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   NEWEST MAJOR REVIEWS:
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Home Page
Hans Zimmer
(1957-)
$composer Photo
Filmtracks Statistics:
Average Filmtracks Rating: 2.86
Average Viewer Rating: 2.97
Number of Reviews: 118
Number of Votes: 294,490
Number of Comments: 6,570
Reviews in Filmtracks'
Top 100 Traffic Ranks:
#1. Gladiator
#6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
#13. The Lion King
#32. The Prince of Egypt
#39. The Rock
#42. Pearl Harbor
#44. Crimson Tide
#52. Mission: Impossible 2
#53. Black Hawk Down
#60. Hannibal
#64. The Last Samurai
#71. The Thin Red Line
#80. Batman Begins
#97. The Peacemaker
Reviews in Filmtracks'
Top 100 Voting Ranks:
#33.  Crimson Tide
#74.  The Prince of Egypt
#86.  The Lion King
#87.  Beyond Rangoon
Filmtracks Editor's Recommendations:
Backdraft
A League of Their Own
The Lion King
Beyond Rangoon
Crimson Tide
The Prince of Egypt
Hannibal
Lauras Stern
Wonder Woman 1984
Related Page of Interest:
Hans Zimmer: The Wings of a Film
(2001, concert performance compilation)
Additional Quotes:
"My job is to look for something that doesn't exist yet in the film. I work a lot with friends --like Penny Marshall or Tony Scott-- so when Tony starts a movie, I know about it years before it starts shooting, and I hear the story every time I see him. So when I see the movie I find out what's left of the story he told me about, and what actually happened while he was shooting. And then I try to get back to the original reason why we were doing that movie. With music, you can express things far better, so what you try and do is express the things they haven't done eloquently. 'Yo, motherfucker!' is not a terribly eloquent line; I could write something much better."

"I don't drive, so one of my assistants drives me to my writing room, and I have a calendar on the wall telling me how much time I have left, and how far behind I am. I look at it and panic, and decide which scene to work on. And you sit there plonking notes until something makes sense, and you don't think about it any more. Good tunes come when you're not thinking about it."

"I have all these computers and keyboards and synthesizers, and I rattle away. For instance, with The Lion King I wrote over four hours' worth of tunes, and they were really pretty --but totally meaningless. So in the end I came up with material I liked. We worked on The Lion King for four years, but I wasn't toying until the last three-and-a-half weeks properly. On Crimson Tide, on the other hand, I just went in and within seconds I knew what I wanted."

Decorative Nonsense
Primary Composer Picture
Hans Zimmer poses at his studio in 1995

"I wake up around noon, light a cigarette, get a cup of coffee, sit in the bathtub for an hour and daydream, and I usually come up with some ideas... It's a very irresponsible life. The only decisions I make are about the notes I'm writing."

Born September 12th, 1957 in Frankfurt, Germany, Hans Zimmer was a pioneer in the use of digital synthesizers, advanced computer technology, electronic keyboards and their successful integration with the traditional orchestra in music for film and television. Moving to London in the 1970's, Zimmer began composing jingles for "Air Edel Associates" and teamed up with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes as "The Buggles" to produce the worldwide hit, Video Killed the Radio Star and subsequent album The Age of Plastic. By 1980, Zimmer was pioneering the use of computers live on stage while working with the group Ultravox. Then he enjoyed a period of stardom in Italy with the avant garde band "Krisma" before returning to London to develop his next project with Warren Cann of Ultravox, culminating in a series of unique concerts at the London Planetarium.

Reviews Icon
FILMOGRAPHY & REVIEWS AT FILMTRACKS
(see legend below for abbreviations and codes)
 TitleFR VRVTCT RD TRDates Notes
2024:
N
Blitz (co-wrote)***2.291430|||2,18411/24
Eden
Kung Fu Panda 4 (co-wrote)***2.851900|||2,00303/24
Dune: Part Two (co-wrote) (AW)*2.543156||||1,92703/24
2023:
The Creator (co-wrote)****3.382381|||1,90009/23
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (co-wrote)**
2022:
The Son (co-wrote)**
Top Gun: Maverick (co-wrote) (AW)***3.022220||||1,98701/23multiple albums
The Survivor***2.831550|||2,05204/22
2021:
Army of Thieves (co-wrote)***3.713281|||2,03512/21
Dune (co-wrote) (AW)*2.5692313|||||1,28911/21 - 11/22
No Time to Die (AW)***3.375043||||1,73810/21
The Boss Baby: Family Business (co-wrote)***2.821450|||2,09507/21
2020:
Wonder Woman 1984****3.945387||||1,70603/21all albums
Hillbilly Elegy (co-wrote)****3.021310|||2,18909/22
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (co-wrote)**2.051870|||2,06506/21
Rebuilding Paradise (co-wrote)**2.381070||2,23809/22
2019:
The Lion King (co-wrote) (AW)***2.822872||||1,95707/20
Dark Phoenix (co-wrote)**2.074471|||1,71711/19multiple albums
2018:
Widows (co-wrote)*1.711571||2,17809/21
2017:
Blade Runner 2049 (co-wrote) (AW)**2.815523|||1,42912/17
Dunkirk (co-wrote) (AW)*1.7957813|||1,25012/17
The Boss Baby (co-wrote)***2.691660||1,64206/17
2016:
Hidden Figures (co-wrote) (AW)****3.341520||1,66403/17
Inferno (co-wrote)**2.654366|||1,60212/16
The Last Face**
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (co-wrote)*2.171,26152||||77704/16multiple albums
Kung Fu Panda 3 (co-wrote)****3.212521||1,48503/16
2015:
Freeheld (co-wrote)**2.57930||2,24709/22
The Little Prince (co-wrote)***3.221070|||2,23109/22
Woman in Gold (co-wrote)
Chappie (co-wrote)**1.8556012|||1,13803/15
2014:
Interstellar (AW)**3.291,88331||||50601/15 - 04/21all albums
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (co-wrote)*2.441,61358|||51105/14all albums
Winter's Tale (co-wrote)***2.702391|||1,50703/14
Son of God
2013:
12 Years a Slave**
Captain Phillips (co-wrote) (AW)*1.624956||1,16612/13
Rush (co-wrote)***3.375513||1,40812/13
The Lone Ranger (co-wrote)***3.0077916|||79907/13
Man of Steel (co-wrote)*2.393,61392||||34006/13all albums
The Bible (TV) (co-wrote)**1.855186||1,27407/13
2012:
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (co-wrote)**2.391110|||2,18003/22
The Dark Knight Rises (co-wrote) (AW)**2.672,135127||||30507/12multiple albums
2011:
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (co-wrote)*2.6695431|||78212/11
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (co-wrote)*1.982,60049||||58505/11
Kung Fu Panda 2 (co-wrote)****3.359078||83005/11
Rango (co-wrote)**2.321,0813||1,05603/11
The Dilemma (co-wrote)**
2010:
How Do You Know (co-wrote)**
Megamind (co-wrote)****2.821,5665|||1,08310/10
Inception (co-wrote) (AW)**3.044,281155||||23207/10
The Pacific (TV) (co-wrote)***2.842290||1,70007/11
Henri 4 (co-wrote)**2.142161||1,77807/11
2009:
Sherlock Holmes (co-wrote) (AW)***3.201,4309|||69401/10
It's Complicated (co-wrote)***
Angels & Demons (co-wrote)****3.321,65030|||46905/09
2008:
Frost/Nixon (co-wrote) (AW)****3.313996||1,20112/08
The Burning Plain (co-wrote)*
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (co-wrote)**2.902380|||2,17002/22
The Dark Knight (co-wrote) (AW)**2.775,381133||||17407/08 - 04/10multiple albums
Kung Fu Panda (co-wrote)***3.211,1392||61906/08
Casi Divas (co-wrote)***
2007:
The Simpsons Movie (co-wrote)***2.924342||1,13511/07
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (co-wrote)**3.066,023230||||18505/07 - 07/11multiple albums
2006:
The Holiday (co-wrote)***3.045731|90002/07
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (co-wrote) (AW)*2.695,381237||||17207/06 - 07/11multiple albums
The Da Vinci Code (AW)***3.125,501217||||24605/06
2005:
The Weather Man (co-wrote)**
The Little Polar Bear 2: The Mysterious Island (co-wrote)****
Batman Begins (co-wrote)**2.976,413384||||8006/05 - 09/11
Madagascar (co-wrote)*1.881,22139||20505/05 - 09/11
2004:
Spanglish (AW)****3.2674212||73601/05 - 10/11
Lauras Stern (co-wrote)****3.689837||77003/05 - 10/11German
Shark Tale (co-wrote)**
Thunderbirds (co-wrote)***3.021,07917|||38807/04 - 10/11
King Arthur (co-wrote)****3.493,417219|||14407/04 - 09/11
2003:
Something's Gotta Give (co-wrote)****3.151752||1,62404/10bootleg
The Last Samurai (AW)****3.773,992206|||6411/03 - 03/09
Matchstick Men***3.0365026|||53410/03 - 03/09
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (co-wrote)*2.8023,9291285|||607/03 - 07/11multiple albums
Tears of the Sun (co-wrote)***2.913,036107|||23003/03 - 03/09
2002:
The Ring (co-wrote)**2.571,62991|||20610/03 - 11/22multiple albums
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (co-wrote) (AW)**3.303,375136|||23105/02 - 01/09
2001:
Riding in Cars With Boys (co-wrote)***
Invincible (co-wrote)****3.434270||92309/03 - 03/09
Black Hawk Down (co-wrote)***2.738,466571|||5301/02 - 01/09
Pearl Harbor (AW)***2.9211,619276|||4205/01 - 01/09
Hannibal (co-wrote)****3.7311,871277|||6002/01 - 10/08
The Pledge (co-wrote)**2.714173||1,10009/03 - 01/09all albums
2000:
An Everlasting Piece (co-wrote)***2.769008||95412/00 - 09/08
Mission: Impossible 2 (co-wrote)**2.6813,322103||5206/00 - 11/07
Gladiator (co-wrote) (AW)***3.5260,208759|||||105/00 - 10/07all albums
A Taste of Sunshine (rejected)
The Road to El Dorado (co-wrote)**2.914164|||67310/03 - 03/09all albums
1999:
Chill Factor (co-wrote)**2.243211||1,24110/03 - 04/09bootlegs
1998:
The Thin Red Line (co-wrote) (AW)***3.0111,31210||||7101/99 - 08/20multiple albums
The Prince of Egypt (co-wrote) (AW)****4.0713,55598||||3212/98 - 03/08all albums
The Last Days (co-wrote)***
The Third Reich (in Color) (TV)***
1997:
As Good As It Gets (AW)****3.331,6455|13501/98 - 01/07
The Peacemaker****3.232,8743|||9709/97 - 08/14all albums
Smilla's Sense of Snow (co-wrote)**2.712872||79603/97 - 09/11
1996:
The Preacher's Wife (AW)****
The Fan (co-wrote)*2.1834815|||93110/03 - 04/09all albums
The Rock (co-wrote)***3.268,05110|||3909/96 - 11/23multiple albums
Muppet Treasure Island (co-wrote)***3.431,05516||24407/98 - 09/08
Broken Arrow (co-wrote)****3.526112|||1,15810/09 - 03/11all albums
The Whole Wide World (co-wrote)***2.971791||1,00807/04 - 09/11
1995:
Something to Talk About (co-wrote)***2.761075||1,84304/10
Two Deaths****
Nine Months (co-wrote)***3.053531|47503/97 - 11/11
Crimson Tide (AW)*****4.178,89183|||4409/96 - 01/08
Beyond Rangoon****4.031,1907||36409/96 - 09/08
1994:
Drop Zone (co-wrote)**2.841701|||1,63503/10 - 05/21multiple albums
The Lion King (co-wrote) (AW)****4.0312,52774||||1309/96 - 11/14multiple albums
Renaissance Man***3.167722|97108/99 - 04/07
Monkey Trouble (co-wrote)**
I'll Do Anything****3.031510||1,86503/10
1993:
The House of the Spirits****3.496544|42407/98 - 09/08
Cool Runnings (co-wrote)****3.121360||1,66104/10bootleg
True Romance***3.05982||2,26705/24
Calendar Girl***
Younger & Younger (co-wrote)****3.402730||1,87303/10
Point of No Return (co-wrote)****3.251431||1,72203/10
Sniper (co-wrote)FRISBEE
1992:
Toys (co-wrote)**2.643982|||62907/04 - 09/11all albums
A League of Their Own****3.564270||1,49203/10multiple albums
The Power of One****3.231670||1,47403/10
Millennium (co-wrote)***
Radio Flyer****3.204402|||65607/04 - 10/11
1991:
K2 (co-wrote)****3.402810||1,55504/10multiple scores
Where Sleeping Dogs Lie (co-wrote)
To the Moon, Alice**short film
Regarding Henry (co-wrote)****3.011612|||1,68003/10 - 12/11multiple albums
Thelma & Louise (co-wrote)***3.183361||1,44404/10 - 12/17all albums
R
Backdraft****3.703,29912||||16309/96 - 08/24all albums
White Fang (co-wrote)****3.231690|||1,61104/12limited
1990:
Green Card****3.362491||1,72003/10
Spies Inc. (co-wrote)***
Pacific Heights****3.402640||1,77004/10
Days of Thunder***3.253180|||1,30903/10 - 04/21multiple albums
Fools of Fortune****
Bird on a Wire***
Chicago Joe and the Showgirl (co-wrote)
1989:
Driving Miss Daisy (AW)****3.603240||1,43403/10
Dark Obsession (Diamond Skulls)****
Comeback (TV)
Black Rain***3.354782|||1,22103/10 - 10/12multiple albums
Twister
1988:
Paperhouse (co-wrote)***
Burning Secret****
Rain Man (AW)****3.374661|||1,05804/10 - 05/18all albums
Nightmare at Noon (Death Street USA) (co-wrote)
The Fruit Machine***
A World Apart***
Taffin (co-wrote)
The Nature of the Beast (co-wrote)
1987:
Terminal Exposure (Double Exposure) (co-wrote)**
1986:
The Zero Boys (co-wrote)
Vardoshort film
The Wind (co-wrote)
Separate Vacations (co-wrote)
Castaway (co-wrote)
1985:
The Lightship (co-wrote)
My Beautiful Laundrette (co-wrote)
Wild Horses (TV) (co-wrote)
Insignificance (co-wrote)***
1984:
Success is the Best Revenge (co-wrote)
1983:
The Story of O: Part 2 (co-wrote)***
Eureka (co-wrote)
1982:
Moonlighting (co-wrote)
(reviews listed with a "co-wrote" indicate that either the composer wrote the score with another person or that more than one composer worked separately to provide a score for the production)
Legend:
Status:
N
- indicates a new review that has been published in the last 180 days
R
- indicates an older review that has been significantly revised in the last 180 days
Awards: AW - or a golden year indicates that the music won or was nominated for a major award
Ratings: FR - Filmtracks Rating ("Varied" indicates a split rating with no overall designation)
VR - Viewer Rating (overall average)
VT - Vote Total (for viewer ratings)
Comments: Comment Total (the number of messages posted in the review's comment area)
Review Depth: ||||| - Massive Review (over 4,000 words)
|||| - Very Long Review (between 2,200 and 4,000 words)
||| - Long Review (between 1,200 and 2,200 words)
|| - Average Review (between 800 and 1,200 words)
| - Short Review (under 800 words)
Traffic Rank: Popularity Rank (lower numbers indicate more cumulative reads; new reviews take time to climb the ranks)
Dates: 1st - indicates the month and year during which the review was first published
2nd - indicates the month and year of the review's most recent significant revision (if any)
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast,
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