Customer Reviews

Superman Returns [Music from the Motion Picture]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have looked at some of these reviews with great sadness. How can someone truly evaluate a score when they haven't even heard it?

Ottoman's work is a wonderful expansion of William's original score. Fans of the original Superman score will find all their original favorites there -- including the Superman Theme in all its glory. The other main themes from the original Superman theme, including "The Planet Krypton" as well as "Leaving Home" and "Can You Read My Mind?" are all to be found as motifs and new creations on the Superman Returns soundtrack.

I especially consider Ottoman's reweaving of "How Could You Have Left Us" as a wonderful expansion and reworking of "Can You Read My Mind?"... possibly as an improvement on the original theme given the expanded choral preformances and subtle changes in instrumentation.

If I had one theme that I wished Ottoman had included more in the film it would be the Smallville/Kent Farm theme of "Leaving Home" which can be found in the film, but it is sprinkled throughout here and there.

All in all, I highly recommend this score to fans of the original who can appreciate it as an EXPANSION but NOT a REPLACEMENT for the original soundtrack.

To those purists who have been so hard on John Ottoman (and Bryan Singer in general) I would offer this piece of advice -- lighten up. Is Ottoman John Williams? No. But he has made a wonderful start to improving the wonderful world of music which John Williams has created.

And to the reviewer who has slighted "younger" composers of today including Ottoman, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore... I don't think you are listening to the same instrumental soundtracks as the rest of us are. Great composers that will one day follow in Williams footsteps are around -- I specifically site Trevor Jones, Randy Endelman, Rachel Portman, Michael Nyman, and George Fenton among others. They just need to be given a chance to be appreciated in THEIR OWN RIGHT instead of being slammed for "not being INSERT COMPOSERS NAME."~

When Bryan Singer announced that his editor, John Ottman, would be scoring Superman Returns, two questions came to mind. Would the Superman Theme we all know and love be used? And, why not invite John Williams back to revisit an old friend?

To answer the first question, Singer stated that he always intended to use the Superman Theme because you can't make a Superman movie and not have it. That's like making a Star Trek movie and not using the Star Trek Theme. Not only did he use the main theme, but others as well. In fact, the whole album is based on Williams score and Ottman just builds from it. Everything is here in one form or another.

There are snippets from "Death of Jonathan Kent" as well as "The Fortress of Solitude." Also, we get "The Love Theme" in an abbrviated version. March of the Villians is here to but you need to pay close attention to catch it.

So your probably rhinking that the Superman Returns score is just a rehash of Williams score right? Actually, no. While Ottman uses bits and pieces from Williams, he builds from that with newly written meatrial. And it's just as exciting and memorable as Williams's. One new thing that is really nice is that Superman now has a Personal Theme and one that's played throughout the film. It's touching, emotional and beautiful.

You can tell that Williams was an influence on Ottman because like Williams score for Superman, Ottman here also uses a lot of precussion, string, wind instruments. For added effect, a choir's been added which somehow uses the Love Theme instead of the "Can You Read My Mind" and on Superman's Personal Theme.

The Cd also comes with enhanced stuff. Not much when you look it but still a treat. What's the enhanced stuff? It's:
1) 2 Trailers
2) A session of recording the Superman Theme
3) Trailer for Suoperman Documentry.

The score's not bad. In fact, it's great and Ottman did a wonderful job. There are different types of music here that relate to specific scenes in the film and he has done a superb job with it.

As for Williams, I have a hunch he was asked but had to decline because of prior commitments which is a shame because it wou;d have been nice seeing the guy who wrote one of the most popular scores(Oscar Nominated)come back to do it all again.

Well Mr. Williams, here's your chance to visit with your old friend for the sequal.

All who loved the original 1978 Superman Soundtrack should defintley buy this! John Ottman delivers a powerful moving emotional score for Superman Returns. He pays homage to John Williams's theme while still making it something of his own. I HIGHLY recommend this score!! You will not be disappointed. Twenty seconds into the Main Titles, and you will know what I'm talking about. Defintley a must have in your collection!!!

There have been mary cheerers and jeerers for Ottman. I myself think this is a great soundtrack. Ottman has tightened up the main theme a bit, and while it's shorter than the original, it is punchier, and it sounds just wonderful. And as others have said, Ottman has woven the theme into the rest of the score quite well.

I don't envy Ottman. Deciding to use Williams' theme was a tough choice, but absolutely the right choice. The music is brilliant, and when people think Superman, they think of Williams' music. The soundtrack draws us ol' timers into the movie because it brings back memories of going to see Reeve's original, and our young'uns just love it becaus it sounds great. (My three year old asks to listen to it every day.) NOT using William's music would have been like not using the original Star Wars theme for Lucas' three prequels!

Ottman's original music is also quite good. I was a bit miffed the first few times I listened to it, but I've listened to it more than a dozen times now, and I adore at least 2/3 rds of the tracks, and like the rest.

The worst thing about this soundtrack is the it was put together by those idiots at Rhino. I'm a soundtrack fan. I like soundtracks. Yes, I mean music. I don't give a damn about stupid marketing crap, or CD videos. I can download those all day long from the Superman web site. So pushing music OFF of the CD to make room for that rediculous garbage is so infuriating I could spit nails--especially when leave off the Planet Krypton music!

Soundtrack fans want soundtrack music--every note we can get our grubby little hands on. But look at Warner/Rhino's priority. It took them 20 YEARS (!) to release the 2-CD soundtrack of Superman: The Movie, and it will probably take them another 20 years to let us have all the music from this movie. If they do at all (and I'm not holding my breath). I hate Rhino.

But the bottom line is it's great music. If you like this genre of music, buy this CD. (And write Rhino a complaint!)

WOW! Goosebumps-giving Superman theme! Breath-taking-away love theme! John Williams' themes come back to life!!! Filled out with new Superman music from John Ottman - evoking sounds similar to scores from "Gladiator", "Lord of the Rings" and even some child-like wonder similar to "Polar Express" (just a bit!). Lots of guts and heart in this score.

You can't really mess up Williams' Superman March, and Ottman scores it faithfully yet with new, exhilerating zest here. But I was wondering if the love theme (Can You Read My Mind) would translate well in the year 2006, 25 years later... Well, Ottman has done it, and done it well. He plays it exactly as Williams did, and then pushes and pulls it at other times with different chords to take your breath away.

Director Brian Singer and composer John Ottman have created this score to "SUPERMAN RETURNS" JUST RIGHT - something old (with new vibrance) and something new. They've included lots of action music with big orchestra hits, darker sinister themes for the villians, and noble, soul-injected themes that just soar and sing. Even the current/popular style of choral underscore seems OK and appropriate here. And before you get lost in the new music, here comes a bit of Williams' Krypton theme, or Leaving Home theme.... YES!!!

From a Superman fan who was a boy in the 1970s-80s - and now a new fan of this new version: GREAT MUSIC!!!!! Superman has DEFINITELY returned!!!

Great opening score. I didn't think so at first, but I truly prefer this one over John Williams '78 score. It's cut down just a little bit though, but it's a bit faster, crisper, and better uses the snare drums - particularly during transitions within the score.

Only a couple of things missing:
1.) The Krypton theme as mentioned earlier
2.) Superman's standing ovation in the baseball stadium and Titan-tron view at the end of Rough Flight. Very uplifting. I almost wanted to stand up and applaud him myself when I saw the movie.

While the name may be unfamiliar to some, John Williams vast volume of work speaks for itself. Hardly a person alive today will fail to recognize the themes to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, ET, Jaws, and yes, Superman.

Now, enter a man that even lovers of movie scores, such as myself, have heard little of, and give him an impossible task. Let him fill William's shoes and remake the Superman score. Ottman knew that millions would hold his composition up to Williams, and judge it on that, without even seeing how it related to the movie. As I write this, I have not yet seen the movie. I, in fact, did just what many will do. I listened to the original score, and then to this one.

I must admit, that Ottman rose to the occasion spectacularly. Hopefully, he would consider it the compliment I intend this as, to say that halfway through listening to the score, I forgot that it WASN'T Williams I was listening too.

The mood, the flavor, the imagry of Chris Reeve flying through Metropolis was brought to mind yet again by the haunting familiar, yet strangely new tones Ottman employed.

Now if the movie is only as good as the score.

-Dawn

Superman Returns makes more than just the Man of Steel's triumphant return to the big screen. This film score is the first time since Superman the MOvie that a Superman film has any original music written for it. Superman II, III & IV all the music was simply rehashed from the original film and even worse played with either an undersize orchestra or on a synthesizer. Either way the scores sucked and no new music had been written. Now, John Ottman has taken the original Superman theme and written a new score around it. He has put in many of the familiar themes like the love theme, as well as the Kent theme, but there is soo much more. To see what I mean check out track 2 Ottman does some wonderful things with familiar themes and adds themes of his own. He writes a much more darker theme for Luthor and writes a powerful set of music familiar yet different. It is a great film and after the original it ranks as by far the second best score in the series, but its a great set of music. Ottman who has plenty of super hero experience from X-Men 2 & Fantastic 4, writes well and isn't intimidated by following in Williams' footsteps. Well done and highly recommended.

I have been a huge John Williams fan for as long as I can remember. And to give an example of how big a fan I am, I am open enough to appreciate any variation, or interpretation of his music. I love hearing peoples different takes on his music. And one thing I love about Williams is he is constantly updating. It seems that when he makes a new recording of a previous recording, he has changed some of the instrumentation to keep it fresh sounding.

I thouroughly enjoyed the movie, and I thought the music was beautiful. Sure, I was disappointed that Williams didn't continue the superman epic, but I don't think enough people are giving this score enough credit.

I loved the music. How can you go wrong with John Williams as the original composer. I think this music is spectacular. It compliments Williams' score from 1978 and brings it into the current movie wonderfully. I highly recommend it.