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The theme that Debney employs for the film compensates for the score's choppy entrances and exits by going into overkill in its application. Its statements are numerous and seemingly constant, inserted into nearly every cue in some form or another. The most remarkable quality of the simple, elegant theme is Debney's ability to make it flexible enough to fit into everything from a solo piano performance to a full blown waltz. Its prominent role in the film translates into several enjoyable cues on the album; Debney has arranged the cues so that you get a rotating taste of his material in a wide range of rhythm and instrumentation. The opening and closing cues, with the theme accompanied by an official head of state snare, are the highlights. The light guitar music, representing the budding romance between the princess and a friend, is also a highlight. Staying true to the spirit of both Julie Andrews and the film's unwavering goodness, Debney's music borders on becoming tedious in its consistently fluffy major-key prancing. Several almost parody-level rips of techniques common to classical music are also somewhat tiresome. The softer performances of the theme, most often performed by piano with light percussion, are a more enjoyable listen apart from the film than the dramatic flights of fancy by the whole orchestra, though their merging in "Mia's Decision" is a highlight. The pieces serving as source music, such as "Mia Visits the Consulate" and "Harp Interlude," break up the contemporary appeal that the score otherwise puts forth. That duality, though, was inevitable, and Debney should be commended anyway for his functionally light-hearted and appealing work for The Princess Diaries. The score was unlike Debney's numerous comedy efforts of the era, such as the slapsticky Cats & Dogs prior in the year, and could be classified as a straight romance score. The album is short in length, reflecting the concentration by Disney on the separate song compilation album. There really isn't a reason to hear more of this score, however, and for a plethora of reasons, it's surprising to see it on its own album at all. While it won't appeal to the majority of film score enthusiasts, those of you who are sappy Rachel Portman or Patrick Doyle fans may find considerable merit in its thematic simplicity and upbeat performances.  ***   @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 3.09 (in 49,879 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

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