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Composed, Conducted, Produced by:
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Harry Gregson-Williams
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Additional Music by:
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Heitor Pereira
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Release Date:
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September 30th, 2003
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you'd be interested in an average electronic and
orchestral chase score floated by ethnic percussion.
Avoid it... if rhythmic chase music and ethnic drums without theme or
organized substance aren't enough for you.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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| | Gregson-Williams | |
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The Rundown: (Harry Gregson-Williams) One of the more
successful students of Hans Zimmer to spin off into a strong career of his
own, Harry Gregson-Williams gained new followers with his rousing 2003 score
for the otherwise disastrous Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. His
next project after the swashbuckling affair would be The Rundown,
which would suffer from an almost equal critical bashing with film
reviewers. Fans, however, many of whom asking the age-old question, "why do
they call Dwayne Johnson 'The Rock'?", provided the film with reasonable box
office success. Basically, it's a man-versus jungle kind of topic, with none
of the men being particularly likable in their affiliations (to a greedy
kingpin or an evil Gold-mining manager) except, perhaps, for the peculiar
bond they must form to survive and retrieve a priceless treasure and get out
of the Brazilian jungle alive. The plot is not one of horror, but rather one
of regular adventure and the usual dumb comedy (seeing Johnson attacked by a
monkey is a welcomed turn of events). The score would involve a lot of
chasing (as well as a few personal fight sequences), thus producing an
opportunity for Gregson-Williams to create a rhythmically driving score like
Enemy of the State. The attention to ambient sound design would be
similar to that previous score, although Gregson-Williams would take steps
to stay true to the authenticity of the region. He constructed a score that
would make use of performers from Brazil, including "The School of Samba
Unidos de Vila Isabel" in Rio de Janeiro and "Bloco lle Alye" in Bahia.
Their performances (recorded on location) would extend the sound of The
Rundown beyond the usual bland combination of real and synthetic
orchestral elements that Media Ventures artists typically churn out for
films of this kind. Even so, this score's basic architecture makes it a sort
of Enemy of the State with Brazilian instrumentation, leaving
traditional, symphonic score fans without much to become excited about. A
schizophrenic handling of motif ideas would also plague the score as it
attempts to develop.
Without the instrumentation native to the region, the music
for The Rundown would probably be a simple rehash of the same old
equation. Some might argue that it still is, but that depends on your
interest level in exotic instruments set over familiar rhythms. This is no
Under Fire, and people who are quick to point that out will also note
that The Rundown is without a primary theme. Its atmosphere and sound
design is consistent from beginning to end, and the score does develop more
of a heart as it progresses, but it relies heavily on its instrumentation to
retain your interest. And that instrumentation is generally good. Ethnic
flutes and percussion are effective in many of their applications. One
notable exception is the "Kontiki" cue, which features catchy drums,
whistle-blowing, and tinkling/banging percussion that builds a head of steam
and erupts like the percussion section of a college marching band gone nuts
(which isn't an unfamiliar experience for many smaller-college attendees who
visit their football games). The frustrating aspect of The Rundown is
a reoccurring complaint with Media Ventures scores. The score never develops
a strong theme, but instead presents three or four fantastic, short motifs
that are never heard a second time. The "No Breaks" cue, for instance,
introduces a low, intoxicating male vocal that never returns. The 12th cue
on album, "The Deal," introduces a truly exotic woodwind instrument-effect
(could be real or synthesized) but then abandons it. The "Marianna Escapes"
cue presents a short glimpse of romantic sensibilities in a brief romantic
motif performed by acoustic guitar. But like such otherwise uninspiring
scores as Chill Factor, the briefly established motif dies before it
begins. Instead, as the score for The Rundown progresses, it loses
some of its authentic percussion and becomes more of a synthesized effort.
The 16th cue, "The Gato," finally exhibits the regular Media Ventures
electronic strings over real orchestral elements, and by the "Guns" cue near
the end, we're in familiar electric guitar-blazing territory.
Gregson-Williams does offer a little bit of an inside joke (perhaps --maybe
it was a mental accident) in the "Little Swim" cue; at (1:10) into that cue,
he makes a quiet, though distinct statement of one of his Sinbad
themes. Overall, the album is an easy listen, and despite an unceremonious
end and the lack of themes, the score is likely sufficient in its purpose.
But several good ideas are introduced over the course of the score, and
their lack of development can make the music for The Rundown a
frustrating experience. **
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Coming Down (1:13)
• 2. Booze on the Grind (0:52)
• 3. The Jungle (1:18)
• 4. The Compound (1:44)
• 5. Jeep Rental (0:51)
• 6. Kontiki (2:04)
• 7. No Breaks (0:40)
• 8. Bar Fight (1:37)
• 9. Journey Ends (0:39)
• 10. Monkeys & Rebels (3:24)
• 11. Massacre (1:40)
• 12. The Deal (1:16)
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• 13. Mutizone Attack (1:08)
• 14. Long Walk (1:03)
• 15. Little Swim (1:36)
• 16. The Gato (3:18)
• 17. Kolabos/Marianna Escapes (3:32)
• 18. Lock Down the Town (1:49)
• 19. Get it On (2:39)
• 20. The Bus (1:53)
• 21. Guns (2:32)
• 22. Whip Fight (1:36)
• 23. Hatcher's End (3:59)
• 24. It's On (1:58)
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Insert includes a list of musicians, but no extra information about the score or film.
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