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Review of Monsters vs. Aliens (Henry Jackman)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... only if you're an established enthusiast of the similar John Powell and John Debney styles of effective, but anonymous slapstick material of frenetic exuberance for the animated genre.

Avoid it... if the prospect of hearing yet another Hans Zimmer clone produce a predictable score of little individual character is a yawn inducing recipe for boredom.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Monsters vs. Aliens: (Henry Jackman) Generating expensive hype by spawning the first 3-D advertisement to ever appear during America's Super Bowl in early 2009, Monsters vs. Aliens represented Dreamworks Animation's initial venture beyond the 2-D world. With the help of Paramount, veteran Dreamworks directors Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman are offering both 3-D and 2-D versions of Monsters vs. Aliens to children ready for another CGI adventure and adults nostalgic about the monster movies of the 1950's at which the film aims to parody. The lead character, voiced (and looking like) Reese Witherspoon, is hit by a meteor full of mysterious material that extends her to almost 50 feet in height, at which point the American government (led by Stephen Colbert as President, which is strangely appropriate the more you think about it) stashes her away with other monsters it has collected through the years. When nasty alien robots begin to destroy the planet, tearing at San Francisco with better efficiency than a giant squid, the earthly military unleashes the monsters against the villains. It's parody of the grandest order, with in jokes galore and a plentiful dose of cuteness. There was an obvious avenue to be explored with the soundtrack for Monsters vs. Aliens, one that could have ripped pages from every alien invasion and monster score from Akira Ifukube to David Arnold. Surprisingly, that direction was only barely touched upon in the music for this production. Not at all a surprise, though, is the fact that Dreamworks turned to Hans Zimmer to guide them to success for Monsters vs. Aliens. The animated projects of this studio have relied upon Zimmer and his wide range of Media Ventures/Remote Control assistants since the beginning, and that trend continues here. What has always been interesting to monitor is the actual assignment of the various films to Zimmer's associates (or himself). In the early days, John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams (along with Zimmer) produced the most attractive material for these ventures. In recent years, though, the assignments have begun to spin off (just like in the mainstream action genre) to Zimmer's lesser known assistants, and such is the case with Monsters vs. Aliens. For many, Henry Jackman is just another name amongst the several hundred that typically appeared on an album release of Zimmer or Powell's music. In fact, he's written additional material for Hancock, Kung Fu Panda, and The Da Vinci Code, as well as various programming and solo work in the television venue.

The most common complaint that veteran collectors of film music maintain about the music that arises from these Zimmer-related assignments is the fact that it all sounds alike. That is, essentially, why such artists are termed "Zimmer clones." Unfortunately, Monsters vs. Aliens does nothing to dispel this notion. Jackman has created music that Powell could have written in his sleep, with orchestral and electronic slapstick material that could practically be ordered from a company library at this point. So generic is the music for Monsters vs. Aliens that it effectively follows all the rules of a Remote Control style of application without providing any truly unique personality. The London ensemble and its accompanying voices not only proceed in stereotypical staccato movements, but the organic elements are mixed in such a way as to make them occasionally indistinguishable from their synthetic counterparts. A Hammond organ and associated sleazy lounge atmosphere is suggested in the rhythms of some cues. Cute sound effects, led by the mandatory theremine, are paraded with consistency. Stop and go action is countered by affable, light rhythms to coincide with the extreme synchronization points in the slapstick action. That action is nicely layered and applied with gusto in its cymbal crashing and blaring horn nobility, balancing each section of the ensemble with zealous intent. Occasional crescendos of gothic power, aided by distant organ effects, are welcome, though, as in "Susan's Call to Arms," the score typically degenerates into contemporary rhythms of enthusiastic, prancing attitude whenever it gets the chance. The score's thematic constructs are summed up in "The Ginormica Suite," and while these ideas are pleasantly constructed and performed, none is distinct enough to remain in memory after the conclusion of the film or album. Part of this is a pacing issue; the score often moves with tempi so exuberantly fast that you don't really get a chance to catch your breath and appreciate any of them (other than a pseudo Mediterranean subtheme of despair on violin). The score also imitates the style of the many 1950's songs heard throughout the film, culminating in the nearly intolerable "Monster Mojo." Ultimately, the music for Monsters vs. Aliens does everything it needs to in order to suffice (avoiding the word heard at the very end of the score), but in the absence of any truly interesting parodies of classic monster and alien themes and styles (the likes of which Michael Giacchino captured perfectly for his one cue in Cloverfield, for instance), the score degenerates into a standard, anonymous affair. Perhaps films like this don't deserve anything better, and it's impressive how Zimmer can plug any number of his assistants into these assignments with adequate results. But a sense of originality is definitely missing, regardless of the hoops effectively jumped through for this and equivalent entries.  ***

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 65:46

• 1. A Giant Transformation (3:06) • 2. When You See (Those Flying Saucers) - performed by The Buchanan Brothers (2:17) • 3. Tell Him - performed by The Exciters (2:35) • 4. A Wedding Interrupted (2:09) • 5. Meet the Monsters (2:29) • 6. Planet Claire - performed by The B-52's (4:37) • 7. Do Something Violent! (2:07) • 8. The Grand Tour (2:10) • 9. Oversized Tin Can (3:39) • 10. The Battle at Golden Gate Bridge (6:08) • 11. Didn't Mean to Crush You (1:51) • 12. Reminiscing - performed by Little River Band (4:14) • 13. Imprisoned by a Strange Being (5:28) • 14. Galazar As a Squidling (2:07) • 15. March of the Buffoons (5:16) • 16. Wooly Bully - performed by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (2:21) • 17. Susan's Call to Arms (3:03) • 18. The Ginormica Suite (5:52) • 19. Monster Mojo (2:08) • 20. Purple People Eater - performed by Sheb Wooley (2:15)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes extensive pictures and credits, but no extra information about the score or film.

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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Monsters vs. Aliens are Copyright © 2009, Lakeshore Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 3/19/09 (and not updated significantly since).