Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #1,633
Written 12/21/14
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Buy it... if you can't go wrong with Brian Tyler in ultra-masculine
anthem mode, his approach to this concept taking the simplistic,
bombastic blockbuster sound to levels of straightforward harmonic
pounding not often so shamelessly executed.
Avoid it... if you expect Tyler to pay tribute in any way,
thematically or stylistically, to the musical origins of this concept,
or if you wish for him to infuse the ethnic and narrative diversity of
Klaus Badelt's 2007 score for the prior franchise entry.
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| Tyler |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: (Brian Tyler) When
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird conjured the four now infamous
anthropomorphic turtles named after Renaissance artists back in the
1980's, you have to wonder if they had any inkling whatsoever that these
silly creatures would become popular enough to spawn several animated TV
series, no less than five feature films, video games, and a line of
merchandise that has now spanned two generations. Reaction to the 2014
live-action movie version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has
been really quite amusing, because critics have laid waste to the
picture for dissolving the concept down to boring rehash. And yet,
audiences continue to soak it up and offer millions of dollars of
grosses to the concept, ensuring that the planned sequels to this reboot
will proceed. A Michael Bay production, Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles of 2014 is mostly an origin story with the expected emphasis
on action, the four protagonist turtles battling an evil clan while
being pursued for the truth by a reporter who doesn't realize that she
has connections to the scientific beginnings of the turtles. There's
nothing understated about the film's straightforward plot, and the same
can be said of the music for the movie by Brian Tyler, one of the few
composers of this era comfortable supplying brute force of the Hans
Zimmer/Remote Control variety without sacrificing his desire to
perpetuate the rhythmic and thematic tendencies of the late Jerry
Goldsmith. The music of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
franchise has evolved in expected fashion since the late 1980's. In its
films, the original trilogy was tackled by Monty Python veteran John du
Prez, whose scores enhanced the snazzy pop attitude of the turtles with
some cheesy but effective action material. The evolution of the
concept's soundtracks became pronounced in 2007 when Klaus Badelt took
the CGI adaptation film towards the modern blockbuster sound without
sacrificing the hip attitude of du Prez's scores. With Brian Tyler comes
the complete evolution of the music, the original stylish pop mannerisms
left behind and replaced in totality by testosterone-laden, bass-heavy
action of the Remote Control variety. One of the interesting aspects of
this evolution is how these scores continue to push further from their
ethnic roots, with fewer and fewer references to Eastern instrumentation
remaining. In Tyler's favor, however, is the simple fact that the man
has absolutely mastered the modern blockbuster sound without sacrificing
all basic standards of orchestral excellence.
Some listeners will be exhausted by the stunning lack
of subtlety in Tyler's
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If you
thought that his work for the
The Expendables franchise was
shamelessly bombastic, be prepared for an even more consistently brazen
exposition of tonal force in this one. Tyler certainly hasn't lost his
ability to establish a set of themes and push them to their maximum
output with thumping percussion, broad strokes of low brass, and
standard choral backing. Several themes exist in
Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles, and it's nice to see the primary one literally open the
score. So often in modern scores, you get 30 seconds to a minute of
droning atmosphere before something of substance is stated; Tyler
dispenses with that notion and lets the brass immediately develop the
main theme, which is a nice change. The opening track on the album is
the suite arrangement of the theme, and it's simple enough to recall
easily as it prevails throughout the score. Don't be surprised if you
hear Goldsmith's
The 13th Warrior and
The Mummy
resurrected in this idea; it's good to hear Tyler clinging to those
Goldsmith mannerisms, including some unnecessary flourishes of
orchestral complexity at times, when it really isn't a requirement of
the job in this era. Among the secondary ideas, the most interesting
exists for the "Foot Clan" villains, as heard in "Splinter vs. Shredder"
and "The Foot Clan." The score is mostly a continuous presentation of
these and other melodies, usually dwelling in the bass region and
augmented with some form of electronic enhancement. Look for frequent
ostinatos on strings and unobtrusively layered loops. The ethnic element
is limited to occasional Taiko drums and gong, which is unfortunate. All
together, the score will tire you with its relentless heroism and
perpetual adrenaline pumping volume. In this regard, it's a fun romp
that is extremely easy to zone out to. On that same note, however, it's
not a score of the same narrative diversity of Klaus Bedent's 2007 work
for
TMNT. That rather forgotten franchise score not only reaches
back to the pop origins of the concept's music, but it also features a
fair amount of leftover ethnic grace from his exceptional
The
Promise the year before. Nothing in Tyler's score competes with the
lovely "Nightcrawler" cue from Badelt's work. But in this Hollywood
environment, Tyler earns his pay well enough, and his
Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles work is certainly a better packaging of mindless
blockbuster heroism than his sequels in the
The Expendables
franchise. No CD release was initially offered, but HDtracks.com made
lossless downloads available for $20. Approach this music with low
expectations and be rewarded with an easy hour of masculine stomping.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check:
For Brian Tyler reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.2
(in 41 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.13
(in 19,759 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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