> Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - **
This, for me, is a * star. This score is a massive contributing factor to Marvel scores slipping into Zimmer droning anonymity, making this muck just as normal to Marvel execs as Alan Silvestri fanfares. I had to lie down after listening to this one because it gave me a migraine. I haven't returned to it since, and have no intention to.

> Rio 2 (2014) - ***½
> an energetic track covering the mid-film bird soccer game played more like a score
> track and honestly would’ve made more sense on the other album.
I think this track is stronger than anything else on either album. It's a blast and feels even MORE passionate than all of the score, which is solid as usual.

> How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) - *****...but really it’s a
> scale-breaking 6 stars
What is there to say about this score that hasn't already been said? I WISH I was into film scores in 2014 so I could have experienced this on release and shit myself with glee like everyone else. I prefer the first HTTYD score more (just a smidge, it's very close), but I think in terms of intelligence, this is Powell's magnum opus.

> The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) - ***½
*cringes* Yeah, this one is like a ** for me. The heroic theme is ok but not great, the action stuff is generic, and the Electro material doesn't instill an ounce of fear or paranoia in me. Instead, it makes me cackle with goofy laughter because of how juvenile it is.
> soloists Dominic Lewis, Arturo Sandoval
What did these two play? I think I ought to have noticed the latter for sure!

> Next time: “My pitch was something I could’ve shown to my music
> professor. Dead straight, strict, pompous as hell.”
I don't know what this quote entails, but I like this description.