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Tron: Legacy
has been creeping into our pop culture databanks without a shred of subtlety
throughout 2010. Behind it, the Disney marketing machine has ensured that
the word was out about this glossy sequel and that also bears an impact on
the soundtrack, composed by the electronica duo, Daft Punk, a
much-publicized assignment that cast ripples throughout the soundtrack world
since the tandem was first attached to the gig. Overall, it seemed as the
soundtrack populace was taking a "wait and see" attitude for what Daft would
come up with, since after all, Tron is not the type of film that steps upon
hallowed grounds in a way that purist score lovers would be agitated. So,
with an open mind and digital access ahead of us, the exploration is now at
hand.
First up, there are a few separate soundtrack
releases for Legacy,
as I am sure most of you are aware of by now. It's not the shrewdest of
moves to usher out such a high-profile soundtrack in this manner, but that
is that plan Disney signed off on in an effort to max out on sales (which
will probably backfire). I'll be covering the standard release and won't be
probing into bonus cues found through other sources (iTunes, Amazon, etc.).
Second, the music itself is on point with what is needed for a Tron
movie, especially given all the state-of-the-art bells and whistles this
feature offers up. The technology incorporated for the music is state of the
art and not once will you feel like a cheap sample or inappropriate effect
was used. And third - this soundtrack may just be the ticket for crossover
fans to jump into the film music genre. Unlike scores for There Will
be Blood and The Social Network,
the ease of access into Tron is like
comparing dial-up to cable modem access. This slick, stylish score is just
the ticket for film music to see a modest growth in listeners. Whether it
lasts or not is yet to be seen, but the inclusion of a Daft Punk into the
scoring scene can only be positive.
Not to be
excluded, veteran soundtrack fans will also gain a sense of enjoyment out of
Legacy. The coupling of electronic
tools and full orchestra come across in a very smooth, capable manner,
capturing both the spirit of the movie and the need to have a recognizable
theme present within it. In short, this is really a realization of the Hans
Zimmer sound taken to a whole new level. Consider it Hans 2.0, if you will.
While many of Zimmer's pupils fail to match the blend of techniques that the
legendary composer had captured during the early-prime of his career, Daft
Punk takes the torch and sprints off with it. That said, their score needed
a suitable destination for it to succeed and Tron Legacy
was the catalyst. Whether or not the duo can
adopt their styling's to a movie of some other genre with success is a
question that will have to be answered at another time.
For now,
however, we can all be satisfied that the music for Tron: Legacy
is there to be enjoyed. It has an appealing
palette of artificial sounds that emulate life within the digital world but
also has enough lateral orchestral scope to tap in to the characters who
inhabit it. While it might not steal your breath away, it does offer up an
enticing digital adventure that you'll want to upload yourself into. Give it
a B+ for now and let's see where we're at when a more definitive Tron:
Legacy soundtrack is released. |
