Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Director: Chris Columbus
Soundtrack on the Fox Music (Amico) label, 0324-2
Clip 1: Track 1. Prelude
(opening) - magic in the air
Clip 2: Track 2. The Minotaur (midpoint)
- loud and scary
Clip 3: Track 8. Medusa (midpoint) -
creepy scary
Clip 4: Track 18. Homecoming (end) -
the big flick bombast fanfare
THE FILM
The only thing more intimidating than following Harry Potter
in child fantasy must surely be following John Williams's score for the first
movie adaptation. Percy Jackson and the Olypians: the lightning thief
is a film based, with some tinkering and tidying, on the book of the same name,
the first in a series following a demi-god straight out of Greek mythology spliced
with 21st century American teenage life. The plot and indeed the basic category
of character follows J K Rowling's mould too close for comfort, but happily
it is one that can bear immitation at least for a young audience perhaps not
satisfied with the more complex and adult nature of the later Potter books.
Also there's monsters and Uma Thurman with a bad hair day. Rick Riordan's dialogue
lacks Rowling's flair and humour, but the mythic powers, quest plotting and
iconic settings were made for film adaptation in the CGI era. Director Chris
Columbus is a safe but unimatinative choice, and the combination of these elements
with likeable, pretty, but bland and stereotypical teen heros (boy, girl, black;
heroic, intelligent, comedic.. check the boxes), will ensure that this film
is loved by early teens and bravely suffered by adults for the vaguely family
oriented message.
THE MUSIC AND SOUNDTRACK
Into this maelstrom steps composer Christophe Beck, a logical enough choice after scoring The Seeker and various teen flicks, and perhaps the latest in a line of composers to attack such films as an alternative to the old (and expensive?) favourites Williams, James Horner and the late Jerry Goldsmith. Also notable is his involvement in a previous Columbus movie, I love you Beth Cooper. Perhaps this opportunity was payback for suffrance? Was the swashbuckling section of the CD suite for that film an unofficial audition?
In any case Beck is not the newcomer to scoring fantasy that
he might at first seem, and this time round he channels further the influences
of Don Davis's seminal score for The Matrix for the wilder scenes. Oddly,
however, the film's opening prelude is somewhat muted, giving the themes little
chance to set into the memory. This is a serious mis-step which unbalances the
score's influence and there is some argument to be made that this lack of traction
contributes to the lack of engagement with some of the rushed plotting early
in the film (one might blame the director here but in fact the novel is similarly
disinclined to involve the reader with the characters before the adventures
begin). It is therefore not until the more major 'static' sequences such as
Medusa and the hydra that the music does more than fill the cracks in the narrative.
With the pacing more even and the music given space, Beck's themes gradually
permeate through the experience and exert their influence on the momentum of
the plot and the way one reacts to the perils of the characters.
Beck's melodic instincts aren't quite as distinctive as Williams's but the lower
profile his score has within the mix of the film's elements doesn't discredit
the way it helps keep the tone darkly mysterious, sympathetically underscores
the more toe-curling character scenes, and effectively bolsters and magnifies
the major fantasy-action sequences. His scoring is epic, but, in tune with what
we have come to expect and respect from this composer, the orchestration is
amazingly clean and can jump from intimate (e.g. the achingly beautiful flute
solo that opens the Prelude) to bombastic (whipping the orchestra into a frenzy
for The Minotaur) without loss of textural definition. On film this is lost,
and it is the general blare and big themes that stick in the mind, but it is
on disc that that Beck trumps Williams. His principal melody and smaller themes
prove supple and are treated with imagination beyond simple reorchestration.
Some agreement must have been made to avoid cuteness and overt humour, but within
the restrictions of what must have been 'scary fantasy', 'epic nobility' and
'mystery' there is more than adequate scope, and the unity of tone meshes the
score into a very satisfying hour on disc. This reviewer generally favours brevity
on disc where the material on film is necessarily repetitious, but in this case
there is no real need to pare down since cues are treated with a care beyond
the requirement of the film. However one might instinctively react to Percy
Jackson, the score is a distinctive calling card from a talented composer on
form.
CD TRACK LISTING
1. Prelude (2'29")
2. Minotaur (5'09")
3. Chiron (2'02")
4. Victory (1'32")
5. The Fury (2'16")
6. Dyslexia (1'02")
7. The Hydra (6'54")
8. Medusa (2'43")
9. Son of Poseidon (1'57")
10. The Parthenon (3'42")
11. Hollywood (2'32"
12. Lost souls (2' 35")
13. Fighting Luke, part one (3'54")
14. Fighting Luke, part two (2'47")
15. Hades (2'47")
16. Mount Olympus (1'27")
17. Poseidon (3'07")
18. Homecoming (3'06")
19. End credits (7'12")
CD CREDITS
Score recorded and mixed by Casey Stone
Orchestra conducted by Tim Davies
Orchestrated by Kevin Kleisch
Additional orchestrations by Tim Davies and Jake Monaco
'End credits' arranged by Tim Davies
Additional arrangements: Douglas Romayne, Joe Trapanese and Thomas Bergersen
Score recorded at The Newman Stage, Twentieth Century Fox Studios
Orchestra performers listed: violins (30), violas (12), cellos (10), double basses (8), flutes (3), clarinets (3), oboes (3), bassoons (3), horns (8), trumpets (4), trombones (5), tuba, percussion (6 performers), keyboard (Randy Kerber), harp. N.B. This listing does not automatically imply a single orchestral ensemble of this size, although triple woodwind etc. suggests it.
Choir members listed: sopranos (16), contraltos (16), tenors (12) [no basses] apparently