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Critics seemed to hate it but I loved the first movie "Olympus Has Fallen". It was over the top action, insanely fun, and did provide a brief "what if" reflection after the film. Trevor Morris's score for the film was just outstanding as well. The thing that I like about it the most was that it was just heroically American. The big brass instrumentation and military percussion work coupled with pounding action themes made this a hit on my playlist for quite some time. I was excited to see that a sequel was being made and that Trevor Morris would be brought back to provide the score for the movie. I was rather shocked to see that they were actually going to release a CD version of this score because I don't think they ever did with the first film (still aggravates me because that score is just awesome). I can tell you that this particular score is a lot different from the first, and it should be. While the first movie took place in America and focused primarily on the White House, the patriotic themes and militaristic percussion supported that movie's story quite well. "London Has Fallen" takes a different approach all together and we only hear similar glimpses of the first film's more American thematics in a select few cues. I would consider the score for this film to be more rhythmically thematic through percussion however and this seems to fuel a more tactical, espionage, and "time is running out" atmosphere into the story.
The score begins with "London Has Fallen" (track 1) and it's an almost tribal sounding piece with vocals provided by Joel Cyprien. I haven't seen the film yet but this particular opening seems to set up a more troubled environment and possibly introduces the antagonist of the film. The second track, "Spotting Barkawi" isn't really all that interesting and is primarily a low key "uh oh" mood piece that to me is a missed opportunity to give the bad guy more substantial musical material. The next two tracks, "Bourbon and Poor Choices" (3) and "Nursery" (4) are much better at delving into character but are unfortunately very brief. "Scotland Yard" (track 5) definitely focuses more on the criminal underworld and investigation aspect of the famed headquarters of London's police. While effective, I somewhat wish that Morris would of given us something a bit more "London" to represent this place as well. Maybe it wouldn't of worked in the film however and I'll have to wait and see for myself in the film. Speaking on this, I should say that this is probably the most disappointing thing about this score. You heard plenty of America in "Olympus Has Fallen", but where is the London in "London Has Fallen"? It would of been cool to hear more musical references that could of been associated with the locale.
"London Attacked" (track 8) is a great rhythmic piece that does an excellent job at sustaining a shock and awe moment in the story. Through the music, you can just imagine authorities trying to assess what is going on while chaos, screaming, and running crowds erupt all around. The longest cue on the score is entitled "Rescuing Asher" (track 17). At over 12 minutes long, this obviously supports the rising action of the story as the main character fights their way to saving the president. Morris uses a steady percussion beat to amp up the tension throughout the piece and it certainly is effective. The only problem I have with this cue is that I can only listen to it in moderation because that drum beat (which comes and goes at different intensities throughout) can really get stuck in your head after about 10 minutes or so! The piece never escalates into a dramatic fanfare of achievement but moves like a steady machine that suddenly just halts. In the liner notes included with the CD, Morris describes this particular scene
as being very challenging in which "Babak (director) shot it in almost a video game shooter...one long continuous shot feel". He goes on to say that his choice to keep it mostly low and steady was to "sustain, leave room for the sound effects, and not confuse the ear". I am sure that this a pretty intense scene and I can't wait to finally see it and hear how the music/sound effects work together to bring the action together.
It's a good score but don't expect what you heard from the first film. There are brief moments of similarity, but this music takes a different approach altogether. I do wish we could of gotten some more references to the locale, but there is certainly a lot to appreciate here. The CD is in a digipak with a sleeve containing a 12 page insert with a note from the composer, photos from the movie, track listings, and production credits. There is 24 tracks which gives you a running time of 58 minutes. I'd also recommend some of Trevor Morris's other work like his scores from "The Vikings" series, as well as, "The Pillars of the Earth" and "The Tudors".
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