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James Newton Howard's FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD


Jay

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25 minutes ago, PrayodiBA said:

Consider myself disappointed,..

 

The score, is too slow to my liking.

This score relies heavily on slow strings, but they dont go anywhere. A bit boring to be honest. 

 

This score also lacks cohesiveness ( themes start promising, only to disappear moments later ) ( again.... )

 

There are some decent highlights of course, especially when it goes action-fantasy. But unfortunately, there's very little of them

 

Overall, this is a disappointment.

Autopilot-JNH-fantasy-mode score

 

( * I mean, we just heard a grandeur that is HTTYD 3 snippett, and we need that inbetween, and FB2 fails to do just that)

 

 

 

Damn, that sounds like the disappointment I got from The Nutcracker and the Four Realms :( 

 

Might JNH lose his place of my favourite composer? :o

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49 minutes ago, Luka said:

 

Damn, that sounds like the disappointment I got from The Nutcracker and the Four Realms :( 

 

Might JNH lose his place of my favourite composer? :o

A favorite composer shouldn't be your favorite because every single thing he does he is great, it's that one finds his style/writing to inherently be of intrigue. Just because, for example, I'm not interested in the Bourne stuff doesn't mean Powell's suddenly not my favorite living-and-not-retired composer.

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So, have just heard this. Rambled thoughts.

 

Thought the new themes were a bit weak (Dumbledore's is okay, but for some reason I still can't pick out Leta's, despite the piano track.. Is it the 2 up - 2 down four note figure?), and the longer tracks quite dull and plodding, unlike some from the first film, but maybe I'll warm to them in time.

 

Themes return (If I'm not mistaken, all of them?) but really not very many times, by my reckoning (Which is a shame, as I loved the themes from the first score)

 

The slowww build up to the action in 'The Thestral Chase' was deliciously dark.

 

Think the most fun for me was 'Newt and Jacob pack for Paris', which borrows heavily from the titular end credits track. Also contains Jacob's theme!

 

'Capturing the Zouwu' has a fun Newt hero theme. 'Travelling to Hogwarts' contains the great FB theme (couldn't obviously hear it anywhere else :(

 

I loved 'Salamander Eyes', as heard in the preview.

 

'Matagots' is really fun (Hero theme again, some borrowed from the escape from MACUSA)

 

'Spread the Word' builds to "epicness" - simple string ostinato + big chords... bit generic :(

 

'Wands into the Earth' I remember pretty cool in places.

 

I think overall it's slightly lesser to the first score, so overall a little disappointed on first listen, though I often am, due to over-high expectations. But there is some really great writing in there! I expect this'll be a grower, not a show-er. 

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3 minutes ago, Bofur01 said:

'Travelling to Hogwarts' contains the great FB theme (couldn't obviously hear it anywhere else :(

 

Whoa.  That theme only appears on the soundtrack once????  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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28 minutes ago, kaseykockroach said:

A favorite composer shouldn't be your favorite because every single thing he does he is great, it's that one finds his style/writing to inherently be of intrigue. Just because, for example, I'm not interested in the Bourne stuff doesn't mean Powell's suddenly not my favorite living-and-not-retired composer.

 

Wise, but I mean, if all the new scores he does don't impress me anymore… He'll certainly lose his spot after a while...


But finally, I started listening to it and nope! I LOVE IT! He definitely won't lose his spot for now! x)

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8 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Whoa.  That theme only appears on the soundtrack once????  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

At least, there was only one overt quote that I remember :( Same for the Jacob theme, Newt's animal theme, Obscurus, Grindelwald...

 

Think the only multiple-quote old themes were the healing one and Newt the hero. Would love to be proved wrong, though.

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30 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

Tomorrow then it is. 

 

It's already Friday in many parts of the world, of course.

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Just now, Jay said:

 

It's already Friday in many parts of the world, of course.

Thank you Jimmy Buffet

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31 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Whoa.  That theme only appears on the soundtrack once????  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

21 minutes ago, Bofur01 said:

 

At least, there was only one overt quote that I remember :( Same for the Jacob theme, Newt's animal theme, Obscurus, Grindelwald...

 

Think the only multiple-quote old themes were the healing one and Newt the hero. Would love to be proved wrong, though.

 

 

His FB main theme is all over the score. 

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24 minutes ago, Bofur01 said:

Newt's animal theme, Grindelwald

 

Oh, what are those themes? :o I never associated a theme with Grindelwald in the first… Where is it?

And Newt's animal too? Which one is it?

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Good not great. Highlights are pretty limited to the variations on the first score’s themes, some of which are exciting. But I dunno that this really distinguishes itself...noticed some greater choral emphasis, makes for good typically JNH-y atmosphere and in general there’s obviously a uniformly strong sound. I can wait until after seeing the film to give it another spin, reserving certain judgments on it til then.

 

Seems more “solid” than special, though. The first one - while imperfect - made me wonder more if these scores could lean toward the latter, and I’m less intrigued by the overall potential after this one. I do hope he completes the set regardless, he’s definitely started something and there’s still room to take it somewhere. 

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I blame Yates.

 

Matagots is the ONLY hightlight i got from this.

That sole track is a living proof that JNH still has it in him if he's given the right canvas ( by right means a swasbuckling-action-fantasy movie)

 

And FB2 is not the right canvas for him, personally speaking

 

I mean hear the matagots track ( especially 0:47 onwards )

 

and i can relive the reinassance day of JNH ala Treasure Planet

 

-----

 

Do Star Wars already JNH, please...

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12 minutes ago, leeallen01 said:

Not understanding peoples reservations about the score. I think it's great. Full of gothic themes and orchestration. All of the big themes return multiple times and in new and fresh ways. His new themes are gorgeous and melodic and well used throughout. His use of Choir continues to be the best of any composer working today. 

 

Were people expecting an hour score of JNH action fantasy? Judging by the score, the film has little action, and what action it has is clearly not frantic and bombastic, instead it is very emotional and dramatic action.

 

Yeah, it all comes down to each' preference.  

Again, i dont like "slow" score, thats why i always adore Powell where he'd fill all instruments and notes all at once

 

But i'm really fond of JNH's "slow" score of the past ala Unbreakable. But sadly, thats a thing of JNH past :(

 

---

There are some small interesting bits scattered in the score:

 

I love this "ascending" rhythm in this track:

 

 

I havent seen the movie. And i didnt read rumors and spoilers of FB2, im completely clean

but i swear, i thought i heard a Lord Voldemort theme in the end of this track:

 ( well never mind, i guess it's a Grindelwald-cliffhanging theme )

 

i love how this title defies expectation:

 

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34 minutes ago, TheUlyssesian said:

Does Newt's main theme return? I call that the the theme which plays at 1:07 in the end credits of the first score.

 

I won't be really able to listen to the score until the weekend.

 

Not heard it myself, no. Perhaps I missed an obvious statement but not to my knowledge.

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4 hours ago, leeallen01 said:

 

Not heard it myself, no. Perhaps I missed an obvious statement but not to my knowledge.

 

Is this a joke, no Newts Main Theme at all??? JNHs best theme in this franchise (which should be the real main theme of the fantastic beasts series) doesnt appear at all...

I looked forward to this soundtrack mostly because i wanted to hear this theme again!

 

What a colossal disappointment and failure in thematic planning and development.

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15 minutes ago, SF1_freeze said:

 

Is this a joke, no Newts Main Theme at all??? JNHs best theme in this franchise (which should be the real main theme of the fantastic beasts series) doesnt appear at all...

I looked forward to this soundtrack mostly because i wanted to hear this theme again!

 

What a colossal disappointment and failure in thematic planning and development.

 

I know this forum does overactions quite well but I’m pretty sure this one really takes the fucking biscuit. 

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27 minutes ago, SF1_freeze said:

 

Is this a joke, no Newts Main Theme at all??? JNHs best theme in this franchise (which should be the real main theme of the fantastic beasts series) doesnt appear at all...

I looked forward to this soundtrack mostly because i wanted to hear this theme again!

 

What a colossal disappointment and failure in thematic planning and development.

 

Newt is well represented in this score. He has two of his themes, but the one you are referring to may be in the score, but I haven't heard it on my first couple of listens. It may be in the film as well. 

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1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

What do you expect from a Star Wars Pearl 

1 hour ago, Bilbo said:

 

I know this forum does overactions quite well but I’m pretty sure this one really takes the fucking biscuit. 

 

 

Not all people are emotionless saints, who never express their disappointment in a more extrovert way.

Better leave the forum world if you can't take something like that.

 

If someone looks forward to one theme that for this person was the best theme in this franchise and also the main theme of its main character and this theme doesn't appear at all there is every right to overreact!

 

I mean imagine RotJ dismissing the Imperial March and returning to the Imperial Motif and Death Star motif because the Empire is well represented with two thematic ideas already... wouldn't that also be a reason to overreact

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, PrayodiBA said:

i thought i heard a Lord Voldemort theme in the end of this track:

 ( well never mind, i guess it's a Grindelwald-cliffhanging theme )

 

Which Voldemort Theme? I don't recognize it...

 

 

 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

One thing I noticed

 

 

 

 

Oh wow! That's quite a nice catch!

 

 

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On 11/8/2018 at 2:09 PM, kaseykockroach said:

I seek not to be impressed, I seek to have fun!

 

And you didn't have fun with Bourne? Those were the best action scores of their decade!

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13 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

One thing I noticed

 

 

 

 

Nice. That plays in the first film in the very emotional scene as Jacob forgets in the rain, so perhaps it has a similar context in this film.

 

I just assigned that moment as an adaptation of the love theme because of its similar shape and melody.

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OK, I've given this score a few listens by now:

 

I can certainly see where the disappointment is coming from. I LOVE LOVE LOVE "The Thestral Chase," "Dumbledore," and "The Kelpie," but none of the rest of the album quite measures up to those cues imho so the score kind of peters off in enjoyment after a rollicking start. The new themes seem to be played rather sparingly as well. 

 

That said, there are of course some utterly sublime moments here. In particular, I still can't get over how utterly exciting this passage is -- largely due to the astoundingly beautiful climax, which appears to hint at Newt's "wonder and awe" theme from the first film:

 

 

And it's hard not to marvel at JNH's ability to sound downright JW-esque at times in his wind figures and other little traits. That really struck me on first listen. 

 

In other words, while this doesn't reach the tremendous heights of the first score, that doesn't stop it from being one of this year's very best in my book. 

 

EDIT: Oh, and I take back what I said about none of the later cues measuring up to the beginning ones, because this one kicks some serious ass:

 

 

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