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John Powell kicks ass


Morlock

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Yeah, the Suite at the end sounds like an alternate passage from Hancock. I'd even suggest it may be temped with The Moon and the Superhero. And To the Surface/Family Reunion both borrow a motif directly from HTTYD.

Martian Mambo... dear oh dear.

I look forward to hearing the whole thing, but it does sound rather formulaic.

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Looks like its gonna be a download-only release

That would suck, but I wouldn't write off a CD release just because none is listed on Amazon yet.

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We probably should take into consideration that this is a replacement score. Originally, Hans Zimmer was supposed to score this movie, but or either he left or was rejected. Lack of more time is probably the reason why it sounds similar to other Powell works.

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Yes, Zimmer was originally attached. I feel that it was just temp-tracked with Powell and they brought him in to make slight differences. The film doesn't look that good anyway, so I'm sure he's saving the good stuff for Rio, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Happy Feet 2 later this year.

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Isn't he doing Winnie The Pooh as well?

Edit: just saw now it is Henry Jackman.

I swore I saw Powell's name in a trailer or something...

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I just noticed that there's a little JW homage on the first twelve seconds of "Enjoy the Ride", Close Encounters style...

I so wanna hear Powell do a full score in that direction someday. A suspense or horror film would be a great change for him and to try some new stuff.

However, I must say that Mars Needs Moms is really growing on me, despite the similarities with other Powell works. I like how Powell is taking the music seriously and avoiding the silly mickey-mousing. Also, the orchestrations are simply top-notch. A reviewer on FSM said how much Powell has progressed with his orchestrations and he is absolutely right. X-Men 3 can sound a little messy sometimes, but Dragon and Mars sound perfect.

Powell has come a long way. I can't wait to hear Rio and his upcoming stuff!

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http://score-points.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-mars-needs-moms.html

Score Points reviews John Powell's exciting and surprisingly dramatic score for Mars Needs Moms. The score is available as a digital download from Amazon, and is a must-buy for Powell fans and film score fans alike. An early contender for Score of the Year (and Powell still has three more scores coming!).

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This ain't 'score of the year' from what I've heard so far.

I need to give it a proper listen, but there's so much temp-track influence in this. It's just not affecting me in the same way as HTTYD.

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I couldn't disagree more. Run-of-the-mill Powell is, in my opinion, something like Horton which, while it is enjoyable and has tons of very good music, is schizophrenic, without a real identity of its own. It's a score that has 40 tracks that each run 1-2 minutes, so Powell is unable to really develop his ideas.

This score has an average track time of over 3 minutes, and each track is an individually contained, thoroughly developed piece of music. Is there a bit of a temp track influence? Yes. Does it have the breadth that How to Train Your Dragon had? No. But honestly, it's one of the most enjoyable, thoroughly entertaining 46 minute album I've listened to in a while. Themes are developed gradually, each to its full potential, there are some great moments of reflection and emotion, and the orchestration is fantastic. So no, it doesn't have the range of Dragon, but it's still an incredible listening experience.

As far as the themes go, while there is clear influence, it is nothing more than that: influence. Do you dislike Marion's theme because it's so similar to Han and Leia's theme? Not to mention that, in an era where most composers seem content using the easy i-VI-III-VII chord progression, Powell very rarely uses it. He has his own progression that he likes, sure, but so does every composer. So the temp-track influence wasn't a problem at all to me, especially because the end result is of such high quality.

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Did you like it?

It's pretty good, but hardly outstanding. Of all the MV composers, John Powell definatly sticks out. But thus far I have not heard him do something that blew away.

Like with Gia, I don't know what all the fuss is about.

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John Powell is the best run-of-the-mill composer ever!

Karol

People piss on John Debney for being generic, but then drool all over Gia and John Powell?

Didn't you like X-Men 3?

Karol

I do, it's a very good score.

But it's not ground breaking, not brilliant, not earth-shattering.

Is has a few brilliant moments though

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John Powell is the best run-of-the-mill composer ever!

Karol

People piss on John Debney for being generic, but then drool all over Gia and John Powell?

The problem with Debney is that he's almost too versatile for his own good. He's so good in that you can barely tell what his score sounds like. That's probably why he's so popular in the industry. Giacchino and Powell are hardly better composers, but at least have more defined sound of their own.

Karol

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People piss on John Debney for being generic, but then drool all over Gia and John Powell?

I've never thought of Giacchino as generic... never heard anyone else say that either

Have you not listened to his LOST music?

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Have you not listened to his LOST music?

Bits of it. Even heard some of it in concert. It's good as TV music goes, certainly. Probably more original then his film work.

I know, but has he given him a fair chance?

I've talked to Gia's sister!

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Have you not listened to his LOST music?

Bits of it. Even heard some of it in concert. It's good as TV music goes, certainly. Probably more original then his film work.

I'd highly recommend checking out the Lost Season 4 or Season 6 OST

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Well I've listened to the whole album, and really, only 3 cues stood out to me: Enjoy the Ride, Gribble's Loss and the credits suite.

Everything else just wasn't really doing anything. Maybe it's just one of those scores you need to see the film to enjoy, but this one hasn't set me on fire.

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Horton Hears A Who! is brilliant.

Absolutely agreed. I would consider it one of his best, if not his single best. The 1–2 minute track thing really isn't a problem, as they all flow together as a unified whole.

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Horton was my favorite Powell before Dragon.

There are a handful of scores of his that I don't enjoy. Stuff like Two Weeks Notice and Stop-Loss; even The Last Stand, which is the only Powell score where I don't hear his voice coming through as strongly as it could.

Oh, and Jumper is just flat out bad.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Since Powell didn't write the song, it makes sense that the song / melody may be included in those cues with asterisks.

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However, looking at the tracklist on Varese's sight, I only looked at the back cover, there appears to be other markings next to some tracks as well.

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