: (John Debney/Danny Elfman)
Every once in a while, you encounter a film that is so bad that it
exists far beyond the realm of normally tolerable entertainment.
is such an endeavor. But every once in a
while, you get such a painfully excruciating film that has,
by some miracle of an unknown kind, a very good score. If Christopher
Lloyd couldn't win you over with his all-too-appropriate absorption of
the role as the visiting Martian, then perhaps the combined efforts of
Danny Elfman and John Debney could. Still, despite an infusion of a
mildly invigorating and creative score,
is
the kind of resurrected misfire that would make you so embarrassed to
actually be viewing it that you look around at the other ten patrons in
the theatre to ensure your anonymity and confirm that nobody could
testify to your presence there. It's an occasion for the unannounced
film score fan to slouch down in the seat and ponder the career of a man
like Debney while only marginally following the torturously horrid
action on the screen. For the few casual viewers of the film, the first
composer to come to mind in terms of the general tone of the music for
was likely to be Danny Elfman, and there are
several good reasons for this. Elfman's
music
permeated the trailers for the film and the veteran of wackiness was
called upon to write a short, single theme for the Uncle Martin
character in
Reports that Elfman was originally to have scored the
entire film were never confirmed. Although Elfman's theme has never been
fully identified outside of John Debney's larger, encompassing score,
there is plenty of Elfman influence in that mass of Debney music to
satisfy any Elfman fanatic. The score merges the electronic and
symphonic realms into a jazzy pace quite familiar to parts of
Men in
Black or
Flubber, with the zany, erratic behavior of Elfman's
very early comedy and children's music evident as well. Debney weaves
all these Elfman-like elements into the cartoonish style that he would
display further in
Inspector Gadget,
The Tuxedo, and
seemingly dozens of similar efforts. To its credit, though,
My
Favorite Martian came before Debney had trully proven his talents in
this genre, aiding in its initial positive spin. The score is extremely
diversified in grand comedy style, and includes motifs ranging from
loungy jazz swings to massively orchestral crescendos of power, complete
with synthesized chorus. The opening suite presented on the promotional
album for the score is the highlight, brushing over the four or five
main themes of the film in five minutes. For non-Debney fans, this might
be the extent of your enjoyment for this album. Beyond the suite,
though, are several series of very creative cues. Some include the
classic, original "My Favorite Martian" theme, some let rip with a mambo
dance tempo, and one actually includes a full 30 seconds of the famous
theme adaptation from
2001: The Space Odyssey (which represents,
of course, the incredible spacecraft-expanding-in-the-toilet scene...
Why not?).
The three tracks of action occurring during the sewer
chase leading up to that exploding toilet features some wickedly
rambunctious music, including a strong performance of the score's
sparsely employed primary action theme at the end of "Into the Sewer."
Debney combines the orchestra with a collection of synthesized sounds
and soft electronic guitars (of sure Martian origin, though they seem to
have returned to Earth for a reprise in
The Scorpion King),
adding some lively spunk to key cues. The choral effects become more
pronounced late in the score, when the snare and brass rhythms begin to
mirror the style of Alan Silvestri as the heroes in the story escape. A
slight love theme is typical to Debney's career, and easily becomes lost
despite several complete statements. The only significant drawbacks
during the score come during the sequences with the "Zoot" suit, which
is provided with a swaggering sax of annoying attitude. Without a doubt,
those who appreciate Debney's orchestral creativity will enjoy this
score. But perhaps more importantly, this score will also capture the
interest of Elfman's earliest fans. Yet even with all of these outside
influences, Debney's own style prevails, especially near the end of the
score, as the orchestral activity builds during the heroes' escape. In
the end,
My Favorite Martian is the kind of frivolous "guilty
pleasure nominee" that warrants more attention than most of its similar
counterparts. This promotional release came at a time when nearly every
obscure Debney score was filtered to the public in such fashion. It's of
considerable length, and if you're in the right mood, it'll tickle you
in just the right way.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
| Bias Check: |
For John Debney reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.33
(in 56 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.09
(in 49,891 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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