Buy it... if you are a fan of Christopher Young's attempts to emulate the 1990's action styles of Jerry Goldsmith, even if those endeavors are marginally successful.

Avoid it... if you expect the score to avoid the same coherency problems that plague the film itself, for Young's music has no central personality.

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Entrapment: (Christopher Young) Despite the immense hype for Jon Amiel's early summer, 1999 flick Entrapment, a variety of deeply rooted flaws kept the picture from attaining success. Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones are thieves in a caper story that is as full of holes as any in memory, and the romantic chemistry between the two stars is betrayed by their age difference and Connery's lack of enthusiasm for the part. Pacing problems were the most damaging detractor, with too much of film dwelling on the planning and preparation for various heists before the final 20 minutes deliver the goods. For Zeta-Jones, the plot didn't do much more than allow her buttocks to occupy significant screen time while she wiggled through laser grids. The film finally did, however, give composer Christopher Young a genuine opportunity to climb out of the world of B-rate thrillers (at which he was often very successful) and receive the recognition his career deserved. To this end, Young failed, and it would take until Ghost Rider and his involvement in the Spider-Man franchise before his next really good shot would come. One reason why Young couldn't use Entrapment as a launching tool was because of the film's lack of strengths. But Young also provided a score that mirrors many of the flaws of that film, serving as only a functional piece of the tapestry without really making a distinct statement. Young had collaborated with Amiel to greater success with Copycat, and while there are hints of that score in the slower moments of Entrapment, Young's music is surprisingly devoid of character for the subject of dramatic espionage and techno-crime. His music is a crisp blend of a 100-member orchestra, a variety of snazzy synthetic rhythms and effects, and a few token ethnic specialty instruments for the Scottish and Malaysian locations in the film. Sometimes, these elements form a sleek and stylish sound for Entrapment, but more often than not, they don't mesh with any satisfaction. Neither the electronics nor the orchestra are particularly impressive, and the lack of strong thematic development doesn't improve the situation.

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The title theme for Entrapment is dull, conveyed immediately on brass and translated into a slightly jazzy variant for cues like "Alive Again," among others. It's stale in both its action and romantic applications and won't stick to your memory after the end of the score's run. The action material is heavy in brass and, like a few other Young scores of this mold, mimic the sound of Jerry Goldsmith from the era. Unfortunately, the similarities here include the rather flat lack of intensity that restrained Goldsmith's U.S. Marshals the previous year. Only rarely in Entrapment does the action material move with the same flair that Young exhibited in Hard Rain, a score that is easily superior. The highlight of Entrapment is, not surprisingly, the cue "Bright Moments," which wraps the sound of Hard Rain into a monumental string performance of theme. The electronics are more interesting (and surely more in tune with the highly technical content of the film), but at times, as in the middle portion of "Wondering Aloud," they become distracting. The rhythms attempt to exude a cool, vibrant attitude, though they often are mixed loudly and irregularly. The lack of chemistry between the two leads is reflected by the total absence of spark in Young's romantic version of the title theme. The frequently slight dissonance in the action sequences keeps them from becoming guilty pleasures. The token ethnic cues ("The Dancing Jars" and "Kuala Lumpur") are interesting, but not relevant to the rest of the score. The entire score suffers from a wandering personality. It very well addresses each individual moment in the film, but it never comes together as a cohesive work. Fans of Young specifically may find significant merit in parts of Entrapment, but it won't work as a reliable recruiting tool. In its favor, the album does extend the clear sound quality from Hard Rain. The director, after hearing Young's work for this film, stated (in the album's liner notes) that the score is evidence that the composer's name belongs with Steiner, Korngold, Herrmann, and Goldsmith. With some luck, that assertion may be true someday, but Entrapment is definitely not the evidence that anyone would need to validate that claim. **   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Christopher Young reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.3 (in 23 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 2.99 (in 7,951 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.