Customer Reviews

Real Steel

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

 

 

Amazing score!! Danny Elfman's best score since Batman. This is easily one of the best scores of the year! It is my 2nd favorite score of the year! Very powerful score. Pure brilliance. I get chills everytime I listen to it. I have seen the movie twice in the theater and when I listen to the score it makes me want to go see it again!

I think Danny Elfman is one of the hardest composers to put a finger on most notably because his style changes a lot. While he remains one of the greatest auteurs in the film music world, his style does change very often. I would find it pretty impressive if anyone listening to this blindly would guess Danny Elfman scored it. So what does that mean? Nothing, it's just an observation. The score is pretty good though.

Ever want to listen to something that is just pure inspiration? Something that is as far away from pretentious scoring as you can get? Well, Real Steel may be for you then. That's what this score is. It's a down to earth story that we've all heard or seen before in some fashion, but that doesn't mean it isn't good. The simple instrumentation makes it feel like a romcom score, but Elfman executes it with such precision that you can't help exposing your heart strings for some tugging. Then we get into the action music. Elfman mixes in strings with some hard electronics to give the score its robotic aggression. The score is all about overcoming the odds and it's an underdog story. So you should go in expecting everything your initial expectations were. The score is good at delivering those great "we did it!" moments, and it gave me some heartwarming chills now and then. I enjoyed it, which is something because I haven't been enjoying non-Burton Danny Elfman lately that much.

The score takes some inspiration from Conti and Zimmer (maybe more Jablonsky than Zimmer), but it's a great experience. It's something I could see 9-year old boys listening to on their iPods while sitting in the back seat of the car. Just like I was listening to The Rock when I was 9 on my Sony Walkman in the backseat of my parents' car. Enjoy this score because it truly is enjoyable. Danny Elfman never overdoes it and truly does inspire without making you cringe. I was surprised it turned out as well as it did, but don't let your pretentious thinking keep you away from this gem. It goes down smooth and you'll be coming back for more.

Film scores these days are increasingly becoming themeless soundscapes.That cannot be said of Elfman's Real Steel. This score has a beautiful and fun personality and is a joy to listen to. My favorites are Final Round, The People's Champion, and Twin Cities Intro.

Danny Elfman has consistently composed outstanding music for films. The music for Real Steel keeps Mr. Elfman at the top of his game. Great tender theme, as well as, great action music. The soundtrack falls short of 5 stars, but, I would recommend it for purchase. A soundtrack that you can listen to to over and over without getting bored with it.

After seeing this movie for the first time, I have to agree with the critics: It is Rocky Meets Transformers. Like Transformers the music is as much a character in the film as the actors true to life portrayals. However unlike Transformers, the soundtrack could have been much better both from an album standpoint and an orchestral score perspective. On the soundtrack album for example, I only found two tracks that were worth downloading there was one other song in the movie during the first fight scene that went "Go Ballistic" I tried looking for who sings it but no luck. Moving on with regarding the film's score, composer Danny Elfman best known for his work in the original Batman movies of the 90's and most recently in 2007's The Kingdom, lends a unique blend of triumphant emotion and tender heart for the father and son subplots throughout the film. More than anything, the score carries a southern Texas vibe of coming home and being out on the open road with a rich mix of guitar solos interwoven with the orchestra. My favorite tracks on the CD are: "Training Atom, Atom Versus Twin Cities and Into the Zoo."
Even though Danny Elfman does bring a familiar mix of The Kingdom slightly to this picture, I enjoyed his score from The Kingdom much more then Real Steel. As a veteran soundtrack score enthusiast I really expected much more adrenaline and fast paced adventure themes from this score. If you're curious about how this score sounds in the car on the way to work or are just a fan of Danny Elfman in general, it's worth getting.