Jump to content

Michael Giacchino's THE BATMAN (2022)


Jay

Recommended Posts

I'm enjoying the score the more I listen to it.

 

Not sure if Spoilers are allowed here yet, but I've noticed that Giacchino mirrors the film's overall intention with Bruce as the score goes on, in how he uses his Batman theme and Bruce Wayne theme. E.g. you would expect the final action pieces to be full Batman theme, but instead Giacchino dominates the final few minutes of the score with his Bruce Wayne theme and his Batman theme takes a backseat, to mirror what the film is doing, which is showing that Bruce realises he has to help Gotham as Bruce, just as much as he does as Batman, and also by using Batman as a symbol of hope, not just fear, moving forward for the good people of Gotham.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the new pinnacle for film score?? Well, time for me to pack my bags and move to the greener pastures of video game music and never look back!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://moviemusicuk.us/2022/03/08/the-batman-michael-giacchino/

 

Jon Broxton's review is up and he seems quite enthusiastic about the score.

 

I have grown to really like some parts of it, like some of the action cues, or the different variations Giacchino does of the Riddler and Catwoman's themes, but I must admit that the listening experience benefits from a much shorter album, as there is a lot of quieter underscore, which on a standalone listen it's quite boring.

 

I also think it's a score not for everyone's tastes, but it's quite in the same vein as Giacchino's work for the other Matt Reeves movies, or even some of his work in LOST, so I am quite a fan of it. I especially love this loud-brassy rendition of the 4-note bat-motif in An Im-purr-fect Murder

 

Or how he plays with different bits of the three main ideas in Hoarding Shool, having the Riddler theme play over the bat-motif, and with some hints of Selina's theme sprinkled here and there

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did some editing, so my version is a little shorter than just creating a playlist, but give this a try. (Also, see the movie if you haven’t - that’s what made me “get” it.)

 

01. The Batman (I trimmed this so it ends after the Bruce Wayne theme, as the next track is a more interesting version of the 4-note Batman build)

02. Can’t Fight City Halloween

03. Mayoral Ducting 

04. Don’t Be Voyeur With Me

05. Crossing The Feline

06. The Riddler

07. Funeral And Far Between

08. Escaped Crusader (I edited out the uneventful middle section)

09. Highway To The Anger Zone (did some micro editing here)

10. Catwoman

11. Riddles, Riddles Everywhere

12. For All Your Pennyworth

13. An Im-purr-fect Murder (also did some micro editing here)

14. A Bat In The Rafters (Part 1)

15. A Bat In The Rafters (Part 2)

16. The Bat’s True Calling

17. All’s Well That Ends Farewell

18. Sonata In Darkness

 

My edit is just under 1 hour 9 minutes - far more palletable.

 

I've seen several reviews say the sonata contains all 4 main themes, but it doesn't contain the Riddler theme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The praise for this score from fanboy quarters has reached extreme levels. Fanboy sentiment seems to be that he has topped Mozart basically with this score. 

 

Gia finally has the pop culture notoriety that has eluded him for ever, well at least since Up. Silly man. He never realized that all he needed to do to get closer to the masses was stoop.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m not really sure why the following tracks were included. It’s almost 45 minutes of underscore, or pieces that are represented better by other tracks.

 

It’s Raining Vengeance
Gannika Girl
Moving In For The Gil (replace this with The Riddler track)
Collar ID
Penguin Of Guilt
World’s Worst Translator
Meow And You And Everyone We Know (yeah, the end is great, but it's such a slow build...the Catwoman track is so much better)
Are You A Kenzie Or A Can’t-zie?
The Great Pumpkin Pie
Hoarding School
A Flood Of Terrors

 

41 minutes ago, Jay said:

What timestamps of which tracks on this album is the "Bruce Wayne theme"?

 

Are you specifically refering to my edit of The Batman track, or requesting all of the timestamps of each appearance of the Wayne theme?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Strong disagree on “Are You A Kenzie Or A Can’t-zie?” The final minute is one of the best parts of the score, even if the rest is more underscore. That moment absolutely rocked in the theater. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Anthony said:

Are you specifically refering to my edit of The Batman track, or requesting all of the timestamps of each appearance of the Wayne theme?

 

Yea, just asking everyone which tracks on the OST album contain this theme and where in those tracks it is

 

I listened to the OST album once when it came out, and saw the film once in the theater, and neither time noticed a theme specifically for Bruce that was different than The Batman theme

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also prefer to have longer releases so I can then arrange my own personal edit with what I consider the highlights for me.

 

The tracklist you made sums up the best moments in the score, altough I agree that the last minute of Are You A Kenzie Or A Can’t-zie? is quite great. And I also like the slow and chilling buildup of Hoarding School, which works quite great if you put at the end of it the action section of The Riddler suite.

 

And I don't really like Sonata in Darkness as I think it's just a pointless repetition of Batman and Catwoman themes but in a quite simplistic piano version, so I rather end the album at All's Well That Ends Farewell

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't realize someone notable like Gloria Cheng played that Sonata track until I read the Burlingame article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Anthony said:

Which scene did it accompany? This didn't stand out for me.


I don’t remember the scene specifically as much as those sharp strings accompanying Selina Kyle hopping on her bike late in the film and thinking that it was a terrific combo of music and image. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Yea, just asking everyone which tracks on the OST album contain this theme and where in those tracks it is

 

I listened to the OST album once when it came out, and saw the film once in the theater, and neither time noticed a theme specifically for Bruce that was different than The Batman theme

 

So the "Batman's obsession theme" is just the repetitive 4 note thing. The Bruce Wayne theme is the main melodic part that starts off sounding like Brian Tyler. Funeral And Far Between is the first big appearance of it in the film.

 

The track "The Batman" separates them both. The first half is the Wayne theme (though the 4 note Batman thing does play under parts of it) and the second half is just the 4 note build to the crescendo.

 

By the end of the movie, they've completely merged together as he realises he can do just as much good as Bruce as well as being Batman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TheUlyssesian said:

The praise for this score from fanboy quarters has reached extreme levels. Fanboy sentiment seems to be that he has topped Mozart basically with this score. 

 

Gia finally has the pop culture notoriety that has eluded him for ever, well at least since Up. Silly man. He never realized that all he needed to do to get closer to the masses was stoop.

 

"I hate this.

I hate that.

This sucks.

That sucks."

 - The Oddysessian

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

The praise for this score from fanboy quarters has reached extreme levels. Fanboy sentiment seems to be that he has topped Mozart basically with this score. 

 

Gia finally has the pop culture notoriety that has eluded him for ever, well at least since Up. Silly man. He never realized that all he needed to do to get closer to the masses was stoop.

 

 

Is it a bit odd that batman was able to elevate Zimmer and Giacchino's careers in a way that never happened to Goldenthal and Elfman?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Mephariel said:

Is it a bit odd that batman was able to elevate Zimmer and Giacchino's careers in a way that never happened to Goldenthal and Elfman?

 

You’re joking right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What!? Batman absolutely elevated Elfman’s career, what are you talking about 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

What!? Batman absolutely elevated Elfman’s career, what are you talking about 

 

3 minutes ago, Romão said:

It's probably the best example of a single score instantly catapulting its composer to the A-List

 

A-List within the industry yes. I am more talking about popularity. For a score with an iconic theme, I don't recall having millions of fans talking about that score the way Zimmer and Giacchino's scores are discussed. Maybe just no internet back then? Or maybe I was just too young back then to notice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was before the Internet, it's impossible to know who much talking was going on about the score.

 

But that score is so iconic, the theme became the de facto Batman theme, to the point it was used in The Animated Series and trailers for Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

 

Plus, it was introduced in the movie in an awesome Main Title sequence (remember those), where it had all the spotlight and opportunity to shine, not to mention that it is a far, far, far superior piece of music to the Giacchino themes.

 

It was nominated for a Grammy, the score was one AFI's list of 250 greatest film scores. In fact, Elfman become so popular after that he is able, on his own, to sell out the Royal Albert Hall. No way Giacchino is in his league in terms of popularity or legacy.

 

In fact, I would say Elfman's Batman score is as beloved and acclaimed as movie scores get.

 

And it's not even my favorite Batman score

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Romão said:

No way Giacchino is his league in terms of popularity or legacy.

 

Gia has no "hit" scores that GA would recognize off hand and say it is him.

 

I think only 4 come close - Incredibles, Up, Star Trek and now The Batman.

 

I would even take off Stark Trek from the mix. So the only 3 Gia scores that a lay person could be expected to identify would be Incredibles, Up and Batman. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Arpy said:

You just stated four that general audiences have remarked upon as hits. 

 

"Hit" is my opinion, not representing GA. "Hit" is a vague undefined word anyways for a film score. My point is about which Gia scores the public might recognize unaided. You think there are others besides these 4?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Batman elevated Elfman's career more than any other score mentioned here elevated other composer's careers - and its not even close. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK so I started my second ever listen of the OST album today on my commute to work.  I listened to the Batman, Riddler, Catwoman tracks first, then went back and began at track 1

 

Man, I like the score a lot more now after having seen the movie, what a difference.  No idea if that feeling will stay throughout the whole OST album's runtime, but by where I had ended at (Moving in for the Gil) I was enjoying it

 

What phrase is "Don't Be Voyeur with Me" a pun-version of?

 

Same for "Gannika Girl".... I know the girl's name is Annika, but is this supposed to be a pun-version of "Gone Girl"? If so, that's a big stretch...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just realized Annika is pronounced On-ikka and not Ann-ika so I guess that one works

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Jay said:

 

What phrase is "Don't Be Voyeur with Me" a pun-version of?

 

 

Same for "Gannika Girl".... I know the girl's name is Annika, but is this supposed to be a pun-version of "Gone Girl"? If so, that's a big stretch...

 

I assumed the first was a play on "Don't Be Coy With Me".

 

I don't understand the "Gannika Girl" one either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Anthony said:

I assumed the first was a play on "Don't Be Coy With Me".

 

Ahhhh, yea, I guess that's it

 

Just now, Anthony said:

I don't understand the "Gannika Girl" one either.

 

I explained it above

 

4 hours ago, Jay said:

I just realized Annika is pronounced On-ikka and not Ann-ika so I guess that one works

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The brief segment between 2:25 - 2:30 from The Batman suite always makes me think things are about to get bridged to one of the softer motifs from Shore's LotR. That's a style Shore used a lot in his Rings works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Drawgoon said:

The brief segment between 2:25 - 2:30 from The Batman suite always makes me think things are about to get bridged to one of the softer motifs from Shore's LotR. That's a style Shore used a lot in his Rings works.

 

Yep - I've thought this too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 09/03/2022 at 2:26 AM, Arpy said:

 

 

Is it just me, or is there a weird hint of bitter resentment in almost all of your posts in this thread? As if Giacchino had taken a shit on your bed and was proudly traipsing the sheets around the place. 

You just noticed ?

And, not just THIS thread. And, not just Gia.

 

Here's something The Illyadean might enjoy.

Filled with many recognizable themes😝😅

Screenshot_2022-03-10-14-15-00.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Japanese CD release shipped last night should be here around Tuesday. We'll see what actually arrives... People who purchased the CD from Amazon got either CD or CD-R. It's a lottery again. 😆

 

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Eh some true cds from amazon? No cdrs? 

Seems to be all over the place with Watertower releases. I have no clue how it works. Happened before with Wonder Woman 1984, Dune and The Matrix Resurrections.

 

But the Japanese release is a different product code entirely and it came out today from Rambling Records. This is what I ordered.

 

Karol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.