Customer Reviews

Spider-Man - Original Motion Picture Score

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The original motion picture score to "Spider-Man" is a great CD. The score is composed by sci-fi/fantasy favorite Danny Elfman and conducted by Pete Anthony. On this disc, they achieve an effective blend of Wagnerian bombast and a contemporary, high-tech sound.

The CD gets off to a solid start with the exciting, energetic "Main Title." "Transformations" has some ominous, eerie moments. One of the best tracks is "Costume Montage": it has a fresh, funky energy. "Revenge," featuring some really driving percussion, is probably the best action music on the CD, although "Parade Attack" has a memorable buildup of suspense. Also solid are the quieter moments on the CD: "Alone" has a nice introspective sound, and "Revelation" has a tenderly emotional feel.

Overall, this CD effectively evokes the excitement and wonder as Peter Parker discovers and explores his spider-like powers. But the CD also touches effectively on the hero's inner emotional journey. The music also evokes the fast pace of Spider-Man's urban environment. Overall, another solid achievement for Elfman: this is a CD which is enjoyable as a piece of music on its own, but which also makes you want to see the movie again.

I saw the Spider-Man movie not too long ago, and now my hubster is wondering if his real wife has been abducted by some weird Spider-Man freak. :) You name it, I've been getting it, from video games to books to comics. So, naturally, I decided to invest in the movie's score and soundtrack.

The soundtrack was a real snooze. The only two songs on it which had anything to do with Spidey were the two renditions of the Spider-Man theme. However, I love the Spider-Man score. Danny Elfman is brilliant in capturing the feel and the mood of the movie in the music, and in transporting you back into the movie as you replay the scenes in your mind. The dark (yet not too dark) and brooding (yet exciting) ambiance captures the character of Peter Parker, the reluctant hero who is thrust into his calling by a genetically-alerted spider and a sense of duty. Great power, and great responsibility... :)

I highly recommend this score just for the sheer listening experience. Make sure to crank the speakers, especially in the Main Titles. There is a consistent sound to the tracks without being redundant, but the ones which stick out most to me are the Montages and the Main.

I think Danny Elfman's creativity and musical brilliance in this score earn every one of the 5 stars.

When I first saw the "Spider-Man" film, not only was I in awe of the impressive visuals that were appearing before me,but also as much with the spectacular score that the genius Danny Elfman had composed.
This is one potent,powerful and memorable Motion Picture Score that enhances the quality of this film. From the very first notes of the "Main Title",I knew this score was going to be something special - and it is! It has so much going for it.

The "Main Title" and other compositions throughout the score make great use of the choir,whether it be for fast paced action sequences or personal,emotional scenes that occur every so often.
The track "Costume Montage" also is a beautiful combination of score and guitar,and the two compliment each other well.It being one of my favourite tracks on the album.
The track "Revenge",this is another pure delight from the score. It firstly commences in great style with orchestra,then as the pace and emotion gradually picks up, the forces of orchestra, choir and synthesizer combine,to produce another memorable piece.

If I were asked to mention a few of my favourite tracks from this admirable score they would have to be the following - the "Main Title","Costume Montage","Revenge","Revelation" and "Final Confrontation".
This score would have to be one of the best that Danny Elfman has composed thus far in his long and illustrious career. A bold statement, but a true one nonetheless - to my way of thinking anyway!

I was very excited when I found out that the actual soundtrack for "Spider-Man" was being released, so excited that I went out and bought it the first day. I've listened to it five or so times already, and I've been somewhat disappointed. Somehow, I remember it being much better when I was actually watching the movie.

First of all, it is only about 45 minutes long, so if you were hoping for one of those hour-long soundtracks, then this isn't the one for you. Second, I found a lot of the songs to be "quieter" than I expected. Certainly not car CD player fare.

However, Danny Elfman's score has it's redeeming moments. "Main Title," "Costume Montage," and "City Montage" are the tracks that standout the most to me.

Bottom Line: Only buy this if you really have a thing for Spider-Man or are a big Danny Elfman fan.

Returning to the super-hero genre with a vengeance is Danny Elfman. Spider-Man is the premier Marvel hero, and Elfman gives him the perfect score. Starting quietly, Elfman builds up a crescendo that captures the feeling of Marvel's webhead swinging through the city. Throwing in a rough theme for the Green Goblin and an enjoyable love theme, Elfman creates 45 minutes of enjoyable listening. I have to say that without his music for the Goblin, the movie would have been slightly ridiculous. Overall, Spider-Man is a truly enjoyable score.

In yet another proof of why we should never listen to those goofs who write early screener reviews, I came into the Spider-Man film prepared to be disappointed by the Danny Elfman score. The AICN geeks had said it lacked a main theme and that it didn't have the 'punch' that Elfman's work usually does.

Boy, were they wrong! As soon as I saw the movie, its driving, heroic themes resounded in my head well after the movie was over (all 3 times I've seen it!). I finally picked up the score CD and it reinforces the power of Elman's compositions and the mood it sets for the webslinger.

The main titles, costume montage and 'Spectre of the Goblin' are all as memorable Elfman as you can get. This is up there close to the Batman soundtrack, in my mind and a really great disc to pick up for Spidey or Elfman fans.

This is one terrific piece of work. In its most literal meaning, Danny Elfman does it again. I was thrilled enough to hear that there was a Spider-Man movie coming out finally but when I found out the Danny Elfman was doing the score I just about flipped. I've been a huge fan of his ever since I learned his name seeing who did the score from Batman. Some his other works that I love are, of course, Batman, Men in Black, Edward Scissor Hands, and Beetle Juice. And that's just because I can't think of all the others. I especially love it when he and director Tim Burton team up together, as they tend to do.
Don't get me wrong, I love Elfman's work to death and this is in no way an exception, but I do kinda understand what somebody evidently commented about this score, as an earlier reviewer mentioned, about how there's no real main theme that stands out. I'm no music expert but I did notice that there's no particular phrase in the score that's recurrent throughout like there is in Batman and Beetle Juice. For example in the Batman score the highlight of the main theme can be heard and hinted at through out the whole score on multiple tracks and whenever you hear it you know that it means that Batman himself is involved in the scene. But I didn't notice a particular high light like that that stood out in Spider-Man. Which isn't bad at all, just different. I would definitely like to see Elfman do more superhero films too. As a matter of fact, if I wasn't afraid that John Williams fans would rip me to shreds I'd say that I'd like to see him do the score for a new modern day Superman movie.
All in all, though as a huge film score fan I would just personally like to congratulate Danny Elfman on yet another superb job. This album reminds me why I rank him right up there with Alan Silvestri, James Horner, John Williams, Mark Mancina, Jerry Goldsmith, and Randy Edelman as one of my all-time favorite film score composers. Keep up the good work, fellas.

P.S. One thing I've always wondered, does anyone know if Danny Elfman is of any relation to Jenna Elfman (Dharma from Dharma and Greg and the girl from Keeping the Faith?) If anyone knows please e-mail me at jackmancini@e-garfield.com

This is such a good CD. Danny Elfman to a fabulous job putting this together. He really knows how to put you right in the movie. Especially the Parade Attack, you knew what was happening even when you weren't watching Spider-Man. It is so easy to identify Danny's work, right when I sat down to see Spider-Man, it was just obvious that it was Danny Elfman! Great CD, deffiently one of my top 10. Go buy it now!

If nothing else, Danny Elfman's score for Sam Raimi's HUGE summer blockbuster adaptation of "Spiderman" is catchy. At best, it is one of the most well-crafted scores I've heard this year. The listener is grabbed almost immediately by Elfman's sense of both spectacle and play. Elfman tells us immediately in his Main Titles, "Hey! Pay attention! What you're about to see (and hear) is going to be a fun ride."

Many people have mentioned--and will probably continue to do so--the similarities between Elfman's "Spiderman" and his dark, brooding score for Tim Burton's "Batman". These parallels are fairly obvious and one really need not go into too much depth about them. However, it is worth noting that there are a couple of differences. First of all, Elfman's portrait of Spidey is a bit more optimistic overall compared to his portrayal of the Dark Knight. It's the nature of the character. There's really no way around that. Second, "Spiderman" is far more sophisticated in nearly every aspect as a musical work when compared to "Batman". That doesn't mean it's better, it just means that Elfman has honed his technique and considerable talent as a composer for the big screen in the last 13 years.

As far as the album is concerned, we get right into things with Elfman's bold, heroic theme in the "Main Title". This is the kind of main title sequence that most big Hollywood movies like this seem to lack these days; a well-designed title sequence with a bold musical score. "Costume Montage" and "City Montage" are both fantastic cues (as many others have also noted) with wonderful variations of the main "Spiderman" theme. The theme for the Green Goblin, however, is where Elfman is at his best I think. It's such a goofy melody that you just know that Elfman is having a great time with this score and this film. It also helps to remind us of exactly that: it's just a movie so sit back and have fun. On the whole, though, I think that the entire album is a great listen. If you're a die-hard Danny Elfman fan, then you'll most likely have this album already. However, if you've just arrived here on planet Earth, and you're not too familiar with the music of Danny Elfman, this album is great musical fun and, along with "Batman" a great primer for Elfman's film music which I highly recommend.

The bad news is that Danny Elfman may soon be sterotyped for his work with films that have origins in comics, and other fantasy material. The good news is that he is so adept in the fantasy/science fiction genre. Some may complain that Elfman's film scores in this area are starting to run together, but in fact each one has its own trademark, while it must be conceded that some motifs do spill from one score to another. In that sense, Elfman's excellent score for Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" may be critiqued as "Batman Meets the Planet of the Apes," because of som similar orchestrations and motifs (use of percussion comes to mind). But this energetic score evolves from its own motifs and themes which are rhythmically woven in the opening cue, and continue to pace this film throughout. Music is so vital to films in this genre. Even the good ones benefit greatly from a solid score. Those that are less than first rate, sorry, "Spider-Man" was a bit less that expected, are often saved by a good score. In this case, many scenes that might have dragged on their own were moved along or enhanced by Elfman's music. Elfman's use of strings seems almost as vital as the special effects webs to hurtle Spider-Man from building to building. The main theme, in its variations, proves a bit more serviceable than the "Batman" theme or the main thematic material in "Planet of the Apes," mysterious, heroic, but also quite reflective at critical moments. Sadly, Elfman's score was treated as something of an afterthought to the original soundtrack (as with "Batman") but proves to be the better recording. Nicely packaged and produced, the original picture score is a must for Elfman fans, and students of the genre.