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2/23/02 - Return to Neverland: (Joel McNeely) "Assembling a
recent career of composing for odd jobs, Joel McNeely tackles the big
screen sequel to the classic tale of Peter Pan. Aside form
McNeely's contribution to the picture, Disney's attempt to resurrect the
storyline from the original is a blatant example of capitalism fueled by
the corporate lack of originality that exists in the modern era of
animated films. The film, while it will likely suffice to entertain the
kids for an hour or so and keep them from screaming wildly, has nothing to
stack up to the classic stature of the original film. One of the few
redeeming qualities of Return to Neverland, however, will please
film score fans --and more specifically, Joel McNeely fans. The composer's
work for the film exceeds what the project needed, and although the music
for the film is littered with some character songs that could cause adults
to cover their ears, the the massive score is surprisingly good. The film,
to its credit, minimalizes the modern pop influence in its songs as
well..." **** Read the
entire review.
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2/2/02 - The Princess Diaries: (John Debney) "The story of
The Princess Diaries has been around for decades, but Disney has
given it a royal makeover and aims it at prepubescent kids and teenagers
alike in this newest film adaptation. The Disney version relies on charm
and elegance to win the heart of the audience, rather than the typical
slapstick kind of attractions being used in similarly targeted
films. Energetic, predictable, and often far-fetched, the film did
modernize the story by using a selection of modern songs, many of which
were placed on the obligatory soundtrack compilation album. The film's
genuine heart, however, necessitated a gentle fairy tale score, and John
Debney was the man for the job. Attempting to avoid corniness wherever
possible, Debney's task was to score a fantasy teen romance flick in royal
settings with only a moderately sized orchestral ensemble and a handful of
extremely short cue spots in which to do it. The score needed to fit the
film in pieces that were typically no longer than a minute, making it more
difficult to produce a coherent whole...." *** Read the
entire review.
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