Buy it... if you seek a transcendent slapstick comedy score that remains fondly remembered because of Alan Silvestri's unnecessary but thankfully complex orchestral march for its titular character.

Avoid it... if you have little patience for spirited comedy music that tears through several genres and rarely stays rooted in any one sound long enough to appreciate each individual facet.

Silvestri

Mouse Hunt: (Alan Silvestri) The fledgling Dreamworks studio decided to tackle the family genre for the first time 1997, striking financial gold with its initial slapstick offering, Mouse Hunt. The project also represented the major feature debut for director Gore Verbinski, who would gain fame for his later helming of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Two awkward and clumsy brothers played by Nathan Lane and Lee Evans in Mouse Hunt inherit a failing string factory and a dilapidated old mansion that, due to their own hardships, they have to reside in together. As it's revealed to them that the house is the last remaining creation of a famed architect, they decide to restore it for auction, but standing in their way is a pesky mouse that thwarts their efforts at every turn. The battles between humans and rodent in the film are rich was standard slapstick laughs, and, as expected, the mouse ultimately has a fairly good chance to win the war. All is well in the end, however, and Mouse Hunt defied mixed to negative reviews by becoming a holiday favorite with audiences hungry for a reprise of some Home Alone-styled laughs. The film represented the start of a collaboration between Verbinski and composer Alan Silvestri that famously ended with the controversial dismissal of the latter man during the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Silvestri's comedy prowess in the 1980's and 1990's was well respected in the industry, and his efforts for Verbinski's Mouse Hunt and The Mexican are both above average. Held in especially high esteem is the first score, a wild orchestral romp that raises all the energetic ruckus that one would expect to hear in this context without falling into the traps of parody techniques. While one would not have blamed Silvestri for raising memories of Carl Stalling and the innumerous cartoon scores that have addressed similar action, he manages to transcend that sound by tackling Mouse Hunt with more intelligence and unique personality than the film likely required. As with other comedy entries in Silvestri's career, this entry blasts wildly through a number of genres on its periphery, especially referencing vintage jazz to define its easy-going swagger. But the straight symphonic portions of the score excel because they emulate the kind of unnecessarily complex action that resided more firmly in John Williams' domain at the time, with a few snippets of exposition reminiscent of Silvestri's own prior works in the fantasy genre.

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There is a certain amount of formulaic procedure adhered to by Silvestri for Mouse Hunt, led by the pretty and redemptive melodic conclusion for the film's happy ending. But the mouse and the antics it causes are treated to one of the composer's most spirited and Williams-like career themes. Heard in full in the "Main Title" and "End Credits," this propulsive little march progressively grows into a menacingly rambunctious identity of stout classical stature. Heard in several cues within the score's action sequences (culminating in "Flaming Doo"), the idea's progressions defy what you'd expect for a mouse by intentionally bloating the demeanor of the theme up to gargantuan proportions. The technical mastery layered into this theme is often its greatest asset, humorous runs by supporting instruments entertaining with their depth and precision. The secondary themes in Mouse Hunt are also proficient despite being less flashy. An old-school, jazzy identity introduced in "Chez Ernie" and expanded with a prominent whistler in "What Are You Doing?" flirts with its French connections in several places in the score and offers breezy atmosphere. More convincing is Silvestri's heartwarming dramatic theme for all things wholesome in the picture, the Marc Shaiman equivalent, if you will. Heard first on solo violin in "Dying Wish" and translated into a stately waltz for the architect's legacy in "Charles Lyle Larue," this idea eventually finds its way to the heart in "String Cheese" (and the interlude passage in the "End Credits"), where it closes out the feel-good narrative by accenting itself with the opening phrase of the mouse's theme in charming percussive counterpoint. Keeping the score interesting in between the major renditions of the themes, Silvestri strays humorously into a few one-time sidetracks of interest. The "Funeral Prologue" cue foreshadows the drama theme with an appropriately morbid organ performance. Enthusiasts of Silvestri's ballsy action mode from Predator and Judge Dredd will appreciate a few of the crescendos of standard bravado from the composer, the middle portion of "Nail Gun" reminiscent of the wondrous space theme from the prior score and "Ernie Finds the Contract" using stomping snare-led rhythms highly familiar to the latter. Sappy romance for accordion (an offshoot of the jazz theme) in "Silent Movie" is a pleasant diversion. At the end of the day, though, the main theme of Mouse Hunt will best represent its lasting recognition as a fine comedy score. You so often encounter pointless, generic music in these circumstances that it's great to hear Silvestri tackle this occasion with genuinely creative spirit. ****   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Alan Silvestri reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.34 (in 32 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.27 (in 30,725 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.