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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you are enough of a Danny Elfman fan to enjoy all of the chances that he takes with his music, even if the resulting score is stylistically unfocused. Avoid it... if you enjoyed the heroic elements off Spider-Man but were hoping for dramatism in The Hulk that reached back to Elfman's glory days. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Off the bat, listeners should beware that there exists no overpowering theme for scientist Bruce Banner and his angry alter ego. Nor, along those lines, is there a particularly gripping theme for his (ex)girlfriend Betty Ross and the passion that Banner feels towards her. Instead, Elfman establishes a handful of motifs that he twists into several variations to bring distinction to The Hulk. One of these is a lightly cascading, tingling woodwind motif that represents the science behind Banner's dilemma; this motif grows with intensity as he turns green, of course. The same formula can be applied to the vocals of female singer Natacha Atlas, whose performances have a Middle-Eastern edge (partly because of how her contribution was written by Elfman, and partly because of the natural inflection in her voice). Mirroring the vocals are a strangely mixed series of performances by (what sounds like) a duduk during the more reflective moments of emotional contemplation, including the beautiful "Truth Revealed" cue. When you think of the hulk, an Armenian flute is not exactly the first instrument to come to mind. But then again, we are talking about an Ang Lee film, and this is where your mind can twist up in a knot if you attempt to analyze this score with any great detail. Elfman's finished product is an American action score with a definitive Middle-Eastern edge. It does have moments of basic, pounding, orchestral blasts, without theme or a respite from its powerful percussion. But unless Banner is at his angriest, lifting up vehicles and tossing them around San Francisco, the score is ethnically off-center. Even some of those action scenes are recorded with percussive elements that make you think that the military is on an elephant hunt in Africa! The San Francisco Bay Area is indeed an ethnic melting pot, and most audiences probably wouldn't recognize Armenian music even if they were in Armenia. And yet, if you've heard enough scores (like Mychael Danna's recent Ararat, which is not something that the Hulk should bring back memories of), then the vocals and duduk may be an awkward surprise. Thus, in the end, without a strong theme and anchored by several Middle-Eastern passages, The Hulk just doesn't work. The large orchestral sequences often resort to cliche chord progressions, simple rhythms, and droning bass that washes out all of the mid-level instruments of the playing group. The only exhilarating action cue is the opening of "Hulk's Freedom," which presents the only notable fast-paced version of the monster's theme. If you wanted to make the score into the truly melancholy endeavor that would represent the pitiful emotional stress that Banner feels in an urban atmosphere, then perhaps the duduk could have been replaced by a saxophone. Or, if you wanted to make him into a genuinely gentle giant at heart, then maybe a highly emphasized trumpet or recorder performance (both are popular to the ears of pop culture these days) would have serviced the character. As is, the duduk is curious enough to throw the score off course, but is mixed too softly to make a significant, positive impact. The entire recording was mixed into a very dry, dull sound. Additionally, unless the female vocals are solely meant to represent the Betsy Ross character, then it's hard to figure why a classy male vocalist wasn't employed instead. If you can throw aside the popularity of female vocals for a moment, then it could have been a very effective change to hear a wordless male vocalist represent Banner's emotions. At any rate, the score simply fails to get the heart pounding. A very healthy hour of music is available on the album release, and much of the middle section of the score drags considerably with pleasant, if not misplaced underscore. The song at the end is grossly mismatched with the score (unless Elfman had chosen the more obvious electric guitar route, which he did not), and is written and performed by an eclectic collection of men from Guns N' Roses, Stone Temple Pilots, and Suicidal Tendencies --a group that has not yet officially chosen a final, working name. The song is a regrettable heavy metal finale to a largely flat and uninspiring score. Elfman offers some adequate action underscore, but throws the project off balance with his selection of styles and instruments. **
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