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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... only if you can find John Debney's pleasantly overachieving score inexpensively in a used-CD bin. Avoid it... if predictable light drama from the composer, similar in its anonymous tones to many of his other like-minded scores, doesn't justify a scant 24 minutes on album. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
There is a surprising amount of thematic development and continuity in this score, despite its short length. Debney conjures no less than four distinct themes for the film, each with significant airtime within the confines of the work. The title theme for the bird opens the album's medley and highlights "Paulie's Big Flight," representing the bird itself with a bloated and heroic fanfare for strings with brass counterpoint and a patriotic rhythm of rolling percussion. While enjoyable, the theme seems misplaced for the starring bird, not to mention that it should qualify for some reuse fees towards Marc Shaiman's The American President title theme. A theme for the little girl is delicately performed by piano, violin, and harp, and flourishes in the finale reunion cue. From the library of Danny Elfman zaniness comes a scherzo for harmonica and wild percussion that represents the bumbling criminal activity in the film (a lengthy performance of this theme inhabits "The Bungled Burglar"). Debney throws in a sentimental full-ensemble theme at the end of his medley that also closes the film; it's the kind of emotionally appealing theme that Debney seems to pull out of the hat at will. The filler cues in between the primary statements are well connected by each of these ideas (with a slight, seemingly-synthetic choir added for additional punch in the final two cues), though only two dozen minutes of such material exists on the commercial album. There are oddities on that album, of course, including the Hispanic flavor injected into the film when Cheech Marin's character becomes involved. The two Latin songs are betrayed by the comical intent of their own vocals (by Marin, Jay Mohr, Tia Texada, and Josh Cruze), with "Estoy Loco" serving no real purpose other than annoy unsuspecting bystanders. An excerpt from Randy Newman's Marie is badly performed by actress Trini Alvarado at the outset of the final score cue. On the whole, Debney's material for Paulie is pleasantly overachieving, but there simply isn't enough of it on album to justify a full price expenditure. It's a score that would have been better served by the usual promotional album treatment by Debney himself, but don't let that stop you if you can pick it up inexpensively in a used bin. ***
* Music/Lyrics by Los Lobos with Antonio Banderas. ** Music/Lyrics by Josh Cruze. *** Contains "Marie" by Randy Newman.
The insert includes no extra information about the score or film. Track times as listed on the CD are incorrect; they're typically longer than listed on the packaging. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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