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Silvestri's main theme for Ricochet is built upon oddly ascending phrases of near panic over thrusting rhythms, a trio of three notes with a tenth, falling one and no secondary phrase. It occupies all of "Main Title" over pounding and blurting rhythmic support from piano and brass; the underlying rhythm is somewhat mindless but appropriate for a revenge fixation. After bursting with pulses from brass and cymbals early in "Showdown," this theme interjects a few times late in "The Escape," stomps with malice at the start of "Viking Funeral," and slowly emerges out of the unengaging ambient haze in "Power Out." It ominously carries a sense of dread from low strings in "Bed and Breakfast" but importantly starts briefly exploring additional lines of more redemptive, hopeful spirit. That optimistic material carries into the deceptively pleasant "Drunken Nick" for piano, continuing in the middle of "Nick Styles Show" for a moment of sad drama on violins. Extending out of the score's confrontation motif for chime-tolling ensemble stature late in "Nick Styles Show," the main theme is accelerated at the beginning of "Blake Gets the Point" and goes fully frantic in that cue's second minute. Two motifs represent the darker side, one for the villain's focus and the other for confrontation generally. The villain motif develops out of the rhythm that underpins the main theme in "Main Title," rising pairs of notes on brass representing the melody itself. It explodes at the outset of "Gladiator Fight" with outrageous timpani pounding and stutters with force at the beginning of "The Escape," where it is joined by something of a swirling mastermind motif on woodwinds, previewing the same technique in Blown Away. This idea slows its pace under the confrontation motif in "Viking Funeral," offers sinister pulses early in "Bed and Breakfast" on harp and other lighter instruments, and returns to its higher-register mode of torment in repetitive statements during "Nick Styles Show." Finally, the villain motif blurts with malice on low brass in the action at the heart of "Blake Gets the Point." The confrontation motif meanders on descending note pairs near the beginning of "Showdown" and expands into an action form in the latter half of "The Escape," and it reprises this stance in "Viking Funeral." It bends pitches in the twisted final minute of "Bed and Breakfast," punches through in the latter minute of "Nick Styles Show," and is present but takes a back seat to the main villain motif in "Blake Gets the Point." Overall, Ricochet is one of Silvestri's least palatable action and suspense works, its demeanor grungy and mean-spirited while leaving no lasting melodic memory. The short album offers almost no narrative flow in its midsection, and it oddly ends with a "Silver Pictures Logo" recording that went unused for the opening logos. Only Silvestri completists need apply.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Alan Silvestri reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.26 (in 65 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.17 (in 43,453 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 34:19