Atlantis: The Lost Empire

[Pieter Boelen 740]

Every few days I will post a thread on a random score from my collection that we can discuss and rate. I made a playlist on my computer with one track of each score I've got, so by using the random play option, I'll be able to post a truly random score each time. Hopefully this will allow us to discuss some scores that would otherwise never be discussed. Also we can record the rating so that we can create a full list of the ratings given to scores by JWFan.com.

Today's score is Atlantis: The Lost Empire by James Newton Howard. Are you familiar with it? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? How do do you think it works in the film? What are your favourite tracks?

You don't need to base your opinion on just the OST.

So far JWFan has rated:

See Soundtrack Ratings by JWFan.com.

This web page contains the ratings from all my previous polls as well as those of Blumenkohl's.

Final ratings are converted to a 1-10 rating for both rating systems so that they can be compared.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why not do something a little less obscure?

[Luke Skywalker 1,804]

I have it but i'm not very familiar.

I dont remember anything memorable so i give it a 3

[Pieter Boelen 740]

This is one of my favourite scores. It's a really good adventure score with a nice adventurous main theme, beautiful music for Atlantis and plenty of good action music. There's some good stuff on the complete promo, most notably "The Crew's Conscience". It's a shame "Dogfight" is a reworking of "Leviathan Battle" rather than a completely new piece of music. Still a really good score. I'll give it 4,5 stars.

Why not do something a little less obscure?

Too late. Next time.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's just another JNH score.

[Pieter Boelen 740]

By the sound of that, you don't like James Newton Howard very much.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

He's okay, but his scores are a bit generic. I can't even tell what his style is.

[tpigeon 3]

This is one of Howard's best scores. I love that it totally changes direction midway through and morphs into a choral atmosphere. Wonderful score. 4.5

Ted

[Trent B 337]

I gave it four stars. It's pretty good the promo helps the score but honestly it's not as good as Dinosaur.

[Richard Penna 3,743]

3.5 stars

A solid JNH effort, but I reserve 5 stars for scores that really hit the mark for me.

[Ollie 1,064]

I give it a 3, JNH is a good composer and this is a decent score from him. There really aren't any stand out moments and I think he's done better work for Disney with Treasure Planet and Dinosaur.

[Romão 2,274]

This is one of Howard's best scores. I love that it totally changes direction midway through and morphs into a choral atmosphere. Wonderful score. 4.5

Ted

Agree 100%, Ted. Your post echoes my feelings perfectly.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

By the sound of that, you don't like James Newton Howard very much.

It's nolt a matter of liking of disling.

For me, JHN is like boiled chicked with boiled potatoes and colliflower.

There's nothing wrong with it, it's very nutricional. But I never long for it.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

He's okay, but his scores are a bit generic. I can't even tell what his style is.

Idiot!

3.5 stars.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That word does not sound right coming from you.

[Luke Skywalker 1,804]

yeah it has to have a dutch accent, if not, it sounds like an insult

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The dutch do not have an accent!

[Luke Skywalker 1,804]

ok

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You...don't believe me?

Don't worry Dr. Mendoza, you will become...a true believer!

[Bryant Burnette 655]

Well, any score to Disney feature animation can't be called "obscure." That's for certain. Masters of the Universe and Quigley Down Under are obscure; even the least successful of Disney's "real" animation (meaning that the direct-to-video sequels are not included) has been seen by millions upon millions of people, so regardless of whether or not it's well-liked, it ain't obscure. Not even Home on the Range can be called obscure, much less Atlantis.

I voted four stars. I love a lot of the score, especially the main theme, but there are a few points where it does indeed become a bit generic. And the end-credits song is about as bland as a song can get. Still, it's a quality score from JNH, and the movie is pretty good, too.

[Red 75]

A 4. Not an outstanding score, but a good one nonetheless.

[Carnifex 5]

That word does not sound right coming from you.

I shuddered too.

Well Mr. Cosman I think you have an unwanted acolyte before you.

Oh Atlantis, I would say maybe three stars. Hard to say high or low points.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Definitely a solid 4. Fun adventure music, and the theme is put through some nice variations.

[Morlock 11]

I gave it four stars. It's pretty good the promo helps the score but honestly it's not as good as Dinosaur.

Dinosaur is nice, but superficial, to my ears. I like the themes, like the action material...but it's not wow-enducing, and it gets old very fast.

The dutch do not have an accent!

I have it on good authority, from two different sources, that, when speaking English, some Dutch people do have an accent. Sometimes the 'Idiot!' comes across as authoritative, sometimes it just sounds like 'Stimpy! You eediot!'.

[Incanus 5,723]

4,5 one of JNHs best adventure efforts. I actually like the second half of the score better as it leaves the cartoony sounds behind and the composer presents the slightly exotic sounds and all the wonderful choral work for the Atlantis itself. Some of the best passages he has ever written. Mystical and haunting but also truly epic at times. Easily blows Dinosaur off the water.

[Luke Skywalker 1,804]

You...don't believe me?

Don't worry Dr. Mendoza, you will become...a true believer!

You have and hindi accent then?

[Pieter Boelen 740]

Having listened to this one again last week, it really is a great adventure score. There's some animated comedic music in there, but on the whole it is scores as a real live-action adventure movie. Definitly one of my favourites!

[Richard Penna 3,743]

This is one score where I prefer the OST to the full promo, although I added in a couple of cues including the aforementioned Crew's Conscience.

The main themes are classic JNH - simple but effective, and the action music IMO rivals Williams' orchestration at times and the choir just adds the icing on the cake.

Even the quieter parts sound far from generic for me - a huge variety of instruments is used.

4.5 stars.

[Pieter Boelen 740]

Atlantis indeed had a pretty good OST, though I'm happy there's a promo too. Especially because of "Crew's Conscience", which is just simply amazing. I also like the opening track a lot. I was watching the audio commentary on the film's DVD yesterday (I really like that film) and they mentioned things that suggest to me that there might be a whole bunch of alternates in existance. Does anyone know anything about that?

[Datameister 2,073]

I need to go out and get my hands on the promo. I definitely enjoy this score; I bought the OST a few years back, and while I don't listen to it every day or anything, I think there's a lot of interesting material in there. "The Submarine" is a definite standout for me - I really like that theme that's heard in its full glory at the end. I like it in all its various permutations throughout the score. And the aforementioned change of gears into the more choral and ethnic sounds once they reach Atlantis is very interesting. Perhaps a little New Agey, but I like it. The action music tends to leave me a little cold, though.

Hmmmm...I think I'll give this score 4 stars.

[Richard Penna 3,743]

Atlantis indeed had a pretty good OST, though I'm happy there's a promo too. Especially because of "Crew's Conscience", which is just simply amazing. I also like the opening track a lot. I was watching the audio commentary on the film's DVD yesterday (I really like that film) and they mentioned things that suggest to me that there might be a whole bunch of alternates in existance. Does anyone know anything about that?

That's surely no different to the scoring process of most films?

[John Crichton 4]

I've only heard bits, but I'll give it a 3.5. JNH and I have never really clicked.

John- who got halfway down the page before realizing this was an old thread

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I give it a 3, JNH is a good composer and this is a decent score from him. There really aren't any stand out moments and I think he's done better work for Disney with Treasure Planet and Dinosaur.

I ultimately agree with this sentiment, though I think I will reward it another half-point.

John- who got halfway down the page before realizing this was an old thread

I did not realize that until your comment....

[Datameister 2,073]

Wow, I totally didn't realize that either.

[Pieter Boelen 740]

Sorry about getting you all confused with resurfacing an old thread. Having just listened to it again, I just felt like saying something about it again as well.

That's surely no different to the scoring process of most films?

Probably not. Though they did mention that they recorded some music like one year before the final score was written and recorded.

I do wonder how many completely different alternates would exist for certain scores. Usually on the soundtracks, even the complete ones, there's no alternates and even if there are alternates, very frequently they're almost the same as the non-alternate version. Do composers write the "correct" track on their first try or are there many interesting alternates in existance that nobody ever heard? Outside the people who worked on the film, that is...

[Datameister 2,073]

Do composers write the "correct" track on their first try or are there many interesting alternates in existance that nobody ever heard?

Rescoring does happen, sometimes as full alternate cues and sometimes just as short inserts for other cues. Really depends on the composer and the film. Sometimes the scene in the film gets re-cut early enough for new music to be written for it, or sometimes the director or composer or someone just decides that it'd be nice to use a certain theme in a certain spot or something.

[Richard Penna 3,743]

You just need to look at the Kingdom of Heaven recording sessions which has as much as 3 or 4 alternates for quite a few cues. Some of them are completely different approaches, whereas others just have subtle differences or a 20 second part that's different.

I doubt it's that sort of scale for smaller scores, but still, I can't imagine there being many scores where the composer's first idea for every cue was the one recorded without any podium changes and used in the film.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

As Joe said, it all depends on the composer and director (and the producers, in rare instances). For example, Gus Van Sant is an "experimental director" in that he sometimes has multiple ideas for a scene or musical tone, so to speak, which he asks the composer (often Danny Elfman) to indulge him with. In the case of Milk, I seem to remember that Danny Elfman went through at least two wildly different "Harvey's Theme"s before he wrote one that Gus felt "worked", if that makes sense. The same can sometimes be said of numerous other composer and director partnerships.