Customer Reviews

Minority Report [Original Motion Picture Score]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Before I begin, I must mention that Williams did incorporate some Classical Music from other composers into this score.

He did use the 1st movement of Franz Schubert's very famous "Unfinished Symphony" as the backdrop for the moments when Tom Cruise's character was in the "Pre-Crime computer". That is, where he sees the flashes of images and tries to put them together with his hands from the Pre-Cogs' inputs as if playing the Theremin.

Williams also used some slow movements from a Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky symphony and snatches of another Romantic era composer I can't recall at this moment - perhaps Robert Schumann.

All that aside, Williams has served his craft well again with a marvelous and evocative score. Williams is maturing finally and has demonstrated that he will not be a servant to "Sound-bite Tunes" or "Signature Tunes" to each movie - merely to add cohesion as in the symphonic fabric of a full-length classical work. These are simply not always necessary.

The best music, it has been said before, it that which you do not hear while you are watching a movie.

Perhaps Williams has finally taken note and just scored the movie as it should be....a collection of actions and feelings..and not just Top 40 hits bundled up into an orchestral framework.

Bravo John!

One of the most exciting things for many movie-music lovers is getting their hands on the next John Williams soundtrack. I myself have been a great fan of his scores. He writes such beautiful and grand themes, heartbreaking melodies, and pulse-pounding action music that it seems never to stop. For over 30 years, he has poured out scores, one after another, and each one is bold, beautiful and exciting. My recent favorites of his have been "The Phantom Menace", "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone", "The Patriot", "Attack of the Clones", and "A.I." And now there is another to add to that list: his newest collaboration with director Steven Spielberg, "Minority Report".

Recently, Williams has been branching off, and covering new ground for himself, while also reminding listeners of his previous efforts. That is the magic of John Williams's music: You know when you're listening to him.

I was highly anticipating the score for "Minority Report", while at the same time, I was fearful. After all, this man has produced scores to dozens upon dozens of films. After after the recent successes "A.I." and "Attack of the Clones", I wondered: Could he still do it?

The answer is yes. With the score for "Minority Report", I found something very different than what I expected, and yet something that thrilled me at the same time. This is a much harder-edged film, which calls for a much harder score. There aren't many of the soaring melodies that Williams is known for here. Instead there is some very Bernard Herrmann-like suspsense chords, haunting vocals, and some very futuristic-sounding tones.

And if this sounds like a major step in the wrong direction to fans of the old John Williams, then you'd be wrong. There are his trademark beautiful melodies and incredible action cues that remind you who you are listening to, while at the same time not boring you in the least.

The first track, "Minority Report", starts off with dark, suspenseful rhythms and builds to some very intense action music before fading into the first use of the major theme. "Spyders" is another tense Herrmann-esque cue, that is very suspenseful.
"Sean's Theme" is the heart of the soundtrack, and is a soft, bittersweet piano theme that aches with loss and love. Although it is short, it is very good. "Visions of Anne Lively" is a haunting track that utilizes eerie vocals and a dissonant, futuristic sound. The most exciting track in the score accompanies the most exhilirating sequence, "Anderton's Great Escape"--a fast, thunderous action piece. John Williams definintely let loose in this particular sequence, and this complex and exciting track is one of the score's highlights. Another personal favorite of mine is the last track, "A New Beginning". Much like the beautiful theme for "A.I", John Williams allows the theme to build throughout the film before finally letting it flourish in the end. It is a simple and beautiful melody that finds its way into your heart and mind, and stays there.

The rest of the tracks are also quite good, although "Minority Report", "Sean's Theme", "Anderton's Great Escape", and "A New Beginning" are enough to make you buy it.

So, all in all, the score to "Minority Report" is a success. While it may not be remembered as well as "Star Wars", "Indiana Jones", and "Jaws", it will no doubt please fans of John Williams and film music. It is a score that is different, and yet somehow familiar, and that's why it is such a pleasure to listen to.

Grant it, I don't have the luxury of the expensive AND expansive system at the local multiplex. However, this score is one of those that MUST accompany the film. It really has no "life" outside of the on-screen antics.

Most of Williams's greatest scores have achieved that status because they can stand alone on their orchestral merits. "Close Encounters", "Star Wars", "Superman", "Jaws", and "Schindler's List" benefit from strong melodic themes essential to the story, as well as being memorable long after one has left the movie house.

Sadly, the score for the latest Spielberg offering just doesn't cut it. The more that I listen to it, the weaker it becomes.

From Williams, I expect much, much more.

ok, for mr. dvdowner who gave this soundtrack one star and said its Williams worst work, i have something to say. First off, this film (Minority Report) is a work of art by Spielburg. Yes, it is dark, mr. "dvdowner" is too wimpy to handle it. Second, its dark for a reason. Spielburg is flat out, asking us if this is how we want to be living in fifty years, because thats the track our country is headed in. Thirdly, William's music fits perfectly, he doesn't always have to have trumpets and loud brass in a major key for every album, especially this one. Track #9, "Sean's Theme" is incredible! In my opinion, Williams has never had a bad recording, and never will, especially if you compare him to other musicians. So, mr. dvdowner, whoever you are, think before you embarrass yourself by stating something you don't understand, and something no one else agrees with. THANK YOU.

This score is nothing that you would expect to come from John Williams. While good in parts, most of the music is basically a background listening with no big orchestral themes to jump out at you. The main thing about this score is that it fits perfectly in the film and sounds great in it, but on its own, with the exception of some parts, fails to inspire. Williams opens with a basic concert arrangement of "Minority Report", which is good and one of the better tracks. It contains strings reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann, tense trumpet lines, and an overall ominous feel. "Spyders" is a good action cue with plenty of horn trills and loads of percussion that reminds me a lot of what was used in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. However, the best track is "Anderton's Great Escape", which is Williams in sure-fire action scoring mode with heavy percussion and brilliant brass licks. Conveying the atmosphere of the future, Williams throws in a female vocalist, Deborah Dietrich, in a few tracks, mainly "Visions of Anne Lively". The majority of the other cues contain filler music, which you listen to in a background setting, such as "Pre-Crime to the Rescue", "The Greenhouse Effect", and "'Sean' by Agatha". Parts of this score do showcase John Williams' unique talents, but on the whole, falls short of an enjoyable and memorable listening experience.

For those that are expecting a highly melodic score by one of Hollywood's scoring legends, you should probably pass this up. Don't get me wrong, John Williams is one of my favorite film composers and one of the great film scoring talents ever, but this is definitely not a score for those who prefer his more melodically driven scores. The liner notes by Steven Spielberg offer his opinion that, "If most of John's scores for my films have been in color, I think of this score as his first one in black and white." I agree. However, it's about as black and white as Bernard Herrmann's score for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psyco". Williams' music may at first seem monochromatic but further listenings bear forth no less than the composer's uncanny ability to color a score and a film with his music. The score is by-and-large rhythmically driven (this being one big chase movie, afterall) and has some wonderful moments. Some of the highlights from the score include: "Spyders", some of the most chilling music in the score, ' "Sean" by Agatha" ' which is filled with a ghostly beauty, and, of course, "Anderton's Great Escape" a lengthy chase cue which is typical of the kind of muscle that Williams is capable of getting out of an orchestra when he needs it and, in this humble reviewers opinion, bests the 10-minute "Zam the Assassin and the Chase Through Coruscant" from the "Star Wars: Episode II" soundtrack.
I like John Williams' music and I think that "Minority Report", like his "AI" score shows how capable he is of crafting music that is at once modernist, minimalist and everything in between. "Minority Report" is yet another example of just how versatile the most venerated of film composers is.

This is an amazing addition to any John Williams fan's collection. It has many exciting tracks, like three quarters of the disc is comprised of action and suspense. The remaining few are beautiful. Track 9 "Sean's Theme" is the most heartbreakingly beautiful peice I have heard in ages.

A must buy.

Man, this music fits the movie PERFECTLY. A Williams score is usually full of emotion and romance. For "Minority Report," all that warmth is locked away behind glass and steel - Orwell's "Big Brother" gone psychic. What remains is a minimal, efficient, grim body of music that has less melody than atmosphere. It's not underdone, but it never distracts from the action.

The Bernard Herrmann approach ("Psycho," "Fahrenheit 451") works beautifully. Rather than suggesting the thrill and heartache of a noble struggle, the sound equates to "Hey John, can you solve this life-or-death puzzle before they put you in a cage?" Since the film deals with destiny and free will, the score doesn't tell you how the film will end - never too upbeat nor too elegiac. I'd give it five stars, but its very strength as film music makes me hit "skip" more often during casual listening.

Since melody isn't Williams' focus this time, there aren't many standouts. The itchy, staccato strings of "Spyders" are a good match for those creepy little things onscreen. "Anderton's Great Escape" is a great homage to the speed-fandango style of Herrmann's main piece for "North By Northwest." Pure action music for a pure action scene. Only late in the film does Williams acknowledge emotion, especially during "'Sean' By Agatha;" the precog rips away whatever defenses Sean's parents had mounted against their grief.

Overall, the music has a very Hitchcock sound. Sometimes, there's a "Psycho" flash of paranoia and dread. Other times, a "Fahrenheit 451" pathos pushes through the oppression. Often, there's the dramatic tension of "The Man Who Knew Too Much," which is oddly fitting given the plot of the movie. Finally, when the great machine is dismantled, the music returns to a pastoral mode of hope and safety.

This is a different film for Spielberg. Williams' orchestration has a more "deal with it" attitude than I've heard before. By the end of the film, it sounds as if we're awakening from a nightmare just as the Precogs have awakened from the future into the present.

This is a good soundtrack. No doubt about it. All the action cues for this film are very good. However John Williams forgot to put in an Emotional theme to the soundtrack which should have serve as a centerpiece.

(For example the "Love Theme " from Star Wars Episode 2 was the centerpiece theme for that Soundtrack)

That being said John Williams did a great job for this film. But this music is no means in the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" catagory.

Worth cheking out.

John Williams has come full circle since the Summer of 2001. A year ago he ventured musically into the realm of science fiction for Steven Spielberg's futuristic "A.I." This Summer he has returned to that genre for yet another Spielberg collaboration, "Minority Report." In between, it should be mentioned, Williams has been quite productive with splendid scores for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and "Star Wars Episode II-Attack of the Clones," along with his music for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The music for the four film scores can be divided into two general categories, one quite melodic, the other much less dependent on melody and intended to underscore and accentuate events on the screen by use of musical motifs (of course, is this not what all film scores do?). Williams' two Spielberg scores seem to belong to this latter category, especially "Minority Report." The result is a fine orchestral score for a film that blends murder mystery, film noir and science fiction, but one that does not have a familiar melody that one would hum or whistle on the way out of the movie house. What one does find is an approach more akin to Bernard Herrmann's work for Alfred Hitchcock. Motifs, rather than melodies, are used for effect and are often quite memorable (note Herrmann's music for "Psycho" and "Vertigo") but usually as part of a score. Rarely are they made famous on their own (Ok, Herrmann's shower scene is a given). On this level John Williams is quite adept, however, and many of his motifs are easily recognized ("Desert Chase" in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" for example). His music for "Minority Report" creates a spectrum of motifs and melodies from tender, but somewhat nondescript melodies ("Sean's Theme" and "A New Beginning"), to mysterious vocal motifs ("A Vision of Anne Lively"), and his trademark motifs for action ("Anderton's Great Escape"). As one may surmise, such a score may be better appreciated while viewing the film than with the soundtrack recording, and to a certain extent this is true. Still, Williams' score is interesting listening on its own and proves more complex and enjoyable as one becomes more familiar with each cut. Nicely packaged, and well produced, the soundtrack is well worth having. Now, as to Williams' overall achievemant for this very busy period, bravo indeed! There are five new Williams' CDs on my shelf and there is something wonderful about each one. That such a significant and enjoyable production could come in so brief a period is yet another credit to one of film's finest composers.