While David Arnold's score for the 1998 version of Godzilla remains something of a guilty pleasure for many film music collectors, Arnold's approach to the concept was more streamlined in its bombastic Hollywood mannerisms and seems closer to an alien invasion soundtrack at times (is anyone surprised?). On the other hand, Alexandre Desplat's plan for 2014's Godzilla is more measured in its adherence to some of the guidelines unofficially established by Ifukube, including several key instrumental techniques. Desplat may be known in mainstream circles for his multitude of scores in other genres, from lighter dramas to tense political thrillers, but there has been a strain of his career that has occasionally afforded him the opportunity to unleash unbridled orchestral chaos, The Golden Compass remaining the most intriguing of these entries. Thankfully for the giant radioactive lizard in Godzilla, Desplat doesn't allow his intellectual compositional mannerisms to take a leave of absence, resulting in perhaps the most orchestrally accomplished music in the franchise to date. As already mentioned, you hear pieces of Ifukube's identity in places, most frequently in the applications of brass, but in conjunction with the density that you expect from Desplat at his more rambunctious, a learned film music collector will hear similarities to Elliot Goldenthal's frightfully complex methodology of the 1990's and the brutal low brass usage akin to Don Davis' The Matrix trilogy as well. Desplat doubled the size of the brass section for this score, allowing both low concentrations of brute force and, when necessary, several overlapping lines of action without sacrificing power. To enhance the bass further, he brings his own trademark electronic bass pulse into the equation, too, and while this tone can prove really obnoxious at times, it's really only a problem when he allows it to ramble. In the opening cue, "Godzilla!" and at the outset of "Following Godzilla," this is the case, but later in the score, Desplat seems contented applying it as simply a whole-note bass accentuation tool, a technique that is far more palatable. The composer's use of ethnic Japanese flutes and Taiko drums is tastefully handled to avoid stereotyping, and his insertion of more primal jungle tones in the first half of the work, including vocalizations, is commendable. Some listeners may be reminded of John Williams' Jurassic Park at times given how well these colors are splashed onto the canvas without really defining the larger picture.

It's difficult not to admire Desplat's accomplished textural and emotional accompaniment to the script in Godzilla, his score often so smart in its execution of distinct loud lines of action that you can't help but appreciate the tenacity. The flipside of that benefit, however, is the digestive issue listeners might experience with the music. There are not many tonally pleasing moments of grandiose payoff in this score, the rhythms of "Golden Gate Chaos" and thematic culmination in "Back to the Ocean" yielding this work's few "ear candy" moments. Part of the dissatisfaction some listeners might have with this score is its underplayed prominence of themes. To say that it doesn't have themes is asinine, for Desplat does quite well at establishing identities for Godzilla, the family of humans at the emotional heart of the story, and even motifs for the MUTO's and their battles with humans and Godzilla. The main beast's theme takes significant time to evolve from the opening cue (the film doesn't reveal him until relatively late), but the switch to the major key for the heroic statement at the conclusion of the score is not to be missed. The string family theme in "To Q Zone" and "Back to Janjira" is somewhat muted compared to everything else, but it is a nice break. The rhythmic figured for the radioactive creatures in general (and the MUTO's by association) are all over the score, one of which ironically reminiscent once again of Williams' Jurassic Park. Action rhythms near the end of "Entering the Nest" combine this minor-third element with vintage James Horner brutality. The use of a wailing cry throughout the score is a convenient and attractive tone-setter. The choral layer is not very impactful as mixed, so don't expect the fantasy element to compete at all with the action one, especially in such a dry mix. Overall, you have to be patient with Desplat's Godzilla, for its opening third rumbles and toils in spectacular but not always memorable ambient textures. The middle begins to reveal the enticingly overbearing action in more tonal shades, and the final five or six cues form a powerhouse suite with the themes exposed for your enjoyment. The Desplat-only soundtrack album can be a tiring experience, but its highlights balance intellectual and accessible construction for an outstanding 20 minutes of smart sonic force. The trailer and parachuting scene in Godzilla utilize "Requiem, for Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, 2 Mixed Choirs & Orchestra" by Gyorgy Ligeti, and this track is unfortunately missing from the album. Still, if you have grown weary of dumb and derivative summer blockbuster scores of the era, then Desplat's aptitude at adapting to nearly any genre will merit your strong consideration.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download