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FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Bumblebee (Dario Marianelli)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you desire an intelligent blend of symphonic, choral,
and synthetic elements that brings thoughtful thematic development to
the franchise, Dario Marianelli's take on the concept surprisingly
evocative and balanced.
Avoid it... if you demand the continuance of prior themes in the franchise, this score rebooting the soundtracks with more than a touch of Marianelli's V for Vendetta and other temp-track inspiration leading the way.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Bumblebee: (Dario Marianelli) Over the first five
live-action "Transformers" films, director and producer Michael Bay
managed to alienate many enthusiasts of the first generation cartoon
series of the 1980's. His films in the franchise are a mess, with robots
too complexly rendered, concepts mangled from their inspiration, and
dissatisfying connections to the show that started it all. True
enthusiasts were left with only Peter Cullen's legendary voice, along
with a few cameos by his counterpart, Frank Welker, to carry their
interest. By the late 2010's, however, Paramount sought a reboot of the
famous Hasbro toy line concept on the big screen, and one convenient
solution for the studio was to set a new series of "Transformers"
prequels in the past, recreating the 1980's era and robots of the
original cartoon. This manifestation of nostalgia in 2018's
Bumblebee was a resounding success with viewers never convinced
by Bay's version of the universe, applying Travis Knight as director and
returning the robots and their voices to their origins. Very little
concept background is supplied in Bumblebee, as the film is
primarily concerned with the relationship between the damaged Autobot
Bumblebee and a young woman, both alone and relying upon their bond to
find family. That said, the short scenes on Cybertron in this film are
the true treat, highlighted by the brief but faithful recreations of the
forms and voices of favorite villains Soundwave and Shockwave. The bulk
of Bumblebee is a character story, however, and one rooted
heavily in its era. With the titular character losing his voice early in
combat, he uses the radio of his Volkswagen Beetle form to communicate
via song lyrics. Thus, songs are inherently a huge part of the film,
both as source usage and as an anchor to the soundtrack at large. The
selection of songs is all over the map, though they mostly reference
1980's pop culture favorites. A brief inclusion of Stan Bush's "The
Touch" during a motivational sequence for the young woman is a funny
in-joke, as the song was pivotal in 1986 animated film, The
Transformers: The Movie. The sometimes near-constant rotation
between songs may be the highlight of the soundtrack as a whole, but
there remains significant duty for Dario Marianelli's well-balanced
original score as well.
The franchise had utilized the music of Steve Jablonsky for all its prior live-action installments, and the choice of Marianelli for Bumblebee represented a carry-over of a successful collaboration between the composer and Knight on The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings. Marianelli is known best for scoring more thoughtful cinematic concepts, and his uninterrupted assignment to the "Transformers" franchise was met with minor astonishment and optimism from the film music community. Certainly, the tone of Marianelli's score differs from the pounding and slashing, anthemic equivalent from Jablonsky's comparatively dumb music, and there may be some disappointment from listeners that the franchise's primary Autobot theme doesn't make even a token cameo as Optimus Prime and Bumblee reunite at the end of the film. (The passage at 1:35 into "Meeting Bumblebee" may be a connective hint.) Still, Marinelli supplies four recurring themes to Bumblebee, and while none of them is the memorable guilty pleasure type that Jablonsky supplied, they function well as developed for this particular narrative. Marianelli has written a slew of edgier scores for orchestra and synthetics through the years, some of them quite accomplished. That general blend continues here, with the friction of the story afforded some brash, atonal attitude and electronic effects. There is a fair amount of unexpected comedy in the score as well, Bumbebee's antics and the young woman's family all supplied with surprisingly affable humor by the composer. There is definitely a significant divide between the score's three major personalities: the contemporary, Danny Elfman-like soft rock identity for the young woman, the electronically brash battle scenes and everything involving the robots, and the aforementioned, largely symphonic humor. The theme for the woman is an interesting study, seemingly inspired by Elfman's Real Steel and conveyed mostly by acoustic guitar and piano for much of the story's length. Its chords and progressions are intentionally broken in Carter Burwell fashion for most of the film as she grieves her father, starting in "Charlie." But, as hinted in "Dad's Old Videotapes," the idea has a more tonally accessible side, and Marianelli unleashes this resolved version of the theme in "Not Quite There" at the end. In between, the identity spans the character's electric guitar-driven defiance in "Charlie Sneaks Out" and melodramatic sadness in "Charlie Dives In." While the theme for the young woman in Bumblebee earns the most attention on screen, the idea for the robots is arguably the new franchise identity here. It's literally the first thing you hear in "Cybertron Falls," and it consists of an ascending series of phrases anchored by its first three notes, which become ubiquitous throughout the score's robot-fighting sequences. Marianelli collectors will recognize this theme as a close cousin in style and structure to his alluring rhythmic material in V for Vendetta, and by the time he fully expresses the theme as the Autobots escape Cybertron at 1:13 into the cue, you can clearly hear the percussive, choral, and string ostinato similarities to "Knives and Bullets (and Cannons Too)" from V for Vendetta exposed clearly. The motif returns in full during the action of "Shutdown" and becomes downright nasty with the introduction of the Decepticon triple-changers in "Dropkick & Shatter Arrive." Marianelli really twists the identity into snarling disdain with electric guitars in "Desert Council," as the triple-changers negotiate with the human military forces. The V for Vendetta-inspired version of the material returns briefly in "Optimus Prime's Message," the film's other Cybertron-set scene. The theme tinges both "Army Meeting" and "Double Ambush" before reaching its frenzied crescendo in "Marina Tower." When the Decepticons are present, the composer layers a variety of hybrid metallic and electronic sounds into the mix, which functions better at times than others. His slapping of snare drums remains a more effective characteristic in his style for this purpose. The idea receives an ultra-cool send-off to conclude "Saying Goodbye." The third theme in Bumblebee exists for John Cena's group of hapless American military buffoons. (Cena is forced into the role of villain for too long in the story, even after he's humorously questioning why any of the humans should trust robots named "Decepticons.") Typically conveyed on noble brass, this theme consists of three note phrases as well and is introduced late in "Bee in the Run." The idea mingles well with the robots' theme as the military and Decepticons form their alliance, the manifestation of this uneasy situation taking the form of the tentative alternation between the two themes in the latter half of "Desert Council." The same blending occurs in "Army Meeting," though it's more skewed towards the military's theme, which finally gets a full airing at the start of the cue. The idea turns melodramatic dark at 1:52 into "Double Ambush," as Bumblebee is finally apprehended. While not itself a major thematic presence in the score for Bumblebee, a bold merging of the military and robot themes exists briefly at 0:53 into "Bee on the Run," and this mutation eventually develops into a major-key declaration of victory at 2:03 into "Charlie Dives In." These ideas are teased at times in the score's comedy passages, the robot ostinato humorously anchoring the end of the upbeat "Chasing Mum." Similarly chirpy brass and woodwinds express funny intent during the toilet-papering scene of "Pranking Tina," at the end of which Marianelli throws in an ensemble-hit resolution of classical heritage. Bass woodwinds often blend with electronics to represent Bumblebee's awkwardness in these scenes, blurting about in "Bee in the Kitchen" as well. A straight orchestral action cue offering the fourth, heroic theme in fragments (against the military theme) entertains in "Ron's Driving," featuring wild flute lines and ending with more ensemble hits for comedic intent. Generally, the choral usage in Bumblebee is also a highlight, naturally accompanying the V for Vendetta-inspired passages with deep male presence but also making itself heard in key passages later in the film. The "Death and Resurrection" scene is the top symphonic moment of the whole score despite owing a bit to James Newton Howard, its mixed choral majesty providing the movie's most heartbreaking appeal. Prior to this motif's symbolic return in "Charlie Dives In," Marianelli resorts to muscular male chanting in "Marina Tower" and higher, aspirational tones in "Bee's Had Enough." The entire score is surprisingly textured and intelligent despite its tendency to slash you with harsh electronic tones for the Decepticons; seek a lossless option for this reason. The use of bass woodwinds and gurgling synthetics for Bumblebee is fantastic, and the composer even uses hints of the vintage transformation sound effect from the original show (also carried over to this film, most notably for Ravage) in stuttering accents early in "Meeting Bumblebee." More application of this bass effect would have been welcomed. On screen, the score holds its own despite all the song placements, though the acoustic guitar theme for the woman sounds a bit out of tune at times given its broken progressions in comparison to all the tonal songs surrounding its usage. And the absence of a cameo for the Jablonsky theme or the original television show's theme at the reunion scene on the Golden Gate Bridge (Optimus Prime in Freightliner truck mode has never looked so good) is a missed opportunity. But Marianelli's thoughtful entry into this franchise is very well handled and certainly merits his continued involvement. On album, a belated 2021 CD option reprises the original download-only presentation from 2018. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
All Albums:
Total Time: 57:17
NOTES & QUOTES:
No official packaging exists for the 2018 download-only product.
The insert of the 2021 La-La Land album includes no extra information
about the film or score.
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Bumblebee are Copyright © 2018, 2021, Paramount Music, La-La Land Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 1/21/19 and last updated 5/28/21. Shockwave's voice, when performed correctly, makes him sound 50% aggrieved, 30% righteous, and 20% constipated. |
