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| Elfman |
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: (Danny
Elfman) Combining the existing
Doctor Strange film series and
"WandaVision" television show, 2022's
Doctor Strange in the
Multiverse of Madness exhausted audiences to massive box office
success. This, the 28th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, devolves
even further into the insanity of immersive eye candy for the franchise,
reducing its story to incomprehensible and unsatisfying excuses for the
visual feast. Its premise argues that the main storyline exists in
version 616 of Earth and that there are countless other versions in the
"multiverse," a concept that badly diminishes the importance and
emotional impact of any one dimension and thus renders the characters
and situations of this story somewhat pointless. Don't like what's
happening in this dimension? Let's go over to version 237, where Donald
J. Trump had perished in 2007 from choking on a Trump steak. Not good
enough? Try version 491, where Trump perished in 1988 in a terrible
accident on a golden toilet. This film fails to explore those realities,
however, instead sending Dr. Stephen Strange and a teenage girl with the
ability to traverse between these dimensions, America Chavez, on a chase
through the multiverse to stop Wanda Maximoff's Scarlet Witch as she
causes havoc in version 838 and beyond for her own personal reasons. All
sorts of mystical elements come into play along the way, along with some
MCU cameos. (Audiences are treated to seeing a Patrick Stewart character
brutally killed. No Borg required.) Yanking audiences around for this
venture is director Sam Raimi, whose entrance to the concept brought
composer Danny Elfman along by default. The Michael Giacchino score for
2016's
Doctor Strange was one of that composer's better works,
combining highly unique instrumental character with a
better-than-average superhero theme for Strange himself. This material
continued in Giacchino's
Spider-Man: No Way Home, though not as
strikingly as hoped. The career interplay between Elfman and Giacchino
led the latter to utilize the former's original
Spider-Man theme
in that score, and Elfman was, with
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse
of Madness, presented the opportunity to return the favor.
Elfman, even more a veteran of the superhero genre than
Giacchino, maintains interesting philosophies about other composers'
themes for the same concepts for which he has written musical
identities. It suffices to say that Elfman has a high opinion about his
superhero themes. Sometimes, as with the Batman and Spider-Man
characters, this confidence is well-founded. At others, as now heard in
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elfman fails to meet
the standards of an already-existing musical identity by replacing it
with an inferior version of his own. The composer remains highly
cognizant of the fact that the MCU has become a playground of musical
cross-references, token quotes of Alan Silvestri music almost a
requirement. For this 2022 entry, Elfman was faced with a monumental set
of themes and instrumental styles he could adapt, and he did make a
concerted effort to include a variety of references to other composers'
works. He indeed makes use of Giacchino's main theme from
Doctor
Strange, and joining that are brief references to
WandaVision
music, a vintage "X-Men" tune, and the obligatory Silvestri insertion.
But none of these applications has any significant impact on the score,
the Giacchino material badly marginalized and the other usage serving as
pinpointed cameos only. Rather, Elfman takes it upon himself to rewrite
the musical identities of both Strange and Wanda, essentially
establishing his own alternatives for these characters after giving
marginal nods to their existing themes. While this choice could be
successful with Wanda's character, the ultimate abandonment of the
Giacchino tone and theme for Strange is entirely unacceptable. None of
the unique instrumental quirkiness identified with the character,
courtesy sitar and harpsichord, is obliged, Elfman instead rooting the
sound of this score firmly in his own blend of comfort zone sounds
ranging from
Alice in Wonderland to
Men in Black,
Mars
Attacks!,
Batman Returns, and
Justice League. A fair
number of techniques from
Spider-Man is not unexpected, either.
This is an absolutely pure Elfman score from start to finish, and judged
as such, it's a fairly decent entry. There's a mixture of outstanding
action and drama sequences with several largely unpleasant or annoyingly
pounding cues of suspense and psychedelia.
Those not offended by Elfman's poor strategic decisions
for
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will appreciate
the rambunctious orchestral, electronic, and choral spirit of the score,
its attitude often melodramatic or aggressively postured. The work also
features some intriguing instrumental applications, particularly in
trilling brass and sinewy strings. Among the composer's best techniques
is the use of low brass in unison to really reinforce a muscular
baseline, and, as in
Alice in Wonderland, he utilizes these
players to milk the appeal of heavy, descending minor-third progressions
throughout. The brass performances in general are excellent in this
score, their layering at all pitches quite adept. The choir, conversely,
is slathered on for the multiverse fantasy, and it proves itself
obnoxious all too often. Elfman tends to cap off crescendos with rising
pitch choral and string stingers that are highly annoying, and his
reprise of vintage "la la"-style vocals in the opening and closing cues
sounds dated. No adequate replacement instrumental sound for Strange is
offered, effectively neutralizing his musical identity completely. The
thematic situation doesn't help, as Elfman, for whatever reason, decided
to create a new Strange theme but not utilize it until after several
perfunctory applications of the Giacchino theme in the first half of the
film. The Giacchino theme for the character is catchier than Elfman's
alternative, though part of that problem stems from the fact that
Elfman's themes for this movie all start with a similar ascending phrase
and don't often receive satisfactory enunciation, especially in the case
of the new Strange theme. That motif features staccato four or
three-note phrases up and down, and while these progressions are easy to
manipulate into action sequences and counterpoint, the character
requires a more sophisticated, longer-lined identity. These stuttering
phrases struggle to emerge militaristically at 1:11 into "Multiverse of
Madness" before partially closing out the cue with attempted
Spider-Man bravado. Elfman introduces more of the theme in agony
at 0:59 into "On the Run" but does little to clarify it in subsequent
scenes. It tries but fails to overtake the Wanda theme on piano in "Are
You Happy," reduces to heroic, two-note phrases in the middle of
"Gargantos" (though it achieves a fuller stance at the end of that cue),
and turns deformed and monstrous at 0:38 into "Forbidden Ground."
The new theme by Elfman for Strange finally begins to
assert some value to the latter half of
Doctor Strange in the
Multiverse of Madness once Giacchino's franchise theme is dispensed
with. The Elfman replacement is used well as counterpoint in the middle
of "Stranger Things Will Happen" and clarifies at 1:50 in that cue with
cool suspense, defining the crescendo at its end. The idea mingles with
the America theme at the start of "Buying Time," is barely evident at
the outset of "Looking for Strange," returns as a counterpoint-like
figure throughout "Getting Through," and finally achieves its purpose as
it defines the action of "Only Way," where a major performance at 0:56
allows the theme to drive the cue thereafter. Elfman retreats a bit from
this theme in the conclusive cues, however, only barely informing the
start of "An Interesting Question" with it and straying closer in
instrumentation to
Men in Black than Giacchino's foundation.
While the theme opens the thematic suite at 0:15 into "Main Titles," its
performance here is skittish and doesn't bookend the cue after the other
themes. Adding to the mystery of this new theme is Elfman's unsatisfying
usage of the superior Giacchino identity for Strange. It's inserted
briefly in the action at 0:17 and 0:36 in "On the Run" and opens
"Gargantos" with several phrases, albeit too rushed. The idea is
unnecessarily slight at 0:25 into "Strange Statue" and achieves its only
significant presence on noble brass at 1:51 into "Battle Time," followed
by the idea's biggest ensemble performance. Elfman forces a fragment of
the theme violently against the Wanda theme at 1:56 into "Not a Monster"
but totally abandons it thereafter. The loss of this franchise theme
halfway through the score, and particularly its absence from "Only Way"
and "An Interesting Question," is alone highly problematic and awkward.
But Elfman compounds his mistake by offering the character no unique
instrumental foundation as Giacchino had done with the sitar and
harpsichord, the quasi-classical and Eastern tones replaced here with no
unique personality whatsoever. It's as if Strange has been reduced to
simply another generic superhero with none of the exotic and elevated
allure that Giacchino had brought to that character. The Elfman theme
and instrumental palette could have existed just as well for a variety
of other Marvel characters, and its generic posturing isn't obvious
enough to make the average movie-goer hum the theme as he or she leaves
the cinema.
As frustrating as the situation with the music for Stephen
Strange might be in
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,
Elfman's handling of Wanda's theme is even more maddening. Firstly,
Wanda's theme is undoubtedly the main theme of this film, not Strange's
theme. The Wanda identity is placed more frequently in the movie and
dominates the two suite arrangements. It's a pretty, waltz-derived idea
that has much to like, and keen ears will note that Elfman previewed its
four-note ascending structures at 2:50 and again at 3:09 in "Twins" from
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Secondly, upon last check, Willy Wonka
and his chocolate factory were not featured in this film, and that
presents a distracting musical conundrum in that the Wanda theme is
clearly identical to Elfman's Wonka theme from "The Golden Ticket" in
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The fact that "Wanda" and
"Wonka" are so similar sounding in name may have played into Elfman's
psyche, because there's no good reason whatsoever for upwards of fifteen
notes from the Wonka theme to be resurrected verbatim here. On the
upside, if you can shake that distraction, the theme is very compelling,
and it yields the highlights of
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of
Madness as Elfman expands its usage into a more dramatic purpose.
The theme (re-)debuts powerfully at 0:24 into "Multiverse of Madness"
with robust, minor-third chords of resonance, and it shifts to dramatic
strings and choir at 1:20 with a bit of
Batman Returns flavor.
Wanda's theme goes on to support the light rhythms and chord structures
of "The Apple Orchard," shift to a major key variant on solo piano that
intriguingly occupies "Are You Happy," swell romantically at 2:10 into
"Gargantos" amongst the action, and quiver in suspense at the end of
"Journey With Wong." It becomes dreamy with an element of horror at 1:20
into "Home?," its strained string sadness here (and "Journey With Wong")
reminiscent of Christopher Young horror techniques. Elfman continues
Wanda's theme in lightly choral shades at 0:35 into "Strange Statue"
while it informs the first half of "Battle Time" in subtlety and
persists faintly at the end of "Forbidden Ground." In its more
voluminous performances, the theme is compelling on choir at 0:35 into
"Not a Monster," a fuller version of the idea eventually competing
loudly against the Giacchino Strange theme later. The identity
establishes its romantic fantasy mode in the middles of "Tribunal" and
"Illuminati vs Wanda" and extends out of the America theme in "Stranger
Things Will Happen."
Elfman allows the Wonka/Wanda theme to flourish in
various guises later in
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of
Madness, achieving sadness by the time it follows both other, new
main themes at 0:37 into "Buying Time." It stews in the background of
horror at 1:34 into "Book of Vishanti" and during the middle of
"Illuminati," and it becomes dramatic in the last minutes of "Getting
Through" and "Only Way." A sense of increasing dramatic devastation
throughout "They'll Be Loved" offers superb brass bass, with a
monumental crescendo of resolution reserved for the theme at the end of
the cue. The theme achieves a somber piano goodbye as it dissolves early
in "Farewell" but is alluded to briefly in "An Interesting Question." It
dominates the concluding title cue, romantic on strings at 0:37 into
"Main Titles" and returning at 1:53 in choral fantasy mode. Despite all
of that usage, however, perhaps Elfman's most intelligent adaptation of
the theme comes as it transitions nicely out of the fluffy "WandaVision"
material in "Wanda at Home." If there's one area where Elfman will admit
that he excels beyond all others, it's in melodramatic sadness, and the
melancholy waltz formations of this theme, despite occupying the space
of Willy Wonka previously, supplies most of the highlights in the score
for
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Similarly
structured in its opening three-note phrase to Elfman's Strange theme is
the pleasant, albeit fleeting idea for America Chavez that sounds like
something that would have fit well stylistically into an underdog film
like
Real Steel. Introduced with worry at 0:59 into "On the Run"
with light dramatic appeal, the idea is twisted into action fragments
thereafter over ripping snare and trilling trombones. America's theme
occupies all of "Strange Awakens" on soft acoustic guitar and woodwinds,
becomes compelling on cellos and piano at 0:22 into "Discovering
America," merges structurally with the Wanda theme in "Stranger Things
Will Happen," and opens "Buying Time" lightly. Elfman transitions the
theme into a tool of action early in "Only Way," and it matures well
throughout "Trust Your Power," another highlight of melodic development
in the score. The theme is hinted against Wanda material late in
"Farewell," figures lightly at 1:36 into "An Interesting Question," and
receives its due suite arrangement at 1:09 into "Main Titles." Some of
the moments in this film that represent Strange at his most vulnerable
are handled with this theme, though you still won't likely recall its
progressions after the movie concludes.
Aside from the themes for the three main characters of
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Elfman doesn't
supply secondary concepts with more than passing motifs. Ideas for the
sorcerers and creatures don't really connect. The references to others'
themes include the material by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
from "WandaVision" in "Wanda at Home," Shuki Levy and Ron Wasserman's
1990's "X-Men" theme when Charles Xavier is introduced (two phrases at
1:50 into "Illuminati"), and Silvestri's
Captain America theme in
"Illuminati" and "Illuminati vs Wanda." Listeners grasping at other
references may be able to stretch a reference to a fragment of John
Ottman's
X-Men franchise theme at 0:48 into "Illuminati," too.
Otherwise, this score is filled with a variety of oddball cues that may
turn off some listeners. The action percussion of "The Decision is Made"
is highly irritating, vintage Elfman weirdness occupies "A Cup of Tea,"
straight horror dissonance interrupts in "Grab My Hand," monster
invasion music in "Forbidden Ground" reminds of
Mars Attacks! in
its silliness, and distressed string suspense grates during all of
"Strange Talk." On the upside, "Lethal Symphonies" is a brilliant
source-like cue of literal musical fighting on screen that manipulates
Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor into
battle. The standout action from brass and choir in "Getting Through" is
also worth revisiting. It's not clear if Elfman sets any precedence in
the "An Unexpected Visitor" credits scene, but no distinct thematic
material defines that cue. The entirety of
Doctor Strange in the
Multiverse of Madness seems poorly spotted, the composer struggling
to successfully redefine the franchise's music. It's pure Elfman bombast
at its most absolute, and some listeners will forgive his transgressions
for a lengthy extension of that popular mode. There is some wickedly
fantastic writing to counter the tired dissonant crescendos, allowing an
enjoyable re-arrangement. But the score also remains a lesson in poorly
handled thematic attributions, the existing theme Strange theme
needlessly abandoned, the new Strange theme a poor substitute, and the
Wanda theme a wholesale rip-off from an unrelated Elfman score.
Compounding dissatisfaction is Disney and Hollywood Records' disgraceful
handling of the album situation for this music. In its first few weeks
of release, the score was a streaming-only item not available to buy.
Then, an expanded version with three cues containing "spoiler" thematic
references to the past were added (out of film order) for purchase.
This frustrating release tactic doesn't deter spoilers and only
annoys listeners. Leave that nonsense in a different dimension,
preferably the one where Willy Wonka also stars in this film.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For Danny Elfman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.16
(in 86 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.27
(in 148,807 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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There exists no official packaging for this album.
