There is something vacuous about scores like Minions: The Rise of Gru; they give you the feeling that you'd get from John Debney entries in the same genre during the 1990's. Every moment in the score functions fine in its basic purpose, and there are recurring themes throughout. But there is a lack of distinctiveness to these scores that make them soulless and mechanical. Pereira earns his pay well here, and yet he doesn't expand upon his established franchise themes in ways that really attract or impress, leaving you wanting for development of ideas that seem doomed to the whims of the tired comedy techniques competently guiding each micro-moment of the narrative. The recording for Minions: The Rise of Gru sounds shallow, its orchestral presence weak and a poor mix of soloists diminishing moments that could have been standout highlights. With the 1970's stylings struggling on one side, the standard espionage mode for brass only occasionally excels on the other. The expected assortment of whistling and zany percussion is applied flatly to the mix as well. Thematically, Pereira returns to existing themes but not satisfactorily. The Minions themselves have a march that still sounds like a carryover from Zimmer's Madagascar scores, a somewhat amusing and effective idea built upon a simplistic melody over a persistent base rhythmic undulation. Unfortunately, there is no performance of this idea in Minions: The Rise of Gru that can compete with "Minion Mission" in the previous score. It's playfully hinted at the end of "Vicious Funk" and teased in "Fly Solo," reduced to fragments in "Distinguished Villains" and "Little Thief." The idea returns closer to full form in "Hide and Seek with Otto" and finally combines the full rhythm and theme on top in "Where is Otto?" But it doesn't gel further from there, hinted early in "Minions Fired," adapted in "Ransom Time" to Lalo Schifrin Rush Hour mode, and playfully frantic in "Minions on the Trolley." The rhythm contributes to the sneaking of "Intruders," acquires some funk late in "Groovy Kung Fu," and moves into devious action mode in "The Bank of Evil Heist." The latter portions of the score don't apply this theme in any major performance, leaving the listener without much-needed context at the end. The lack of a greater role for this theme is the score's most obvious detriment, though the plot does spread its attention around to other concepts, so perhaps losing this main theme should come as no surprise.

Replacing the main Minion march in the latter half of Minions: The Rise of Gru is the existing theme for Gru that dates back to prominence in "Happy Gru" from Despicable Me. It is whistled in vintage form in "Career Day" and adapted into a happy-go-lucky motif for the Minion Otto in "Otto's Motorcycle Chase." The most effective thematic manipulation in the score comes with the emotional depth afforded this theme in later cues, the idea turning sensitive and somber in "We Will Find You." That light, serious character extends to woodwinds in "Gru and Otto in Chinatown," which takes a vaguely ethnic, Chinese tilt but returns to happy form at the end. The Gru theme shifts back to soft whimsy in the middle of "We're Gonna Do It All." Meanwhile, the Vicious 6 and the battles associated with them are provided their own theme in this score, heard early at 0:19 into "The Vicious 6 Are Now Hiring" on brass and opening "Bedtime for Gru and the Minions" in transitional bravado. This theme offers the brass section its best moments in the score, as in the moment of high style early in "The Era of the Vicious 6," the quick reminder in "Minions Fired," and the brightly ominous pomp late in "Ransom Time." It is brutal at the outset of "We're Coming for You, Mr. Gru" (turning nicely snazzy again later) and transitions into a descending brass figure that becomes an action force in "The Bank of Evil Heist" and "Knuckles' Home Knocked Down," this manipulation sounding at times like an extension of the Minion march. Fragments of the Vicious 6 theme highlight "The Vicious 6 Confront Gru" and "Zodiac Battle" on the way out. The only other defined motific element exists for the Zodiac Stone, developed with minimal exoticism throughout "The Legendary Zodiac Stone" and returning to the same style early in "Otto Follows the Stone" and "Intruders" before being reprised shortly in the otherwise generic action of "Zodiac Battle." A handful of unique cues deserve call-outs, including wild exhaled vocals in "Intruders" and a solo female vocal opening "The Bank of Evil Heist." An exotic techno throwback in "Groovy Kung Fu" is opposed by quick rock flair in "Otto's Motorcycle Chase." (Additional music in the score is credited to rapper RZA, who voiced a role in the film; it's not obvious if this material exists in the motorcycle-related cues.) The Gru theme develops into a new heroic form in "Gru's Coda," and the score-only album closes with two annoying source songs for the Gru and Minion voices. Ultimately, the 50 minutes of this score on its own album offers poor recording quality and reveals little new of interest for enthusiasts of the franchise's music, Pereira playing this one too safe.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download