Although the score for X-2 is undoubtedly as unique and enjoyable as advertised, comparing it to the "X-1" score as being more thematic and coherent is obviously biased in some personal non-musical way! Where were the X-team theme (the one played at the Blackbird take off scene and several times over), or the Logan-Marie theme (played at the Ellis Island finale scene), or the Mutant theme (played at end credits, or the Bigot theme (played at the Concentration Camp scene) that were SO MUCH MORE noticeable than any theme for the X-2 score?

In epic, multi-character heroic stories themes play an important role in conveying sentiments that are hard to display ( due to time and space restrictions ) otherwise thru a jammed packed script. It also creates continuity and coherence! Reviews on themes are abundant for other score.

To state this score more endowed than the original Kamen score is indeed preposterous!!!

Don't forget my fave, Magneto's theme!

Really, I can't beleive Singer would lay off Kamen. Truly the best example of a director/friendship damaging the product. I agree that saying Kamen had no sufficient theme is absurd. Kamen had at least 4 times the thematic material that this score does. Let's count the dominant themes here...

- main theme
-lovey-dovey theme

wow...I'm blown away...not.

Kamen's score:

X-team theme
Magneto's theme
Mutant theme (heard in cerebro)
Logan and Rogue
The Bigot theme

That's 2 to 5. Oh, an Ottman loses points for some of the worst track names I've ever seen. Storm's perfect storm? Death strikes Deathstryke? WTF? That's worse than popsicle stick humor.

Let's not forget Mystique's cello theme (or is that what you guys are calling Magneto's theme?) I kept waiting to hear the cello in X2 whenever she was on screen, but to no avail. I wish Ottman had taken the thematic material from Kamen and used his own orchestrations and added new themes along with it. That, to me, would've been the best X-men score.

> Let's not forget Mystique's cello theme (or is that what you guys are
> calling Magneto's theme?) I kept waiting to hear the cello in X2 whenever
> she was on screen, but to no avail. I wish Ottman had taken the thematic
> material from Kamen and used his own orchestrations and added new themes
> along with it. That, to me, would've been the best X-men score.

As far as I can recall, Magneto's theme and Mystique's theme are the only two pieces of the first film's score that had any sense of uniqueness or distinction to them. The forcefulness of Ottman's score does much more to strengthen the tone of the film overall, blending a proper amount of tenderness with a very nice touch of triumph to create an original score (in this genre) that hasn't been seen since Elfman worked on Batman Returns.

As for Kamen and Singer being a great combo ... perhaps you've forgotten that Singer has worked with Ottman on several projects, including Apt Pupil and The Usual Suspects.

I can't believe so many people out there liked Kamen's score!! Most of his "themes" were motifs, and very briefly presented throughout tracks of annoying, meandering Kamenesque form that left much to be desired. While his Logan/Rogue theme sure was a treat, there was not much else to dig your teeth into - it was all so brief. Again, I state that most of his 'themes' were brief motifs.
Kamen is renowned for writing music that can sound great in the film, but on CD it just plain and simply doesn't live up to a life of its own.
Ottman on the other hand is a long time collarborator with Singer (and he EXCLUSIVELY edits Singers films as well), and not only did he create a heroic THEME for the X-Men, but backed it up with several more themes and variations, making use of quite a large orchestra with wonderful orchestrations and a choir, used to great effect in moderation to heighten his melodies, rather than form a cliche bombast of plagiarism. He did an incredible job in my opinion and I personally feel that his score far surpassed Kamens (but diversity is what makes the world interesting and we are all entitled to our own humble opinions). I was thrilled when I heard Ottman would be working on X2 and he managed, along with the film, to attain and exceed any expectations I had.
Bravo John.

And another thing! How the heck does one go about not only editing a 2 hour plus film, but also scoring it!!! Insane ...

ok, these are all of the themes i identified from the X2 score:

1. X-Men theme
2. Jean Grey's Theme
3. Nightcrawler's theme
4. Pyro's theme
5. Magneto theme
6. Mystique theme