Customer Reviews

Nanny McPhee Returns

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

 

 

Being a big fan of Patrick Doyle's score for the first Nanny McPhee movie, I was a bit worried about this score. After the first 30 seconds, my fears went away. This is a fun-loving score with some great action cues. JNH uses a variety of interesting instruments to create this score. The harpsichord is back from Doyle's first score, but not in any kind of cheap imitation. I love the track "Pursuit of the Piglets" in which interesting light drums, penny whistles and rapid violins join to make a great sound. JNH infuses some gorgeous themes into this score to make if a very enjoyable listen. Although I haven't seen the movie, the score deserves attention because the quality of the music is very high. Highly Recommended!

The only reason I bought this soundtrack is because I'm a huge James Newton-Howard fan. Every time that gifted piano wizard scores a movie, I'm curious. Either I buy the CD or I download one of the tracks and I update my compilation of him. That's a huge task; that darn musician can score five movies within a year!

With this one, he hasn't necessarily reached the exceptional musical peaks of his own "Peter Pan" score for instance. But the two tracks before the last one are pure delights with "Leaps Of Faith" being definitely the one to go on a James Newton-Howard compilation or maybe a CD about fantasy in movies or something like that. It's easy to see that he wanted to emulate Patrick Doyle's "Snow In August" which concludes the first score of "Nanny McPhee". It has the same length and the same spectacular qualities.

Am I crazy or did I notice parcels of the melody for "The Abyss", a score Alan Silvestri composed in 1989? Especially in track #22 ("The Harvest")?

Anyhow, the album, on the whole, is an enjoyable listen. But the majority of it is quirky background music, the likes of Thomas Newman. Nothing to really yell "Genius" out the window. Only at the end, from track #20 to #23, do the melodies become much more inspirational and majestic in nature.

In 2010, James Newton-Howard has scores "Salt", "Nanny McPhee Returns" and "The Last Airbender". Let's just say that there's serious work to be done on your personal James Newton-Howard compilation!

Starting with "Leaps Of Faith" from this particular CD.

I was lucky to be able to fast forward this dreadful insult to children movie on a 17 hr flight from Asia yesterday. While I LOVE JNH, I couldn't stomach this dreck-fest of cliches, preaching, bad acting, re-tread ideas, on and on!Putrid, ghastly movie!!!!! I know it's not JNH's fault, but a lot of the music was as stupid as the movie UNTIL the end where The Harvest occurs and the Leap Of Faith pieces renewed my faith that JNH could save himself. I just closed my eyes and replayed that part of the movie and got full-body tingles! I'm buying the CD for these pieces only. The Last Airbender was also a disappointment with only 2 cuts that really grabbed me. JNH, cool it awhile. Please do LESS scores that are GREAT, rather than many who just aren't upholding your genius.