Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #1,552
Written 4/15/12
Invert Colors
Buy it... if the predictably affable and light-hearted tone of Alan
Menken's usual fairy-tale mode is what you seek, for the composer
adheres to his trademark formulas for this breezy listening
experience.
Avoid it... if you demand resounding fantasy depth to match
Menken's more impressive The Shaggy Dog from 2006 or expect the
Bollywood song at the end of Mirror Mirror to align well
stylistically with the score.
 |
| Menken |
Mirror Mirror: (Alan Menken) The first of two
movies based upon "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm to be released in
2012, Mirror Mirror is a fluffy comedy event targeted at teenage
girls. It's a silly variation on the core concept that sees Show White
banished by her evil Queen stepmother to the forest surrounding her
father's kingdom's castle. There, she aligns herself with the seven
dwarves and the impoverished townspeople to steal money from the Queen.
When a wealthy Prince enters the equation, the Queen first attempts to
woo him, but his encounters with Snow White and her mischievous ways are
destined to help restore the Kingdom. The movie is carried by Julia
Roberts in the role of the mean and sarcastic Queen, her persona defined
more by insecurity than pure evil in this interpretation. A fair amount
of scary magical elements, stupid comedy (including the introduction of
a combatant dwarf with the line, "Say hello to my little friend"), and
ridiculous fight scenes placed Mirror Mirror alongside The
Princess Bride rather than previous adaptations of the tale aimed at
younger audiences. The target teenage demographic was seemingly
unimpressed by Mirror Mirror, however, vastly preferring The
Hunger Games in April, 2012. Mixed critical response and weak box
office returns exposed an indifference to Mirror Mirror that
caused the film to miss expectations, its charm seemingly overlooked by
audiences distracted by darker fantasy subject matter. From the very
start, the film's soundtrack was dominated by a song called "I Believe
in Love" that director Tarsem Singh sought to include at the end of his
picture. He had lead actress Lily Collins (who, despite being the
daughter of the famed Phil Collins, had no professional singing
experience) perform this awkwardly Bollywood song for the final
celebratory scene, but it took him over a year to acquire the licensing
rights to the song because nobody knew who originally wrote it. In a
search that spanned the world and included queries to the government of
Iran and the tireless work of a private investigator in America, the
director finally learned that the song he wished to use was written by a
young American woman in 1971 and Relativity Media secured the rights for
a cover version. Singh then battled the studio after it attempted to axe
the song due to poor test audience reactions from adults. Due to its
appeal to the target demographic, however, the song made the final cut
and is the most lively inclusion on the otherwise non-musical soundtrack
provided on short notice by fairy-tale veteran Alan Menken.
The popular Disney and Broadway songwriter had no
intention of writing a straight film score in 2012, but Menken's agent
convinced him to give
Mirror Mirror a second look. Non-musical
original scores are rare for Menken, though his work for
The Shaggy
Dog in 2006 remains a hidden highlight of his career, especially in
its fantasy genre muscularity. After working at breakneck speed to
complete the writing and recording of
Mirror Mirror in eight
weeks, Menken conceded that he had tremendous fun with the assignment,
in part because the style of music desired by the movie was precisely
tailored to his preferred style of fluffy, dainty, and tonal melodies
rich in treble region representations of fairy-tale stereotypes. Indeed,
there is really nothing in this score that will surprise those familiar
with Menken's trademarks. His music here sounds like a blend of fellow
songwriter Marc Shaiman's shamelessly happy thematic and instrumental
mannerisms, Danny Elfman's humor in occasional spurts of personality,
and Menken's own pacing and narrative structures. That last point
includes the broadly awe-inspiring "Opening" and the grandiose choral
fanfare at the conclusion of "Happy End." The orchestrations are mundane
and predictable with the exception of the Elfman-like humor in "Beauty
Treatment" and a slight Zorro influence (with electronic loops) in
"Dueling." Light piano-led romance in "Seduction" and "Love Potion" is a
throwback to yesteryear. Menken fans will recognize some old favorites
at times, too, a piece of
Aladdin at 2:13 into "Love Potion" and
hints of
Beauty and the Beast at the beginning of "The Ball."
Thematically, Menken utilizes the melody from the song and a variety of
his own ideas with consistency. The theme based upon "I Believe in Love"
dissolves intelligently at the outset of the score, heard with optimism
in "Snow White and the Kingdom" but with disappointed sadness at the
outset of "The Queen Wants Snow Killed." His original themes include a
sprightly identity of rising three-note phrases for Snow White (heard
mostly at the beginning and end of the score), a descending and sinister
representation of malice for the Queen in "The Queen Wants Snow Killed,"
and a heroic fighting melody that develops in "The Training" and is
unleashed with impressive brass force near the conclusion of "Mannequin
Attack." On the whole, there's nothing offensive about Menken's score
but nothing groundbreaking about it, either. The alternative mix of the
song featured at the end of the album subtracts some obnoxious vocal
layers and is thus more palatable. It's great to hear Menken cranking
out the music he does best, but be sure to temper your expectations
unless you're specifically in the mood for his usual style of playful
fun.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check:
For Alan Menken reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.71
(in 17 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.47
(in 60,229 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
|
