Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #2,192
Written 2/13/21
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Buy it... if you wish to hear a composer write the perfect music
for not getting fired, no chances taken with this affable, lightly
dramatic spy entry.
Avoid it... if you are averse to unnecessary explosions of hard
rock muscularity in a comedy score that is otherwise well-natured even
in its darker passages.
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| Lewis |
My Spy: (Dominic Lewis) As a vehicle for producer
and star Dave Bautista of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts
fame, the 2020 kid's comedy flick My Spy isn't really for the
younglings due to a PG-13 rating, but who lets a little espionage
violence get in the way of entertaining kiddos stuck at home due to a
pandemic? Yet another film with theatrical hopes dashed by the global
virus predicament, My Spy had a strong showing on streaming
devices after being picked up by Amazon Studios. The plot is ridiculous,
of course, but such is the charm of the film. The burly, hard-edged
Bautista is a CIA operative tasked with solving a case of international
weapons dealers (along with, incredulously, Kristen Schaal as his
sidekick), and to find the targeted plans for a miniature nuclear bomb,
he must surveil a family consisting of a single mom and her spirited
nine-year-old daughter. The bright, smart-ass girl determines fairly
quickly that their new neighbors are in fact these CIA spies and
blackmails them into being her friends. Meanwhile the real bad-guys
eventually show up looking for the plans, put the girl and her mother in
peril, and get their butts summarily kicked by Bautista. Naturally, he
moves in with the family at the end, purely the stuff of sickeningly bad
scripts. The production turned to young Remote Control Productions
spin-off Dominic Lewis to provide the quasi spy genre score with hints
of comedy and light drama throughout. Lewis did his time as a
ghostwriter for Hans Zimmer, John Powell, and Henry Jackman in the early
2010's before taking his turn shedding the Zimmer clone definition in
the latter half of the decade, to a large extent on television. For
My Spy, Lewis writes music like a guy who isn't interested in
getting fired, following a very predictable playbook towards an
effective but not spectacular end result. There isn't much of a distinct
musical voice at work here, which is actually something of a benefit; in
circumstances like this, a composer may try to ape another composer's
espionage technique, and Lewis largely avoids that pitfall. If written
in the 1990's, though, this assignment would have been made for Randy
Edelman, especially in the rather light-hearted action material and
sappy character drama. The ensemble includes limited orchestral depth,
but a fantastic recording ambience allows soloists to shine.
The instrumental palette for
My Spy is
highlighted by twanging or slide guitar, electric bass, and low brass
blasts for humor, violin figures faintly mixed with almost
saxophone-like noir intent for suspense moments ("Room Service,"
"Private Eyes," and "Victor"), and hard rock outbursts in "Boys Next
Door," "Airport," "Fireworks," and "My Spy" for outright contemporary
coolness, albeit overplayed for effect. In between are pretty interludes
of French-oriented flavor for piano and woodwinds and thankfully not
accordions. Lewis remains loyal to his constructs throughout even though
the score doesn't harbor a musical narrative of any substance. His two
main themes are frequently applied but never really obvious, a problem
which by itself contributes to the unfortunate anonymity of the whole.
The primary theme has two variants, the more common one debuting in
"French Connection," opening "Framed Memories" on piano, shifting to
bold brass action at 4:12 into "Airport," and occupying child-like
innocence at 1:00 into "Sophie's Choice." Tortured hints in "Spies in
Disguise" before major statement at 1:44 into that cue lead to several
reprises in "Fireworks." A French-infused alternate take on that same
theme is the domain of woodwinds and recurs in "French Connection," "I
Spy with My Little Eye," and "Parent Trap" before informing the
character of "Sophie's Choice" if not in the theme's actual structure.
Meanwhile, the spy concept and villains of the tale receive Lewis' other
major theme, a descending phrase of only marginal malice that opens
"Private Eyes," throws some shade in the first half of "Airport," opens
"Bad Accent" on gnarly electric guitar, and contributes late in "The
Hug." It presents slight mystery at 0:32 into "Victor" and some humor at
0:05 into "Bathroom Break." Again, none of these melodic passages will
stick in your memory as much as the simply brazen attitude of the
outright rock explosions, but they're certainly appreciated. In all
reality,
My Spy could have succeeded just as well with a score
that features less personality and execution than this, so Lewis'
approach can be labelled a success. The score-only album presentation
clocks in at a short 37 minutes and its tracks are completely out of
chronological order. Few collectors will be clamoring for it, but
there's enough meat outside of the rather annoying rock sequences to
provide a smooth and agreeable listening experience. The affable
personality of the music owes much to the dynamic recording, the brass
in "Private Eyes" a particular delight, but you'll still forget this
conservative caper music in no time.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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