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| McNeely |
Return to Neverland: (Joel McNeely) There are two concurrent
debates involving studio methodology and concept overextension that are relevant to
Disney's 2001 animated feature film
Return to Neverland. The first exists
within Disney, which has battled with itself throughout the 2000's about whether to
release ridiculous low budget sequels to its classic pictures in theatres or
straight to video (the question of whether to produce such trash or not at all isn't
under debate, given the fiscal earnings of such items). The second debate involves
the pummeling of the original
Peter Pan concept, which was not only adapted
disastrously by Steven Spielberg in 1991 but has seen a range of cheap animated
sequels and spin-offs in a diverse range from
Return to Neverland to 2008's
Tinkerbell. Both of those latter two projects were scored by composer Joel
McNeely, who has managed through the decade to make a career out of providing
overachieving music for Disney's pacifier productions. In the case of
Return to
Neverland, while it will likely suffice to entertain the kids for an hour or so
and keep them from screaming wildly, its blatant exhibit of capitalism fueled by the
corporate lack of originality has nothing to stack up to the classic stature of the
original film. One of the few redeeming qualities of the laughable sequel, however,
is indeed McNeely's music. Although the music for the film is littered with
obnoxious character songs (new and adapted) that could cause adults to cover their
ears, the massive score is surprisingly dynamic and fresh. The film, to its credit,
minimalizes the modern pop influence in its songs as well, and
Return to
Neverland never really comes across as a musical travesty in the same way that
some viewers claimed that the sequel film insults the original classic on a larger
level. The score was released ingloriously to extremely limited interest in the
general population. Disney Records' album contains a remarkable amount of McNeely's
work and only one true pop song. That innocuous but irritating song, "Do You
Believe in Magic," is performed by the young male group BBMAK and is heard during
the end titles of the film. The only other major selling points for the mainstream
are the two song performances by folk artist Jonatha Brooke, whose voice lends
itself well to the children's fantasy genre. Otherwise, the film and album
alternate regularly between character songs and score.
The songs are usually short (around a minute in length, or even
less) and contain just a snippet of the story of
Return to Neverland in
musical form. Given the brevity of these songs, you can't classify the film as a
musical. But they unfortunately break up McNeely's score frequently, which is a
shame because that material could have constituted a strong album by itself. With an
impressively mixed orchestral ensemble performing at often breakneck speeds, the
score is a rollercoaster ride of large themes, prancing comedy routines, and a
handful of somber recollection pieces about a childhood lost. The resulting
listening experience is not only interesting, but it provides strong thematic
identity and a wink and a nod to previous versions of the tale on screen. There are
quite a few parts of
Return to Neverland that resemble John Williams'
Hook, which is understandable given the quality of the veteran composer's
handling of the topic. One of McNeely's themes is coincidentally informed,
strangely, by Williams' theme for Yoda in
The Empire Strikes Back. The brassy
theme for Hook is a swinging highlight. There are roaring moments, such as "Jane is
Kidnapped," that remind of McNeely's own wild pomp from
Virus and
The
Avengers. The straight comedy material is reminiscent of John Debney's many
parody scores of the era. McNeely pays attention to the music of the original
Peter Pan and subsequently Disney itself; pieces of "When You Wish Upon a
Star" are integrated fully in the opening, as well as in fragments throughout. An
appropriate dose of swashbuckling spirit is expected, and several comedic solo
performances by various instruments (highlighted by the viola in "Hook Deceives
Jane") make the composition a complex one. The general style of the work doesn't
have the ethnic flair of McNeely's later
Tinkerbell, nor can its vocals
compete with the voice of Loreena McKennitt, and it's thus a step behind. The film
probably didn't deserve this score, but McNeely's admirable effort in his work
remains consistently high, even for less than desirable films. The album is
presented in partially chronological order, and it would have been preferable to
hear the score massed together without interruption. The packaging of the product is
less than exciting as well, with a foul stink emanating from its insert (discussed
further in the "notes" section below). This score may not be of
Hook quality
in any of its parts, but it is still a solid entry in McNeely's underappreciated
career.
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- Score as Written for the Film: ****
- Music as Heard on Album: ***
- Overall: ****
| Bias Check: |
For Joel McNeely reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.38
(in 16 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.14
(in 8,429 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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The nsert includes no information about the score or film. However, if you
unfold the insert to view its poster, be prepared for a hideous, noxious stink to
irradiate the room. Disney Records was known for using some of the smelliest
glue or ink in its inserts in the entire recording industry. Keep small animals and
houseplants away!
