Customer Reviews

Outbreak (1995 Film)

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OUTBREAK came out in the same year that WATERWORLD did, and gained less attention, unfortunately. As far as the score(s) go, OUTBREAK is a watered-down (excuse the pun) version of Waterworld. That's not bad, and it's not James Newton Howard's fault either. The CD itself is only 30 min. in length. Many important cues in the movie were left out, making this a mediocre score. If you have Waterworld, don't bother with Outbreak. But if you've never heard JNH's music, this is a good first-buy.

I bought this specifically for the action cue which plays in the movie when the doctor/police convoy drive over the bridge into the town (Seedercreek) for the first time. Sadly that along with a great deal other action cues are nowhere to be found on this album. However the music that is present is fantastic. But leaves much to be desired from the film.

Good music, but not enough of it

"Gee, let's all run out and get a bootleg..."

While I sympathise with "die-hard" fans of film scoring (even I get pissy about the Armageddon score, half of which was actually released), I have to extole the virtues of this particular CD, however limited the content seems.

Outbreak, being a drama/suspense/action oriented film was easy on the action cues, and heavier on the somber notes of death, sadness and ultimate rejuvenation of hope etc. etc. However, two pivotal sequences stand out in the film, the Sutherland/Hoffman river bed chase and the standoff between Hoffman and Gooding Jr's helicopter and the bomber making its cataclysmic run on the recently saved town. The action cues that follow these events are well worth a listen and completely worth paying for the publically released CD (not to mention the privilege of owning fourteen seconds {5:52-6:06} of score contained within "They're Coming" which has appeared in countless movie trailers).

Other notables are "Motaba River Valley" and "Finding the Ship", which further illustrate Howard's ability to keep the pace with his short, but rousing, themes.

Not all of us can just snap our fingers and have the complete score to every film ever magically appear before us, so if you can find this CD, buy it. Buy it because it's good, because it's worth the money, and don't think twice. If you want the rest of the score, get the movie. Let's not forget what makes a score 50% of what it is.