Customer Reviews

Unbreakable

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first time I noticed a musical score by James Newton Howard was his excellent orchestration for The Fugitive. He seemed to be able to capture the dark, scary, gritty feel of a big city at night perfectly with his music. You got the feeling like the whole world was out to get you. Unbreakable though, seemed to usher in a whole new echelon for him...

You might best describe the musical score for this excellent film by saying that it is (like the film it is taken from) half real and half imagination. The main theme, Visions, feels half like a dark superhero theme and half like some of the good music for the fugitive, where the cold reality is waiting to grab you.

The themes of the villain Elijah and Audrey similarly have a strong pull. Elijah's themes feel halfway between a sad story of a person living on the dark side of life, and half the creepy machinations of a potential monster. The love themes and hero themes (which you hear at the end of Visions and The Orange Man, as well as in Carrying Audrey) to me suggest the feeling of seeing something surreal happen right in front of you (as if you saw an ordinary person save someone's life in a feat of superhuman strength before your very eyes).

I have always felt that the best movie music is composed when the person creating it has a good movie to inspire them. In this case it seems even moreso. The film is remarkably silent much of the time, so when there is music it needs to be powerful indeed. And it is. When I listened to the score for the first time, a Blindsided made my heart skip a beat, and I could swear the some of the hero themes were making me teary-eyed.

Unlike many soundtracks released in the United States today, this one appears to be complete, and free of remixes, altered tracks, and needless repitition. I could listen to this one from beginning to end without stopping and not be bored for an instant. I can't say that about many soundtracks (in fact, the only one I can think of besides this is the orginal Star Wars soundtrack). This just might be James Newton Howard's best score ever. It definitely broke new ground for him and paved the way for future great works like his score for Peter Pan. There's some strong music, some moving music, and some breath-takingly beautiful music here. It's my favorite score by James Newton Howard, and definitely a required purchase for fans of his music (or fans of classic movie scores in general).

Next to "Memento" and "Fight Club", "Unbreakable" is one of my favorite movies. One of the main reasons why I loved the movie so much was because of the eerie and haunting music score. It was very hard to find, but I have finally purchased the soundtrack, and I don't regret it one bit.

Very much like the "Memento" soundtrack, I have listened to this CD many times. I really enjoy listening to it; and I usually don't care about music scores on movies. This is one of those really unique soundtracks that really allows you to relive the movie as you listen to each haunting track. The best one is the theme of the movie, which also happens to be the one where Bruce Willis is at the train station. There are no songs by actual bands, just the music composed by James Newton Howard, who proves to be an excellent composer.

If you love the music to the movie, get this soundtrack as soon as possible! It's very hard to find, so chances are that you'll have to order it from somewhere. Next to "Memento," this is one of the best soundtracks to a movie ever made. Get it while you still can, and relive "Unbreakable" through its eerie and beautiful music. A must-have if you love the movie.

I received this CD two days ago, and much to the annoyance of my roommates, I have not been able to stop listening to it. Quite often I'll get stuck on a particular CD I have just purchased (Moby's "Play," David Gray's "White Ladder," and Radiohead's "Kid A" come to mind) and end up listening to it constantly for days and weeks to come--but rarely is my choice for repeated listenings ever a musical score. Now, I like to think of myself as an amateur collector of scores, but rarely do I ever listen to them with my roommates--usually my scores are reserved for either homework, relaxing or when they're out around campus. However, Howard's score for "Unbreakable" is amazing. It has so many different elements; the big-beat infused "Visions"--the rousing and recurring theme found later throughout the score (which is worth the money alone, in my opinion), the orchestra-driven theme surrounding Elijah and his fragility, and David's growing understanding and acceptance of his abilities--namely during "The Orange Man" and "Carrying Audrey". Bring these elements together, and you have Howard's best work to date. I used to think "Snow Falling On Cedars" was his best (although they are extremely different, both are poignantly emotional), and even "Dinosaur" and his first effort with M. Night Shyamalan bare mention. But it is for this score that I feel Howard deserves the most kudos. It takes a powerful effort--especially when it's a score--to overcome my preferrences for more mainstream music. "Unbreakable" is addictive, and I only look forward with even more anticipation for the video release of the exceptional film--don't let the comic-book inspired plot deter you from viewing Shyamalan's sophomore effort. At least then you'll be able to listen to Howard's gorgeous accompanying score.

[Note to buyers: Listening to this score will require you to turn up your volume on your stereo, for the quieter tracks are pretty low, but this makes "Visions" and "Unbreakable" all the more powerful. I know this probably isn't all that interesting--or all that essential, for that matter--but it might be something to take into consideration.]

the title pretty much says it all. I know there are plenty of other reviews that already say this, but this soundtrack (and the movie, too) is so spectacular that I had to add my bit of praise. I do not own and doubt I ever will own a soundtrack more beautiul than this one. If you like movie soundtracks, you definitely need this one.

Having seen the movie twice during opening weekend, I was able to pay close attention to the soundtrack. Mr. Howard's orchestral composition compliments the film's events beautifully, adding exactly the right emotional tone, almost as understated as the film's story itself. And even as stand alone, the music is lovely, haunting and sad without becoming too deeply dark (like the music of The Crow), yet is also broken up with pieces of music of simplistic heroism suggesting the Everyman-superman. Tracks 6 (Unbreakable) and 12 (The Orange Man) are the best and most powerful. Overall the music is slightly reminiscent of the music from 'Gattaca' and some of Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek music. The only flaw is that the softer tracks, and there are many, are hard to hear, unless you've got total quiet around you or VERY good speakers or headphones and good volume control. The soundtrack also seems to be available only on cd and not also on a less-expensive audio casette, but once I heard the music, I didn't mind the extra cost.

Wow!
James Newton Howard has really made it this time.This is one of the most thrilling soundtracks i have ever heard.
I loved the movie,espeically because of it's score.
The best tracks in this cd are:

1)track 1-"visions"-great track that takes you back to the amazing scene at the train station.
2)track 8-"The wreck"-wonderful music that elevates the thrill.
3)track 12-"The orange man"-this is without a doubt the best track in the cd,and one of the bset tracks i have ever heard in my life.
4)track 13-"carrying audrey"-A quiet touching track that works best at night..

After their collaboration on The Sixth Sense composer James Newton Howard and director M. Night Shyamalan work succesfully together again. Unbreakable is a great score by Howard, not to compare with Sixth Sense and it's ghostly athmospheres, Unbreakable is harder, edgier and in parts fare more paced. The central theme, heard for the first time in "Visions", is a repeating figure mostly for strings. Howard uses it both in soft terms and in a more dynamic and heavily rhythmic structure which is a main attraction of this splendid score. Unbreakable grows with every listen and gives its listener the possibility to find lots of small motifs, smaller, shorter themes of importance (Elijah's simple and innocent theme for instance). Howard once again proofs his ability to write great music with just a few notes. It's a stunning effort that ranks in the top 5 scores of the year 2000.

James Newton Howard's score to "The Sixth Sense" was definitely remarkable (and it fit perfectly with the film). Since the inevitable comparison has been made between the two Night Shyamalan films, what about Newton Howard's scores?

"Unbreakable" sports more of a raw down-to-earth sound than his pervious effort, a sound that everyone can enjoy. It's soft at times, but prominently loud at others signifying the important points in the film itself. Above all, however, Newton Howard employs a healthy range of themes that firmly establish each character, setting, and occurence. Fantastically composed themes, at that: A heroic theme representing David Dunne's hidden abilities is, at the same time, reserved and muted to show David's character as being frightened and not ready to face the truths about himself.

James Newton Howard's score to "Unbreakable" tells the tale of the film by itself, and that is truly the mark of a great score.

"Unbreakable" was an intensely dramatic film with a brilliant storyline and conclusion that will stick with me for a long time. Yet there is one thing some people might overlook when viewing it: the score. As a musician/scorist (although not employed as one), I have great respect for people like James Newton Howard. He has delivered some amazing scores. And I would have to say this is possibly his best (in my opinion, of course). Opening with "Visions", you are taken back to the beginning of the movie. I can just imagine it in my head -- when the title "Unbreakable" hit the screen as that drum beat kicked in. Every bit of emotion in the film is brilliantly captured in the score. Orchestra and all, Howard brings the experience back to us. By the end of the album, you have witnessed the magic and emotional intensity of "Unbreakable" all over again. If you loved this film as I did, you'll love this. And if you haven't seen it, order or rent the DVD as well!

This would be one of the greater examples of how film music not only sets the mood for the audience, but adds to it and is an integral part of the mood and the action.

James Newton Howard's score for Unbreakable is just that, unbreakable, in its masterful working on the themes in the film. Newton Howard has produced a score that fits the film so amazingly you'd think that he wrote the film script as well.

One of the most delightful aspects of this CD, for me, was the expert manipulation of the soft, malevolent theme present in many of the tracks, particuarly "Unbreakable" and "The Orange Man". This musical development reflects the action in the film well and gives the audience an aural image so powerful, that I can still picture the movie in my head after only seeing it once in the cinema.

Although I go in a movie with a desire to see what the soundtrack is like, as well as the rest of the movie, I'm sure that anyone, after coming out, seeing this movie for the first time, couldn't say that the music didn't make an impact.

I must say, it is heartening to see the huge growing trade that soundtrack music has become and we are getting treats such as this CD.