: (Michael Giacchino) When writer
and director Brad Bird had the idea for this film bouncing around in his
head for several years before beginning production, you can easily see
why he dedicated himself to making it. While only the animated genre
would really work for the story,
is an
opportunity to mesmerize the kids with Pixar's usual magic while also
throwing a dose of modern reality into the story for adults to chuckle
about (
bridged this gap successfully and became a
smash hit for the studio as well). A high-flying superhero of the 1950's
is forced into a mundane, suburban lifestyle when faced with lawsuits
from ungrateful people whom he had saved, raising a family (all budding
superheroes, of course, along with Mr. Incredible's wife) that is
attempting to maintain a normal lifestyle while adorned with special
powers. Mr. Incredible himself is spotlighted as a study in the perils
of early retirement, sneaking off with other older superhero buddies for
occasional late night fun. As fate would have it, of course,
has a villain who wants to unleash fearsome robots upon
the earth from a Pacific island (no surprise), and our favorite family
of superheroes is called upon to save the day. The film was another
critical and popular triumph for the Disney/Pixar collaboration, earning
the top Academy Award for an animated film and raking in over $600
million at the box office. As confirmed by Bird, a sequel was long
rumored but eventually tabled. The director claimed that he had the
music for
in mind long before his writing was
finished, and that the genre he envisioned was always that of big band
jazz and orchestral action rolled into one. Such music was immensely
popular in capers of the 1960's, and the style established its best
footing in the James Bond films, which, more than anything else, put
that genre in the mainstream of film music.
When thinking of a composer to hire for
The
Incredibles, Bird also claimed to have difficulty finding an
individual who would honor the big jazz action sound without reverting
to more modern methodology, including synthetic loops and other
electronic enhancements. This remark by Bird is interesting, because one
obvious place to start looking would have been David Arnold, whose score
for
Tomorrow Never Dies, as well as his band experience and
reverence for the 1960's, might have served as a strong calling card.
The call for
The Incredibles went to video game and television
composer Michael Giacchino, however, whose studies of previous genres of
music and ability to reproduce them are equally strong, though noticed
as of 2004 only on a smaller scale. For Giacchino, the film was an
excellent opportunity to bust out into the mainstream film music
business, and he took advantage of the assignment to establish himself
as a reliable composer for Pixar and beyond, a reputation that led to
multiple Oscar nominations and his stunning awards wins for
Up
within five years. The style that Giacchino raised from yesteryear for
The Incredibles turned out to not only be a smart idea by Bird,
but also provided in its finished recording a piece of music that stands
apart with the glorious exuberance and uniquely perceptive appeal that
any feature cartoon deserves. Giacchino merged two sides of the same
1950's/1960's genre of spy thrillers: the silly caper music you'd often
hear on television, and the larger ensemble of related thrillers on the
big screen. He offers that pairing with a remarkable combination of
genuine attitude and occasional tongue in cheek humor. Rambunctious
themes are highlighted by wailing brass and wild percussion, and the
rhythmic structure of the genre is expertly executed from beginning to
end. Kids will likely devour the spirited explosions of jazzy themes,
although Giacchino's thematic constructs mature as the score progresses,
changing its perspective in much of the same way as the characters
mature as well.
The score's attention to the film's evolution alone
requires recognition of Giacchino's ability to avoid getting caught up
in the rapture of his own creation, although he does allow quite a
celebratory arrangement of his themes over the end credits (Gordon
Goodwin won a Grammy Award for his work on "The Incredits"). For fans of
John Barry and David Arnold's James Bond scores, there are moments of
less loungey inspiration that you'll likely recognize (with maybe an
intentional tip of the hat at a time or two by Giacchino). The
fluttering string theme of "The Glory Days" resurrects perfect Barry
whimsy, and the awesome character melding of jazz and action in "Bob vs.
the Omnidroid" turns a twist on Arnold's more traditionally-minded Bond
work (and
Tomorrow Never Dies most specifically). The churning
repetition of the evil mastermind's plot-thickening bravado in "New and
Improved" and "Kronos Unveiled," highlighted by a rolling piano in the
latter cue, represents the typical fashion in which Barry often built
suspense in his own Bond efforts. Outside of this inspiration, you also
hear the roots of general children's genre action motifs that would be
expanded upon by the composer in his later animation scores. Despite the
memorable placement of outrageous, explosive action in
The
Incredibles, the diversity of its interpretations of the genre are
what keep it interesting. Whether the jazzy element is intimate or
soaring, its rhythmic foundation is always present, thus making
Giacchino's effort an intelligently dynamic but consistent product. Even
outside of context, the affectionate style of the music projects itself
as being perfect for a comedy film about aging superheroes, but whether
or not you will enjoy that tone on album will depend on how easily you
fall for the allure of the vintage high jazz and caper genre. No matter
how masterfully Giacchino's work succeeds for some listeners, it's also
pretty easy to imagine it causing headaches for others, if only because
of its inherent parody stature. It's one of those mood scores, a piece
of music that will spark the right enthusiasm when you're in a
particular need for sonic flair, but also a work that may be less
tolerable during the second listen once you've satisfied your
craving.
Others, one may suspect, will run screaming from the
room when the album for
The Incredibles is played, and such a
mixed reaction could probably be expected given the intensity of the
loyalty to the genre that Giacchino maintains. A few technical notes
about the recording may influence your opinion as well. First, one of
the reasons the score exhibits such authenticity in capturing the feel
of the genre is because it was intentionally recorded with analog
technology. If you're seeking sound quality as crystal clear and vibrant
as the just previous (and similarly conceived)
Sky Captain and the
World of Tomorrow by Edward Shearmur, then you might be disappointed
with
The Incredibles. Secondly, emulating Jerry Goldsmith's
technique, all of the elements of the orchestra were recorded together
in the same room for this score, none of the brass or percussion tracked
in at a later time. It's difficult to describe how this affects the
recording precisely, although a more fluid, better integrated ambience
in the fuller moments may be the result. Finally, the score seems
awkwardly balanced between the two sides of the soundscape, with more of
the live percussion and additional brass elements coming clearly through
on the left side and the slightly more muted elements occupying the
right side. This last observation will not necessarily detract from the
score for casual listeners, but it's simply something not heard often in
scores today, and it gives more ammunition to collectors of Giacchino's
music who insist that engineer Dan Wallin's recording and mixing
techniques for these scores often ruin them (if not in poor arrangement
of the elements, then with a ridiculously dry and muted ambience).
Overall,
The Incredibles is a well-conceived, refreshing
resurrection of a genre long-deserving of such a thoughtful
interpretation. Whether it fits your current mood will likely determine
everything about your liking of or tolerance for it. For a first feature
score of this quality, a tip of the hat was warranted for Giacchino, who
had long generated speculation that he would be an eventual force in
Hollywood since his first "Medal of Honor" video game score five years
prior. Little did his collectors know just how important
The
Incredibles would be in sending the composer down the direct track
to widespread success.
**** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
| Bias Check: |
For Michael Giacchino reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.46
(in 43 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.21
(in 23,411 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
