X-Men: The Last Stand (Original Motion Picture) [SOUNDTRACK]

John Powell (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: John Powell
• Audio CD (May 23, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B000FBFTCS
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #98,927 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. 20 Years Ago

2. Bathroom Titles

3. The Church of Magneto, Raven Is My Slave Name

4. Meet Leech, Then Off To The Lake

5. Whirlpool of Love

6. Examining Jean

7. Dark Phoenix

8. Angel's Cure

9. Jean and Logan

10. Dark Phoenix Awakes

11. Rejection Is Never Easy

12. Magneto Plots

13. Entering the House

14. Dark Phoenix's Tragedy

15. Farewell to X

16. The Funeral

17. Skating On the Pond

18. Cure Wars

19. Fight In the Woods

20. St Lupus Day

See all 27 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While Hollywood franchises often stick to one composer as a way to establish continuity, the three X-Men movies have gone to three different musicians. And yet, the sound has remained remarkably homogenous; in other words, if you enjoyed Michael Kamen and John Ottway's scores for the first and second installments, respectively, you'll get a kick out of what John Powell has come up with for the third. Though he adopted a more contemporary, electronic-inflected sound on actioners The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy, here Powell goes for the full symphonic treatment. What's most interesting is his use of a 45-member chorus, which is surprisingly varied. On "Jean and Logan," the choir delicately hovers above the strings, almost out of reach, but on "Rejection Is Never Easy," it weaves in and out in a rather spooky manner, and it unleashes at full blast on the CD's climax, "Phoenix Rises," a six-minute-plus opus that at times sounds like a weird cross between sacred music and Philip Glass. This is one of the best big-budget scores of the year. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real X-Men, May 23, 2006

By	Rogue (Australia) - See all my reviews

John Powell has crafted a masterful score for X-Men: The Last Stand. Whereas John Ottmans score for X2 was too orchestral and generic Powell's sounds like X-Men - the heroic theme appearing in "Bathroom Titles" but especially the Dark Phoenix theme making its first appearance in "Whirlpool of Love". The entire album flows through pounding all out action music complete with choir interspersed with tender quiet moments to a thrilling finale in "Pheonix Rises" then a reprise of the themes in "The Last Stand".
Surprisingly for Powell there are very few electronics in the score he has opted instead for a massive orchestra and choir.
Definietly recommended.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powell Rises, May 31, 2006

By	Andres Segovia - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Powell enters the Comic book world and brings with him an epic score to an epic film. Michael Kamen's approach to X1 was a bit electronic and restrainted while John Ottman added a much needed orchestral oomph to the franchise in X2. John Powell mixes the two technics wonderfully focusing more on the orchestral sound.

Highlight tracks of the album include:

-Dark Phoenix's Tragedy
-Attack on Alcatraz
-St. Lupus Day
-Fight in the Woods
-Shock and No Oars
-Phoenix Rises
-The Last Stand

Much of the tracks are a mesh of orchestral strength with choral chants and "ahs" as the pictures on screen get chaotic.

This is definately worth purchasing. Its a vast improvement over Kamen's theme and Ottman's theme. Unless you find orchestral works annoying, avoid this. Otherwise buy it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars X-cellent Soundtrack, May 25, 2006

By	Adam Owen (Franklin, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is expectionally well done. I was surprised by the number of tracks on the CD. The choral and orchestra is well written.

Quick note on the CD package. Track 26, Phoenix Rises. the back of the CD case the time length says it is a 6 minute, 21 second piece. THAT IS A TYPO. The actually time length is 4 minutes and 21 seconds thought you should know.