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FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Big Hero 6 (Henry Jackman)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you seek the better among the plethora of usually
generic animation action scores, this one heavy on the orchestral
highlights and affable melodic personality.
Avoid it... if you were so offended by the comedic instrumental techniques of Henry Jackman's Wreck-It Ralph that even a less electronically-dominant version of the same general equation would seem unacceptable to your tastes.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Big Hero 6: (Henry Jackman) After Walt Disney
Studios acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, the search was on for
obscure adaptation targets from the latter's history of comics. In the
early 2010's, the most promising of these options came in the form of
"Big Hero 6," a relatively unknown Japanese-based set of super-heroes
from the Marvel universe that revolves around government operatives
assisted by a boy genius and his robot. The movie intentionally pushes
the topic towards the children's realm, making 2014's Big Hero 6
the first animated feature to depict Marvel concepts. Enthusiasts of the
original comic won't necessarily be impressed by the transition of the
storyline to a younger, more Western-centric audience, for the location
shifts to a hybrid, parallel universe combination of Tokyo and San
Francisco and the usual amount of children's genre cuteness and humor
prevails in the script as well. In this version, the boy genius is
thrust by unlikely circumstances into an academic setting where he and
fellow university students must battle a villain and the technology he
stole from them, all the while overcoming familial death and mystery. A
franchise of films and new spin-offs in the comic realm are expected
after this movie launched to the top of box office charts and became one
of the top-10 grossing entries of the year. It also enjoyed top
nominations from all of the world's leading awarding bodies. The movie's
use of music is somewhat conventional, the soundtrack consisting of one
rock-oriented song for the obligatory end credit sonic bombardment and
the remainder loyal to the role of the original score by former Hans
Zimmer collaborator Henry Jackman. The composer was a logical choice for
assignment given his now veteran status handling the music for both
wacky animated pictures and live-action Marvel blockbusters, and there
is some merit in describing the basic personality of his score for
Big Hero 6 as a combination of Captain America: The Winter
Soldier and Wreck-It Ralph. His experience with utterly
stupid comedies, from This Is the End to North Korea's favorite,
The Interview, also figures into the slapstick portion of the
equation. Fortunately, the resulting score is not tied closely to the
aforementioned song for Big Hero 6; the less said about
"Immortals" by the American rock band "Fall Out Boy," the better. No
melodic material from the song seems to carry over into the score, which
builds itself upon several more satisfying motifs in addressing both the
family bonds and required bursts of action for heroes and villains.
The style of the Jackman's work for Big Hero 6 is more heavily orchestral than in some of his other animated ventures, though for casual listeners, the vibrant electronic and pop influences will still seem dominant. He starts heavily on the electronic side of the equation, "Hiro Hamada" rotating through all the keyboarded and electric guitar coolness that Japanese stereotypes have to offer, including some token Taiko drum pounding to ensure the cultural connection. Thereafter, the synthetic elements are not as dominant, Jackman relying upon the orchestra and choir to supply the bulk of the score's momentum while the electronics are notable but not frequently distracting accompaniment. In fact, the mix between organic and synthetic in this work is quite well handled, even if the constantly upbeat tone is at times obnoxious. There isn't as much creativity in instrumentation on display here compared to Wreck-It Ralph, a choice that makes the whole easier to digest on album in this case. Thematically, Jackman devises several ideas, led by one for the boy genius, and is loyal to them throughout the score; his adaptation of these melodies for the tender family moments (which are plenty in the film) often includes effective solo piano work. Look for the franchise's primary identity to extend out of the rousing interior of the long cue, "Big Hero 6." Collectors of film music will appreciate (hopefully) the many cross-references that this score makes, whether intentional or not, in what could be a tongue-in-cheek choice. Whereas Jackman was roundly criticized for not explicitly channeling Alan Silvestri in his score for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he certainly does so here, the many action sequences reminiscent of classic Silvestri adventure and "So Much More" taking a page or two directly from Back to the Future. Other references abound, from the Bernard Herrmann tribute at the start of "The Masked Man" (the villain's theme, essentially) to a quotation of the main brass motif from Don Davis' The Matrix at 3:07 into "I Am Satisfied With My Care." These highlights of the score are mostly orchestral in their mix, and Jackman's best achievement in the work is the soaring mix of brass, choir, and electronics in the awesomely entertaining "First Flight." This isn't to diminish the electronic presentation of the boy's motifs, for "Upgrades" and "Reboot" both have their charm as well. The entire package is well handled by Jackman, with a solid narrative and a listening experience on album that is easy-going and affable. That assumes you can handle the flashy electronic presence in parts, however. The album unfortunately does not contain the instrumental recording of "Eye of the Tiger" heard in the film, but it is otherwise a winner in its genre. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 53:57
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes a list of performers but no extra information about the
score or film. The font of the insert is extremely difficult to read.
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