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James Newton Howard's JUNGLE CRUISE (2021)


Jay

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It’s been quite some time since a new JNH score got me excited. 
 

Hopefully this one might do the trick.

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Yes, I hope that either the majority of the score is more long-formed than this, as it sounds like JNH has approached it perfectly, and probably given the film a score that it doesn't really deserve.

 

Having said that, I don't think the film looks terrible in any way from these clips. I suppose it's fashionable to dump on a CGI-filled adventure with The Rock, but trailers can be an awful representation of the film.

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12 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

Yes, I hope that either the majority of the score is more long-formed than this,

 

 

Or...?

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I was evolving my thoughts as I wrote that. I guess the 'or' is that he combines stuff together, or loses shorter cues. I'm highly unlikely to notice unreleased music (I don't watch newer films these days) so I'll probably be happy with any approach which plays well.

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Just came back from the film.

 

It's Jaume Collet-Serra abandoning his usual Besson-inspired style, and trying to do Stephen Sommers-like aesthetics in a combination of THE MUMMY and THE AFRICAN QUEEN. Unlike Sommers, however, he isn't quite adept at treating the pulpy action with a degree of seriousness. This is far more comedic and "light", i.e. wholesome Disney family entertainment. So hokey galore! But entertaining throughout; you always remain curious about the next setpiece. Jesse Plemons does a hilarious riff on Christoph Waltz. CGI is overkill, but production design is excellent. No doubt inspired by the original Disney attraction.

 

James Newton Howard's score was -- like every piece of genre fare he's done in the last 15+ years -- highly uneven. Some great parts, some totally bland. The bland parts include the action music. I mean it's big and bold (plenty of fanfares and cymbal crashes), but no real thematic strength, IMO. The heroic/swashbuckling stuff all seems like notes on a string without any heart (do NOT expect another "Escaping the Smokers" here!). And a little bit of RC elements thrown in. But there were some good parts. JNH always does awe and wonder well, and this is particularly evident towards the end. Best part is undoubtedly the exotic, Latin guitar theme that opens the film - and whose chords are later revealed to be an arrangement of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" ("reimagined", as the end credits says, by JNH and the band members). Gets a full metal workout in a flashback scene. That was fun.

 

In short, I'm expecting - like RAYA - to make my own playlist of the highlights that weed out some of the rather generic stuff.

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The OST album will be released by Disney Records digitally on Friday, of course

 

If you mean a physical edition, most new scores of the 2020s won't get physical editions.  If Disney Records was giving this a physical CD, it would have been up for pre-order by now; The only hope of one therefore lies in Intrada wanting to and being allowed to do it.  For vinyl, there's always a chance Disney Records themselves or Mondo could release it down the road, but that might depend on how successful the movie is.

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I sure hope the suite is original and not just pieced together from other tracks.

 

Are there really two tracks called Nothing Else Matters?

 

I do like what I hear in the samples. Btw, if you go through to the Scoreworld link, you can download the "I Want You To Rest Now" track.

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OST cover:

 

laK30Q4.jpeg

 

Quote

Walt Disney Records will release the official soundtrack album for the action adventure Jungle Cruise. The album features the film’s original music composed by Academy Award nominee James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games, The Sixth Sense, King Kong, Maleficent, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Signs, Raya and the Last Dragon). The soundtrack will be released digitally this Friday, July 30. Check back on this page for the streaming/download link. Jungle Cruise is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti. The movie is inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride and follows a charismatic riverboat captain and a determined explorer on a research mission through Amazon jungle . The movie will be released in theaters nationwide on July 30 by Walt Disney Pictures and will also be available to stream on Disney+ with Premier Access on the same day.

 

https://filmmusicreporter.com/2021/07/27/jungle-cruise-soundtrack-album-details/

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37 minutes ago, Anthony said:

Are there really two tracks called Nothing Else Matters?

 

Yes, there are several versions of the Metallica song in the film.

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"James Newton Howard, the man, the myth, the absolute legend"

 

Lars Ulrich knows what's up

 

Reminds me when Slash was on the WTF podcast and mentioned that he'd just gone to see Williams at the Hollywood Bowl

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This reviewer is extremely mainstream and not very refined or anything and never really mentions film scores in her reviews but she went out of the way to trash the score! About 7:04

 

 

6 hours ago, Mr. Who said:

Second JNH OST in a row which only has the movie logo and no music by or OST text

 

What does this mean. JNH's name is actually not on the album cover? :conf:

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7 hours ago, Anthony said:

I sure hope the suite is original and not just pieced together from other tracks.

Yes, this suite got the original content :wizard:

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I saw the movie today.

It was a lot of fun. Great mix between Indiana Jones and the African Queen, but with it's own identity and story + some twists. Nothing is derivative of another movie.

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are both amazing. Their chemistry is top-notch and they're both very funny. Supporting cast is also very good: Jack Whitehall, Edgar Ramirez and Jesse Plemmons are all terrific.

 

The production deisgn, costumes are superb. Some of the VFX was a bit less, but the important VFX was always believable. Ramirez' character + his henchman are very well realised and very cool.

 

And last the score. As my name up top implies big James Newton Howard fan. I thought his score was amazing. When he writes big orchestral, thematic scores, that's when I love him the most. There are quite a few themes in the score and great action and emotional material. I can't wait to listen to it on album. But from hearing it in the movie it will be one of my favorites of the year.

21 hours ago, Anthony said:

I sure hope the suite is original and not just pieced together from other tracks.

The suite from the album is I believe the full end credits. Is very well constructed and doesn't sound like a pieced together suite. It goes through the themes of the film I believe

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30 minutes ago, JNHFan2000 said:

The suite from the album is I believe the full end credits. Is very well constructed and doesn't sound like a pieced together suite. It goes through the themes of the film I believe

 

:w00t:

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14 minutes ago, Jay said:

Less than 20 hours to go until it's Friday in New Zealand!

 

Taken out of context, that's a funny sentence to read. ;)

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27 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

Interesting difference of opinion between JNHFan2000 and Thor on the score.... :huh:

 

I hope I disagree with Thor (obviously). Great news about the suite!

Always good to have different opinions. Thor likes scores I don't. I think it's always interesting to hear other people's thoughts

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1 minute ago, JNHFan2000 said:

Always good to have different opinions. Thor likes scores I don't. I think it's always interesting to hear other people's thoughts

 

To be fair, I think there's plenty to like in this score. I just need to playlist the hell out of it, like I did RAYA. I'm just not enamoured with the socalled action/swashbuckling/hero music in this. I'll probably suffice with a cue or two of that material in my playlist.

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Pretty impressive description (from 2:55)

 

Quote

You totally know that whoever the composer was sat down and just watched John Williams' Indiana Jones various scores because the music in this movie is so reminiscent of Indiana Jones music.

 

Not to get myself hyped in a rosy-tinted style but I can't wait for Friday :) 

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I don't get all this Indiana Jones stuff myself. I mean, some cues are roughly within the same idiom, but it has netiher the melodic nor structural finesse to even be in the same ballpark. IMO.

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1 hour ago, Edmilson said:

Yeah, but for non-film music fans every "old school" adventure score sound like Indy. And of course every "adventures on outer space" may sound like Star Wars.

 

Indeed.

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Somehow, i really love the positive reaction and acknowledgement of this score, despite the “traditional” sounding of it, which mainstream medias usually despise. As The Rock has mentioned, the composer’s job is oftenly overlooked

( except you have Zimmer or Guðnadóttir or Göransson as surname)

 

——

Anyway, slightly off topic.

I’m also fond of how JNH reacts to this praise, or in projects in general.

 

Based on his interviews, i can assume he is the type of person/composer, who is affirmative, confident, and really like to edify himself. He is not hesitant to complement his own work/process.

 

And he might be the type of composer who sit eagerly in front of the newspaper, on the day of his music’s premiere, waiting to find out the reviews. And he will go “Ahh that’s lovely to hear…”, “ Ah that’s quite unfortunate…”,…..

 

( as opposed to John Powell ( again, based on his interviews) who publicly diminish his work, and takes everything with “cool and macho”, and when everybody doesn’t see, he will look at the reviews alone, and gravel upon…. (But it’s just a mere assumption 😁))

 

———

 

Anyway, 14 hours can’t come soon enough to this score’s release!

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9 hours ago, WampaRat said:

This review was quite enthusiastic about the score. Calls out the Indiana Jones feel.

( Kinda luke warm on the film itself however)

 

 

 

Sounds like a total dumb fuck. His comments about the music sound extremely unrefined and ill thought. 

 

He has been a professional film media person for 2 decades right. And he does not know JNH.

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Yes, indeed, like the above poster said, it’s really really great to hear this kind of energetic, lively, score in this time (especially in this pandemic condition)

 

Maybe a lot of composer have tried to conjure an “adventure” score this past years, as an “ode to classical era”, but almost all of them just a bunch of notes thrown that goes nowhere. Jungle Cruise is an exception, JNH still manage to give memorable themes,

“finesse” and overall a way more cohesive structure that those others composers have failed to give.

 

Granted: Jungle Cruise is indeed LESS cohesive than JNH’s previous classic adventure outings (and even at some little points, as I mentioned before , felt like “just a bunch of notes”). And also , what i’d like to describe as plaguing issue with JNH scores this past 5 years, the main themes ,in my opinion, are underused, or not so much properly structured ( in comparison with, example, John Powell’s score)

 

Nevertheless,this is still a 5 star quality score and we have to be blessed that JNH still has the “mojo” and gave us this magnificent  score. 
 

Right now, i can’t wait to watch the movie, to experience the score with the picture (as judging by the clips, the music is greatly mixed and used!) 

and then, dissecting all the themes!

 

 

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