I don't like how people are always slamming Christian because he is a film score critic. There has to be critics, otherwise people won't know what they will like or not. This happens to be Christian's job, and I don't see why he has to be either a composer or a music teacher to be able to review music. If anything, if he was a composer this would lower his credibility as people would label him "cocky" for thinking that his own scores are superior than those he is reviewing. It's really a no-win situation for Christian here, so you should really lay off him. I hate to battle his arguments for him, but he is probably far too busy to be doing such a trivial thing as arguing with people who disagree with him. That's where I come in.

What is your definition of the Bond theme? Is it the electric guitar twanging with the three note chromatic in the background? Or the full brass-jazz theme that is used mostly when Bond has done something exeptionally good on screen? Arnold uses the theme effectively in this score, but unfortunately his own material diminished and the Bond theme is used excessively as his scoring progresses through the franchise (just listen to "Die Anothe Day"). But as I said, he utilizes the theme well in "Tomorrow Never Dies", and when his own traditional orchestral style is mixed with the theme the result is breathtaking. I get shivers down my spine when I hear "Backseat Driver" and it leads into the familiar guitar theme we know and love. Serra absolutely butchered the theme, not once, as I said, is it heard in its full glory save the Raine arrangement. By "full glory" I mean the jazzy brass fanfare part of the theme, and at least Arnold uses it effectively, if only sparingly.

At any rate, I can see we won't be agreeing with each other any time soon, so we should probably leave it there.