramatically
summarize and propel its subjects to greater
challenges with each moment. Don't know how
the one reviewer missed a unifying theme
in this work, considering the multi-note
theme which spells the main character's
innocence and potential menace is sounded
throughout the feature.
At points the theme is struck gleefully with
glockenspiel and malletry to signify healing
and renewal. At other points the theme is
imbued with loneliness, smiling discovery,
or sheer wonder with just the right play
of strings and percussion, brass and
woodwind.
The Prokofiev-inspired main theme weaves its way
through the entire film, and is a key example of
just how versatile Kamen is. Each play of the theme
unveils a different facet of the Giant's character,
and says much about those who affect -and are
affected by- what he is and who he will grow to
become.
This gives even greater insight into the overall
music for THE IRON GIANT, from the desperate glory
of the Military to the seedy manipulation of a
Government agent with less-than-ideal motivations
for his actions, however he may fool himself. A
healthy injection of Jazz gives sweet perspective
into the first hint of budding romance, while
old Weekly Reader absolutes lend a dangerous
whimsy to the hidden theme sung well after the
CD's supposed climax. Listen sharp!

Best of all, Kamen's music is so enjoyable whether
with the film, or heard on its own. Listen to this
CD, and find yourself in the healthy grasp of tone
poetry at its finest.
Lifting you to the stars, sweeping you into the
loftiest winds, headlong into peril and loss, or
gently into the promise of a brighter Tomorrow,
this is an aural portrait of grand vision and
delicate homespun, a tribute to the emotional
power and inspirational wisdom of great Music.

Listen well, and enjoy.

This score definitely deserves an oscar nomination for its beauty and simplicity. Not only is it lyrical but it is also poetic and sweeping. Kudos to Michael Kamen!

Like the film it accompanies this score seems to have been lost in the "family entertainment" shuffle. This is a shame as there's plenty in the film and the score for adults. Consumer note: the most memorable themes from the score are also grouped into the two "suites" at the end of the soundtrack album. Since this also contains some great oddball '50's rock and pop music (along with a couple of certifiable dogs) budget-minded IG fans may want to start there. Still, there are more good moments to be discovered here. For example, the section titled "Annie and Dean" sums up an entire sub-plot in less than a minute and a half of music. Two seemingly disparate treatments of a musical idea circle each other warily and finally join as Hogarth's theme brings them together. Great stuff.
Additional consumer note: one of the other reviews here faults the score for lacking unifying themes. All I can say is that the reviewer must have been listening to something else. There's a seven-note motif introduced near the beginning that keeps coming back in different treatments throughout the film, tying the score together. The theme is re-introduced in dozens of ways and the melody takes on an entirely different character each time.

The music CD is fabulous! We love listening to it and the quality is excellent!

"The Iron Giant" was one of my favorite films of this past year and as a result I really, really want to like the soundtrack but I just can't. Don't get me wrong. The music is just wonderful but it's also fatally flawed. As good as it is, it lacks any sort of a unifying theme to give it cohesion. Without a theme, the music breaks apart into relatively short unrelated cues that sound great when you hear them but vanish from memory almost as soon as they finish. I can sit down and listen to the album, enjoying it the whole time, and 5 minutes after it's over I won't be able to hum a single tune from it. As such I'd call it the musical equivalent of cotton candy. Tastes great but when it's gone you feel like you've just been eating nothing but air. Worth getting if you're a big fan of the movie but don't be surprised if you don't find yourself interested in repeated listening.