> An outstanding list for the most part, but we part ways on
> Tomorrowland I'm afraid. The more I listen to that score, the more
> it comes across as an enthusisatic, moderately talented music major
> freshman trying his level best to write 'the perfect 80s adventure score'
> and falling well, well short. There are certain chord progressions in
> there, particularly the theme that sounds like Indiana Jones and the
> Last Crusade, that make me want to tear my hair out at the roots at
> how awkward and viscerally 'wrong' they sound. 3:33 of 'Edge of
> Tomorrowland' is an example.

> Unfortunately I can't put into words exactly what it is that bothers me so
> much about it. It just makes me feel like a cat that's been stroked the
> wrong way. I can't fault the enthusiasm, but it's weird for a composer
> with a nearly 20-year career at this point to put out something that
> strikes me as so blatantly...amateurish, somehow.

> Is anybody else having the same issue with this score? Note that I don't
> have a problem with the 'Pin-Ultimate Experience' material, which seems to
> 'own' it simplicity in a way that feels more natural. It's really just
> that awful Henry Jones Sr theme that gets to me. Argh!

I'm sympathetic to this for three reasons.

First, Tomorrowland is a lot more dependent on its themes for success than Jupiter Ascending. Even if you think the latter's output is a little underwhelming on that front, the titanic orchestral and choral forces at its disposal more than make up for it. The former score is a bit more of a straightforward orchestral effort, so if you aren't a fan of the themes, there's less to get attached to.

I just happened to really like all of the themes. They really imbued the work with a consistent sense of wonder and optimism, and the final 10 minutes is an absolute feast.

Second, this isn't the first Giacchino work that has some structural ties to other Williams works, in particular The Last Crusade. It's a common point referenced when people discuss the earlier Medal of Honor scores. I am one to get annoyed with composers for overt self-references, as well as blatant mining of the works of others.

But those similarities never register when I'm listening to MOH; they come off as more "oh, hey, that" reactions then "whoa, this really sounds like this!" reactions. We're not talking 4-note-motif-of-doom here. The same is true with Tomorrowland, except that I'm even less aware of the quite minor similarities when it's playing.

Third, I tend to lean towards the positive for Giacchino more than the average voter on this board. That doesn't mean I love every Giacchino score (can anyone actually get all the way through Let Me In?), but I'm usually a fan of what he does thematically.

Tomorrowland is really just a superb take on elements that Giacchino has mixed together before, rather than a radical reinvention. So if you've ever had lower-than-average enthusiasm for the man's thematic constructs or how he deploys an orchestra, Tomorrowland isn't going to change your mind.