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Michael Giacchino's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - 2022 Expanded Edition now available


mrbellamy

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It's been years since I've posted, but I gotta say I'm not the biggest fan of the score.  My main complaint is the Imperial/Krennic theme.  It's super close to his theme for InGen in JW, which doesn't do it for me as Bad Guy themes.  Something more akin to General Grievous's theme or even that motif in Enter Lord Vader is much more menacing and militaristic (without having to be the Imperial march) would be better.  Hell, he should've developed the short Imperial Motif from ANH for Krennic and it would've been better.  His theme for RO seems too try hard and generic bad guy without any true menace.  

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4 minutes ago, ChewyBomber said:

My english skills are limited, I don't understand this "millennial" :D

 

Using Google Translate didn't help me unfortunately... 

 

How old are you?

 

I think younger people will like this score more than older people (sort of what TGP was getting at)

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8 minutes ago, ChewyBomber said:

I'm the only one who likes that score :( And the Imperial Theme is great!!

 

Nope and there is nothing wrong with that. It's a very very good Star Wars spin-off score with decent themes.

 

The suggestion that you must somehow be a millennial to enjoy it is actually rather off too!

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On 15/12/2016 at 9:30 PM, Jay said:

 

How old are you?

 

I think younger people will like this score more than older people (sort of what TGP was getting at)

 

Found the meaning of what you wanted to tell me, and you're right, I'm a "millennial", I'm 21.

 

I loved the movie and its score yesterday, and I didn't think the score was generic or anything like this.

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I think if you've never heard a Giacchino score before, you'd like this score more, because it would all seem very fresh.

But if you've heard all his scores, its quickly apparent how much of his older material he reworked for this one.  Probably because of the time crunch.

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1 minute ago, Jay said:

I think if you've never heard a Giacchino score before, you'd like this score more, because it would all seem very fresh.

But if you've heard all his scores, its quickly apparent how much of his older material he reworked for this one.  Probably because of the time crunch.

 

That was me and my roommate. We've been listening to the score and we see rehashes and his typical techniques all over the place. 

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You're right I guess. The only Giacchino scores I've listened to are Super 8 and Jurassic World. I haven't heard Star Trek or anything else so I understand why it might sound like a rework.

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29 minutes ago, Jay said:

I think if you've never heard a Giacchino score before, you'd like this score more, because it would all seem very fresh.

But if you've heard all his scores, its quickly apparent how much of his older material he reworked for this one.  Probably because of the time crunch.

 

I think the time crunch massively affected the quality of this score

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Just now, BloodBoal said:

 

If it's on the OST, the only track I could see it appear in is Star-Dust (based on the track titles, it's the only one featuring music from a scene where the character is in). I'm guessing it could be the four-note motif starting at 00:13 and repeated onwards. Though that motif sounds an awful lot like the beginning of Jyn's theme, so maybe it has nothing to do with Gerrera.

 

Where did you read about that 5th theme anyway? A Giacchino interview?

 

@EhTar told me... And just told me it's at 0:56 of Trust Goes Both Ways

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Ah, yes! Now I remember that scene. He could be right. Though I don't hear much of a theme. It's more specific instruments for the character than an actual melody (if there's a theme, I guesss it would be the short motif at 01:17, that is repeated a few times in this track).

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I only heard a few tracks but  I already have doubt that he'll be scoring another Star Wars, or at least we can lay to rest any fears they'd want to replace JW prematurely

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1 hour ago, ChewyBomber said:

I'm the only one who likes that score :( And the Imperial Theme is great!!

I really like the new Imperial Theme. although I think they should have used the Imperial March and this new Imperial Theme. 

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The new Imperial Motif is very funny...because its like a RIP OFF of a theme of spanish composer ROQUE BAÑOS for the TORRENTE'S SAGA :

 

Torrente's theme ( major mode)

 

 

And this is a video of the Recording Sessions:

 

The percusion, the powerful brass...even the transition!!

 

 

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7 hours ago, Jay said:

02 A Long Ride Ahead 3:56

 

A little brass flourish in here reminded me of Kylo Ren's theme from TFA.  Some typical Giacchino action begins halfway through... I feel like I'm in a spy movie not a Star Wars movie, though!  Yorktown Jyn's Theme sounds nice after that.... then OH MY GOD.  The ending of this track is ridiculous, like the scene was temp-tracked with the Main Star Wars theme, and he had to do a pastiche of it here.  It sounds just as silly as the Imperial Suite, my god....

 

 

 

That part is played over the main title logo and my heart sank when I heard it in the cinema. Such a musically lackluster moment.

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Interesting that Jay didn't mention

 

  • Spoiler

     

    • the two statements of the Death Star motif in When Has Become Now and
    • the Imperial Attack music and Leia's theme in Hope.

     

     

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Huh. I just got home from work, and the Rogue One OST was in my mailbox. Meaning it'd been there since around 10-11am or so. So Amazon broke the release date? 

 

Anyone else in the US receive their physical copy today? 

 

 

Wow, that FSM poster wasn't joking, there actually is a list of pun titles in the booklet! Wow! 

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I've not given a proper listen yet. I'm kind of holding off listening to the majority of it until I see the film tomorrow. I might like the score, I might not. I'm reading a lot of "he's overworked" in this. Personally, I don't think this will be his last Star Wars score, but Disney might try to give him a rest for a while: he's done three scores for them this year, and they all seem to have gotten some mixed response (I loved Zootopia and Doctor Strange is growing on me - but I think STB was his best this year, and it's definitely the one with the most effort IMO). They risk turning him into the new Hans Zimmer if they keep this up. And he's going to work on Spider-Man Homecoming next, so it's three Disney films in a row for him. Perhaps Disney should say, "You know what, Michael? Take a break. Have half a year off."

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10 minutes ago, alextrombone94 said:

Is the score available to listen to anywhere for people in the UK yet?

 

I can't find it anywhere; Presumably, it'll be released on iTunes soon though?

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I have listened to the score twice now and was not particularly impressed, or repulsed, by anything. It's definitely a very solid soundtrack (and mediocre Star Wars soundtrack), but I don't predict revisiting it very often. I am quite sure it works great in the context of movie.

 

The thing I regret the most is that Rogue One gig didn't go to much more capable hands of, say... Gordy Haab! What a lost opportunity! The least we would get is a very competent Williams' pastiche. And almost certainly something much, much better. Oh well...

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9 hours ago, Jay said:

11 Rebellions Are Built on Hope 2:56

 

45 seconds of forgetful underscore until Jyn's Theme returns for a bit.... then I thought the main Star Wars theme was starting in a nice solo horn passage... but nope, it was a tease, just the first 2 notes or so, then it went off in a diferrent direction.  Is this another theme from the score I hadn't picked up on until now?  Then we're back to more Jyn's theme (is this theme ALL OVER the movie too, or did he just pick every cue that contained it for the album program?)  Ends with a nice subdued version of Yorktown Jyn's Theme.

 

Believe it or not, this is the same theme at the very end of 'A Long Ride Ahead'. It is played over the movie's logo at the end of the prologue. It is so bland I couldn't believe it when I heard it at that moment in the cinema. I'm really surprised Gia was happy with it to play at such an important moment given how the Star Wars logo is usually accompanied with JW's main theme. Time constraints must have contributed to this.

 

It also appears in the middle of the Jyn/Hope suite.

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2 hours ago, Alex Shore said:

The new Imperial Motif is very funny...because its like a RIP OFF of a theme of spanish composer ROQUE BAÑOS for the TORRENTE'S SAGA :

 

I've yet to hear Giacchino's theme, but at least this would suggest he has some taste. Love the Torrente movies.

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Remember we were joking in the first released clip that the cresendo sounded like it was going to play Yorktown and someone even edited them together. Well here it is,

 

Jyn's theme is indeed similar to Yorktown. And it uses the one phrase I liked in Yorktown over and over.

 

 

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8 hours ago, Jay said:

18 Hope 1:38

 

Is this the last cue in the film, something from the end credits, or another suite?  It's got a huge choral passage in the first half.  The scond half has a pretty silly sounding martial version of the Imperial March, a brief runthrough of the Imperial Motif, then another new Force Theme passage to end things.

 

This is the very last cue of the movie just before the end credits.

7 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

There's a sneaky statement of a Hoth AT-AT bit at 0:32 in AT-ACT Assault.

 

There is a slightly more obvious statement of the Hoth AT-AT staccato piano notes played very briefly on brass that I heard in the movie. Didn't hear it on the OST though.

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6 hours ago, Jay said:

 

 

Jyn's theme (beginning and end of "Jyn Erso & Hope Suite"

Rebellion / Hope theme (middle of "Jyn Erso & Hope Suite")

Imperial theme / Krennic's Theme ("Imperial Suite")

Chirrut's theme ("Guardian of the Whils Suite")

I have seen the movie. Track "A long ride ahead" 3:36 contains this rebellion theme new fanfare. In the film sounds several times!

Quote

 

I've read there's a fifth theme, a theme for Saw Gerrera.  Where is that on the album?

 

No theme for Saw gerrera.

 

 

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34 minutes ago, Will said:

Jyn's theme was marvelous. I actually didn't mind the Yorktown similarity at all. Jyn's theme was actually better IMO, anyway. Several of the early statements really made me go "Wow!!" The Yorktown theme was very nice, but I never really found it completely satisfying, and Jyn's theme took what I loved about Yorktown and added what I'd been yearning for. Wooo! 

 

 

I think the same.

 

34 minutes ago, Will said:

 

I do agree that the Imperial theme sounds a little too comedic, although perhaps its usage in the film will change that (e.g. some people thought the March of the Resistance sounded evil, until they saw the film). But, it was rather catchy, you have to give it that! Of course, it is also kind of bland -- it grows on you the more you listen to it, but it reminds of the Crash Decisions motif in that it's kind of catchy and sufficient, but somewhat bland. 

 

 

I think it sounds too much "nazi" or Medal of Honor, but it works great in the film for me.

 

34 minutes ago, Will said:

 

 

Speaking of Chirrut's theme, I didn't really think it sounded like Across the Stars. It was nice. 

 

 

Same for me.

34 minutes ago, Will said:

 

 

In terms of unreleased music, I have a feeling that there's a ton. Even some of the preview clip stuff is missing, and there's no way the final battle is only made up of a few cues. 

 

Yes, probably we have in the cd soundtrack only half of the score.

 

Great post Will! I do enjoy the music, and share a lot of your opinions! But, the main difference is that I am a big Giacchino fan ;).

 

 

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6 hours ago, Prerecorded Briefing said:

I have to echo Marcus here.

Mark this post well, because seldom do you see such prophecy.

This score will be looked at as the seminal moment in the start of a new slew of mediocre "traditional scoring." This is it. The time of bland textural music is about over. The big drums will disappear. People have finally gotten sick of it. Now, it's time to give them back what was so cruelly taken from them, but it won't be given back intact. Instead, we are in for an unknown number of years being force fed mangled, surface level imitations of 80's and 90's blockbuster music.

The few greats, both new and old, will not be asked to participate in this. Too old, or too dangerous. Best to leave it to the decent number of eager up and comers out there who will far more readily bend the knee and provide the fluff exactly as requested.

And isn't it something how Disney is behind both much of the previous phase of mediocrity, and now the coming one? Witness the swift killer of art which is money.

Congratulations to all who so nobly and silently suffered through the Zimmer dark ages. Your prayers have been heard. Are you prepared for the answer?

I'll take the score to Rogue One over the Dark Knight Rises any day. 

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I saw the movie and listened to the OST a few times. Overall, it is a disappointment. I love the Yorktown theme, and as Jyn's theme is clearly cut from the same cloth, I do hear a musically appealing melody. To be fair, I have warmed to it after the initial criticism of its similarity to Yorktown and it does have some very nice renditions throughout the album. It is like The Jungle Book's similarity to Voyager. Despite its close similarity, it is still good music.

 

The Imperial theme is a definite misstep. I like the orchestration of the 'The Imperial Suite' track but the melody itself is sub-standard. As Jay alluded to, it sounds like a cheap knock off of the imperial march and completely forgettable (I can't recall a single note despite watching the movie and a couple of OST listens). I will concede that it occasionally sounds better in the actual score, especially the opening track.

 

The main theme (and I'm calling it that because it accompanies the shot of the movie's logo) is frustratingly bland and unmemorable. One of the biggest disappointments of the score. Its opening two notes are a clear not to Luke's theme but sadly nosedives in quality rather than continuing with JW's theme. This makes it especially frustrating because it is inviting a direct comparison with Luke's theme.

 

However, I do love the 'Guardians of the Whillis' theme. That particular track is really very beautiful with a serene and noble quality. I like its action versions heard occasionally too in the score, and it was an instant positive when viewing the movie.

 

There is a collection of tracks from about 12 to 16 which overall contain a nice sense of urgency and excitement, and the writing here is typical Giacchino and at least engaging. The problem is that the listening experience of the rest of the album's tracks is usually a brief thematic statement followed by long periods of completely dull and boring underscore. The main exception to this is the 8 minute 'Confrontation On Eadu' track in the middle of the album which does an OK job at maintaining interest.

 

There is never any 'wow' factor in the underscore that I've enjoyed in other Giacchino scores. With the exception of that Guardians theme, the whole score fails to rise above serviceable 3 star material.

 

The addition of The Imperial March in 'Hope' is rather clunky and doesn't really fit well.

 

Therefore, the problem is that this score will probably be best enjoyed through personally edited suites which will probably omit a significant portion of the album. Comparable scores such as The Force Awakens or his Star Trek scores didn't have this issue and I'd easily listen to those OSTs end to end. I will be able to extract a fairly entertaining suite but it is really disappointing that I have to discard so much of the album to do this, especially for a Star Wars score.

 

The timing of all this is a little surreal. Within the period of about 4 hours, I was absolutely loving the Star Trek Beyond deluxe release followed by considerable disappointment while watching Rogue One. I can't think of any other time where I had such opposing opinions of a composers work in such a short timeframe.

 

8 minutes ago, RuBen_Kenobi said:

 

Great post Will! I do enjoy the music, and share a lot of your opinions! But, the main difference is that I am a big Giacchino fan ;).

 

 

 

I'm a big Giacchino fan too, and I hear a lot of merits even in his less popular scores, but Rogue One has really underwhelmed me. :(

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2 minutes ago, Bilbo Skywalker said:

I'll take the score to Rogue One over the Dark Knight Rises any day. 

 

Oranges and apples. Giacchino is my favourite composer but I also like Zimmer. But for Star Wars, there is no doubt that Michael has the correct sound.

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I'm not sure if this is a "sign" of how Giacchino music just doesn't do it the way Williams' does, but I'm going to pause Rogue One and go listen to Soundings now. :lol:

 

Actually, it probably has more to do with the jarring effect of listening to completely new music. I tend to listen to old favorites the most, so the "unfamiliarity" now can easily cause me to "lose my balance," so to speak. Particularly given the general lack of analysis of specific passages by others so far as well, and the fact that I haven't seen the film while many others have. 

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