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Danny Elfman is
back to lend his musical talents to yet another summer blockbuster by
following up his interesting score to Wanted with Hellboy 2: The
Golden Army. While both films are based on
comic books, the latter is more engrained within the genre. To Elfman's
credit, the music from each project is distinctly different from one another
(working on scores in such close proximity often lends a trail of similarity).
The soundtrack was released on the Varese label and offers up 20 tracks from
the score, which is all one would need to get the full experience the music
of "Hellboy 2."
Oh Doctor,
where is the theme? Well, before I get blasted by the Elfman backers, I do
acknowledge that a main theme is present within the score, but it was hardly
noteworthy enough in the movie to linger with me and is perhaps even less
impacting in the soundtrack. That aside, there are moments during the score
that are extremely impressive and noteworthy. The problem is, such moments
were a tad bit sparse.
I've always
thought that Elfman is a bit overrated in his work. When he is on, locked in
and delivering original fare, than he is one of the best in the business.
However, in my opinion, Elfman doesn't produce a complete enough package
with his soundtracks that enable me to climb on board the bandwagon. In the
case of "Hellboy 2," there is about 15 to 20 minutes of music that will
cause any listener to stand up and take notice, which in the end, amounts to
a tease of sorts. Take, for example, two instances during the movie. The
first, and this is heard on cue 11, the entry into the underworld habitat.
Elfman cranks up an eerie, pounding motif that is exceptionally written and
performed, but this track lasts under two minutes. The second example occurs
during the battle against the forest creature where Elfman creates a
heartfelt piece of music (track 14) to conclude the scene. These moments are
so impressive that the rest of the score amounts to a big tease of sorts.
The majority
of music from "Hellboy 2" is gothic, action based work but I felt it a bit
too jarring to really enjoy when listening to it on the CD. This again is
another unfair context in which to grade the composer's work since the music
fit the bill as far as the movie is concerned but was a bit too rugged on
its own. When the music is toned down and addresses the more specific needs
of the characters and locales, that is when the score vaults upward into
Grade A territory.
The
concluding track offers one of the better pieces of music on the soundtrack,
offering up a melodic and heartfelt summary of the motifs heard earlier in
the score. It then segues, while still in the same track, into a folk-ish
medley, Hellboy style, that was a real treat (and surprise) to hear. This
added both to my enjoyment (that is was fresh and catchy material) and
frustration (that there wasn't more of this type of music present) with the
score.
"Hellboy 2"
will be sure to win over Elfman fans with its bold, gothic, orchestral tones
and will be sure to entertain listeners on the fringe with its more original
components. The latter audience, however, will need to decide on whether or
not partial greatness with the material will be worth the purchase. |
