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For some reason, the album for The Bourne Ultimatum suggests that a brief track-by-track analysis may be more beneficial that blanket descriptions of the score's approach, partly because it's difficult to really get a handle on what direction --if any-- Powell was trying to take the trilogy of music with this score. He opens "Six Weeks Ago" with an immediate high string performance of fragments of the title theme in solemn fashion before reprising more related fragments on brass over standard beds of Hans Zimmer percussion and string rhythms. Whether the synths are largely involved in this and further such outbursts doesn't really matter; either they are, or the mixing of the recording is, as Zimmer likes to do, manipulated to make the orchestral ensemble resound with the same sharp edges as its synthetic counterparts. The string ostinato that defines Bourne's chasing music explodes in "Tangiers," an impressively decisive cue that introduces percussion that will remind many listeners of David Arnold's cue for the similarly rendered chase scene at the outset of Casino Royale. The bassoon performance of Bourne's primary theme in "Thinking of Marie" is badly underemphasized, never raising the sincerity of the "New Memories" cue in The Bourne Supremacy. The dynamic range of the authentic percussion takes center stage in "Assets and Targets" before Powell utilizes a "tortured string" motif in "Faces Without Names," based on the title theme. This usage would repeat in both "Coming Home" and "Jason is Reborn," and when placed in contrast to the modern, sophisticated edge of the chase music, it seems falsely melodramatic. Powell pulls the strings too hard in these cues, quite literally. Fans of Powell's first two scores will likely prefer the return to the relentless string rhythms in "Waterloo," which once again evokes Arnold's Bond music and this time throws in a hint of the samba style heard in "Goa" from the previous score. While the drums and metallic elements may be the same, and there's even a slight performance of the title theme over it to boot, Powell never provides the kind of enjoyable harmonic performance (of arguably false hope) that you heard in "Goa."

Before the aforementioned, agonizingly shrill violin offering in "Coming Home," Powell utilizes a tapping snare and Eastern wood strikes to form interestingly multicultural rhythms. The string rhythms would reach a frantic pace in "Man Versus Man" and the title theme's tortured melodramatics would transfer to lower strings at the outset of "Jason is Reborn" before that final score cue would throw in one last solo percussion rhythm of interest. After the final crescendo of high string drama, Powell allows the solo bassoon to trail off towards the score's subdued end, surely hinting at more Bourne music to come. The Moby performance of "Extreme Ways" now closes all three films in the trilogy, and its variant here is largely the same as the one on the previous album (though with an extended intro containing that obnoxious wailing synth sound to greater lengths). When you step back from this score's individual elements and look at its effectiveness as a whole, some parts work better than others. The title theme so attractively packaged in "Goa," "New Memories" and "Atonement" from The Bourne Supremacy, arguably the best parts of that score, is lost in fragmented performances throughout The Bourne Ultimatum. The over-melodramatic high string variant of that theme is actually quite irritating. A less engaging performance by the bassoon weakens the few character moments in the score, though a poor mix of the instrument may be to blame. The continued use of the same string ostinato for the chase sequences isn't yet burdensome, but Powell has to expand upon its performance depth to maintain interest in it. He accomplishes this with the greatest strength of The Bourne Ultimatum: its live percussion. But for every kick-ass percussive moment in the score, there is a moment when the broad, thumping bass from the old Media Ventures days counters with a tired intrusion. It's a score that takes one step forward and one step back. It's far more listenable than The Bourne Identity, but not quite as much so when compared to The Bourne Supremacy. If the chase never ends for Mr. Bourne, then we may be treated to even more somewhat stagnant regurgitation in the future.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For John Powell reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.28 (in 50 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.16 (in 52,492 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 54:59