Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #1,061
Written 1/28/01, Revised 10/4/08
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Buy it... if your appreciation of the swords and sorcery genre of
soundtracks extends to even the most predictably workmanlike entries,
for Dungeons and Dragons basically functions in its purpose.
Avoid it... if you expect any sense of style or variance in emotion
that would have helped this score avoid becoming tedious after half an
hour of perpetual, linear bombast.
Dungeons and Dragons: (Justin Caine Burnett) As the
genre of swords and sorcery was taking Hollywood by storm in the early
1980's, the "Dungeons and Dragons" first-person video game was gaining a
loyal following on the small screen. Because of the coinciding flurry of
similar ideas being offered in movie form during this time, there was
always talk about translating the game into a film, but despite the
endeavors of creator E. Gary Gygax, one did not come until the year
2000. The concept of seeing Dungeons and Dragons as a movie
doesn't really make much sense, however, given that the entire purpose
of its existence is to be a first-person game, and the film not
surprisingly received a hearty round of boos upon its release. Poorly
developed characters and a script that saves the only true wonder until
the final twenty minutes are significant detriments. The music for
Dungeons and Dragons, by comparison, exceeded expectations. Young
composer Justin Caine Burnett had been an assistant for Hans Zimmer at
Media Ventures for several years before using this project to launch his
own career. Unfortunately, that career, in the following decade, never
lived up to any interest that this initial major solo venture stirred.
Due to a restrictive budget (no surprise there, either), Burnett was
sent to Australia to record 105 minutes of music for Dungeons and
Dragons, though a hectic post-production schedule of special effects
additions near the end of the film caused the composer to write and
record another 25 minutes of material later in Seattle. Director
Courtney Solomon made it clear that instead of hearing Burnett emulate
the sound of Zimmer's usual blockbuster style at the time, the more
traditional format of John Williams' music was desired. It was perhaps
at this point that Burnett's task was made impossible, though he
certainly tried his best to follow the leitmotif construct and maintain
a healthy amount of orchestra complexity despite the problems of working
with a smaller and less accomplished performing group. The end result of
the score for Dungeons and Dragons is music that is both
functional and impressive for a major debut, but it offers little to
remember or define itself after its concluding moments.
The workmanlike style of Burnett's approach to
Dungeons and Dragons leaves it with a somewhat anonymous
personality. It never comes close to truly emulating the characteristic
sound of Williams' music, though it never delves into the synthetic
realm either. Burnett constructs several themes for major characters and
plot elements, but outside of the obvious statements of the title theme
in "Opening to Profion's Dungeon" and "Resurrection and End Titles"
(along with a few less robust permutations in "Council of Mages"), he
never states them in a fashion that would make them memorable. A theme
of dread is extensively explored in the opening three cues, with the
help of a chorus in some cases, but the stereotypically descending
nature of this idea causes it to quickly fade from memory. In fact, the
entire score moves along at a comfortably linear pace, rarely easing on
the broad strokes of the brass that aid the percussion in its task of
conveying a sense of gravity in the music. There is little in the way of
swords and sorcery reinvention to be heard here, however, instead
playing over its lengthy album as an elongated series of filler cues
that never erupt to a flourish. A slight waltz-like rhythm in "On the
Run" is about the extent of the interesting pacing in
Dungeons and
Dragons. In the score's favor is the fact that Burnett never
blatantly exposes his influences outside of the title theme, making the
score even more anonymous but at least not sending up any red flags. The
title theme is a bit too conventionally patriotic, reminding of the
cymbal-crashing heroics of Jerry Goldsmith's
Air Force One or one
of the many scores that have imitated it. The most disconcerting aspect
of
Dungeons and Dragons is that it doesn't truly have any highs
and lows, in either quality or volume. Burnett expects the seemingly
wall-to-wall music in the film to immediately create an emotional climax
and sustain it all the way through its conclusion; unfortunately, after
thirty minutes the perpetual bombast simply becomes tiresome. A
76-minute album doesn't help. The hard techno-laced "This is Not a Game"
at the end is an unrelated nuisance. Performance flubs (such as at 0:57
into the opening track) are also a hindrance. Overall,
Dungeons and
Dragons does what it needed to accomplish, but despite all of its
frantic orchestral activity, it's ultimately generic in its lack of
style.
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