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| Debney |
Luck: (John Debney) When controversial but highly
successful animation producer John Lasseter moved from Pixar to the
upstart Skydance Animation, the first feature film to result was
Luck, airing on Apple's streaming network in 2022. The unique but
rather clumsy movie tells of an 18-year-old orphan, Samantha, who
strives to overcome her perpetual bad luck and look after a younger
orphan like an older sister. Sam finds a lucky penny that helps turn
around her fortunes, but she promptly loses it and is admonished by a
black cat that is revealed to be associated with the Land of Luck, which
produces lucky and unlucky items for the everyday world and is run by a
variety of Irish-leaning concept characters. Through leprechauns,
bunnies, and dragons, not to mention John Ratzenberger, Sam has to find
a way to fix the damage she has inadvertently caused to the Land of Luck
(and thus the real world) and restore her life to normal. Chases between
real life, the Land of Luck, and netherworlds in between all lead to a
frantic effort to fix the Randomizer machine that doles out both good
and bad luck to the real world so that assholes like Donald J. Trump
don't constantly enjoy the benefits of only good luck. To nobody's
surprise, Sam, her younger friend, Hazel, and the cat, Bob, all enjoy
the fruits of their improved relationships in the end. Critics weren't
overly kind to
Luck, but the concept appeased screaming children
as expected. The soundtrack for this big-budget movie is amazingly slim
on song placements, only two credited in the film. One is the obnoxious
"Lucky Star," performed by Sam's voice, Eva Noblezada, with zeal pop
flair, while the other is the obligatory end credits entry of mundane
character. Neither is related to the orchestral score for the film, and
only "Lucky Star" is featured on the otherwise score-only album. Though
choreographer-turned-director Peggy Holmes had collaborated with Joel
McNeely several times as she ascended to the director's chair, she
utilized the services of comparable genre veteran John Debney for
Luck. Having scored animated children's films and television
shows for several decades, Debney was an equally safe choice, the kind
of composer who could crank out a sufficient but unremarkable score for
a movie like
Luck with ease.
Astonishingly, Debney went far beyond his normal mode of
operation for
Luck, however, yielding one of the most effective
and likeable scores of his long career. It's the culmination of all the
best aspects of the composer's typical writing for this genre, packaged
with a perfect blend of melodic charm, ethnic hints, tasteful comedic
humor, contemporary coolness, and robust action sequences to produce a
very impressive narrative that is easy on the ears from start to end.
What starts as a typical Debney genre score of unassuming and innocuous
melodic grace builds into a symphonic powerhouse by its end, with smart
thematic development and, more importantly, a keen sense of tone in each
cue. Undoubtedly,
Luck is a triumph for Debney's that is highly
equivalent to what Craig Armstrong achieved with
The One and Only
Ivan two years earlier. Neither score overwhelms you with
sophistication or fresh ideas, but the execution of a heartfelt
narrative is so well handled that you can't help of but appreciate these
entries as the pinnacles of their genre. As with
The One and Only
Ivan, some listeners will discount
Luck as a fluffy
lightweight of little consequence, but such dismissal neglects to ponder
the standards by which these children's scores are measured. By these
metrics,
Luck is a truly outstanding work from Debney, and
listeners will be rewarded with not only bare thematic beauty but also a
handful of really well-layered action sequences in the latter half as
well. Debney excels at every facet here, his tone absolutely perfect for
the movie and the listening experience containing not a single
detraction from the smooth and generally optimistic personality of the
whole. He manages to establish and maintain a style that meanders
slightly through offshoot genres and especially winks towards other
composers at times, perhaps as a temp track adherence, but stays true to
the core spirit with each turn. Listeners will hear the highlights of
Debney's own score for
Elf throughout, but what's really
remarkable is how he repackages vintage James Horner and John Williams
action and suspense techniques in a cue like "With These Two Stones"
while channeling Alan Silvestri in the last portions of "A Lift in
Between." The emulation of Horner's mannerisms in several places during
the score is particularly intriguing, infusing greater depth to his own
styles.
The instrumental core of
Luck relies heavily upon
piano and woodwinds, with the string ensemble lending dramatic weight at
appropriate times and the brass section mixed extremely well in its
counterpoint and action duties. Occasional acoustic guitar is lovely,
and electric base and contemporary percussion lend some hip moments
along the way but never intrusively. Several conversational cues in the
score rely upon piano, winds, and guitar over strings as they explore
the melodic ideas with tender care and lesser volumes. The heart of
these themes is Debney's idea for Sam herself, easily identifiable for
film music enthusiasts due to its sharing of its first four notes with
Horner's iconic theme on piano for
The Rocketeer. The theme is
summarized nicely in the "Samantha's Theme" suite, opening that cue on
piano before the full idea is presented by others in the group,
including clarinet, flute, and oboe at 0:40 and the string ensemble at
1:20 with brass counterpoint. Sam's theme is tender on piano at 0:09
into "Sam and Hazel," with brief woodwind secondary phrases, and shifts
to oboe at 1:14 into "Good Luck All Day Long" with later fragments on
piano yielding to acoustic guitar and cello optimism at the end of the
cue. It continues with tentative charm at 0:14 into "Unlucky Day,"
becoming spirited throughout the cue, and is friendly on piano and
guitar at 0:30 into "Bob the Cat" and as woodwinds pass fragments around
to open "A Penny Lost." After a long absence, Sam's theme rediscovers
itself on woodwinds at the start of "She Has You" and later in the cue,
and it becomes an action motif at 3:14 into "Bad Luck is Good/Fixing the
Randomizer" before closing that cue in earlier redemptive tones. During
the finale, the theme returns to piano again at 2:36 into "A Forever
Family" and then moves to full ensemble with heart. It continues to win
you over on cello at 0:23 into "One Year Later," turns chipper on piano
and guitar at 0:44, and closes out the cue and score with an even bigger
full ensemble reprise from the theme's suite arrangement. Debney's
handling of this theme's dramatic sensibility is outstanding even if he
only marginally adapts it into an action motif during Sam's heroic
moments. Much of that duty instead falls to the bevy of themes that
represent the Land of Luck and various creatures and concepts associated
with it. This set of themes dominates the middle third of the score and
comes to its own satisfying conclusion as the universe is restored to
balance.
Some casual listeners may gloss over the themes of
adversity in
Luck because they are never enunciated with absolute
clarity in the score. They do, however, guide some of the most
interesting stylistic deviations from Debney and are thus important. Bob
is introduced with a slightly exotic high flute and metallic percussion
at the outset of "Bob the Cat" and "Chasing a Cat," but these fragments
develop into a wild, fuller motif over boisterous, Celtic-flavored
ensemble chase rhythms in the latter cue. (The second half of "Bob the
Cat" offers descending piano lines extremely reminiscent of 1990's
Horner melodrama.) This material is defined further at the start of "Sam
Meets Bob" while still elusive, stewing early in "Bad Luck, Bad Cat" and
returning late on piano and flute. That character's theme largely
dissolves thereafter, in part due to the dominance of the adversity
theme that represents the bunnies and other magical characters of the
Land of Luck. This material opens "Hazmat Bunnies" on rousing brass and
returns in lighter shades at the end of the cue, taking an openly
humorous
Mission: Impossible tilt in "Bunny Drone Activation." It
influences the action of "A Lift in Between," arguably the score's most
challenging cue, and its hints echo in early action of "Bad Luck in
Between." After continued influences in "With These Two Stones," this
material shifts to brass early in "Bad Luck is Good/Fixing the
Randomizer" with solid results, especially in the latter half. The
overall narrative arc of
Luck is heavily concentrated upon the
highly effective themes for Sam and the Land of Luck, and while the two
ideas never really mingle in the score as much as one might hope, one
could argue that they were never meant to do so from the perspective of
the story. The original album presentation of the score, running 66
minutes outside of the brief song, offers both of these themes in truly
satisfying development. Tacked onto the end of that digital product are
three tracks of varying quality, the "Luck Theme" a clear winner related
to its motif in the score proper. Meanwhile, "Luck Teaser" is far more
contemporary with a touch of soul and no relation to any of the score's
themes; it's more of a curiosity than anything else. Meanwhile, "The
Penny Depot" is a source-like cue that offers wild Celtic dance
personality with modern bass and percussion that also doesn't connect
with the score's themes. Although the score never did gain much traction
with film score collectors, Intrada Records thankfully released an
expanded and limited 2-CD set for the work in 2025.
While the 2025 album expansion for
Luck may look
upon first glance to add over 40 minutes of additional material, the
lengthy arrangement of highlights for "Luck End Credit Suite" is an
edited assembly. There is appreciable new material, however, including a
nice preview of the Land of Luck theme in "Land of Luck Introduction," a
proper start to the score. A lovely, Horner-like piano moment occupies
the longer version of "Bob the Cat," a distinct choral fantasy opening
is added to the start of "Sam Meets Bob," and a strong ensemble
introduction graces the outset of "Anything is Possible." Just
following, "This is for Hazel" breaks from woodwind pleasantries into an
acoustic guitar interlude with nice melodic development on flute in the
last minute of the cue. A brief new snippet at the start of "A Place
With Fire" is nice; the cue then combines "With These Two Stones" and
"Bad Luck is Good/Fixing the Randomizer" for the action finale. The
soul-infused "Luck Main on Ends" with female vocals is a stylish
conclusion, clearly built from the "Luck Teaser" recording. Finally,
"Land of Luck Pretty Version" is a more reserved variant of the Land of
Luck theme with great Irish-influenced woodwind solos and horn passages
in the middle. Some of the track expansions are nebulous, as in "A Great
Job," the affable but slight string and woodwind humor in the new "Lucky
Button," and inconsequential woodwind comedy added to the end of "Land
of Luck." The new "Jeff the Unicorn" offers a bevy of light woodwind
lines that are attractive but likewise muted, and the short jingle in
"Luck Whistles" isn't significant. Early tracks often start as they did
on the shorter album but continue for longer explorations. Four other
tracks are combinations of cues from the prior album. For those who
appreciate Debney's accomplishment in the score, the Intrada set is a
delightful boon that sustains the positive experience at the greater
length, inserts vital cues at the beginning and end of the presentation,
and offers some really wonderful, newly revealed moments in between.
That product also moves all the non-traditional cues to the end as
extras. On the whole,
Luck enjoys near-perfect execution of the
genre by Debney. While music like this typically earns a four-star
rating, this score achieves a fifth star because of its vibrant and
engaging mix. Each solo element is masterfully placed for the best
emphasis, and the brass in particular truly shines when present.
Listeners allergic to wholesome major-key goodness may find little of
value, but Debney's handling of the concept is more than lucky from
start to finish.
***** @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 3.1
(in 50,056 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
There exists no official packaging for the 2022 digital Milan
album. The insert of the 2025 Intrada album contains only a brief note
from the composer about the project.
