The consistency of McNeely's orchestral structures becomes more
evident as the score progresses, with the final two cues, "Russian Gold" and
"End Credits," serving up melodic string performances that the film certainly didn't
deserve. At the height of the action, McNeely alternates between nervous,
contemplative ambience (based on timpani and woodwinds) and all-out, snare-driven
action that, with certain motifs in the brass, not only resembles Davis' work of
the future, but Michael Kamen's
Die Hard during that score's best moments.
With only a few surprising jolts to disrupt the steady ride, McNeely's score
solidifies its consistency as it continues to develop the thematic material
highlighted in the final tracks. The only stumbling block for a few listeners
might be the incorporation of electric guitars and an electric bass into early
cues. Two of these cues offer a contemporary action backdrop for the sky-diving
scenes, though one, "Ditch's Dive," obnoxiously explodes with the guitar in full
force, much like John Debney's ripping techniques in
The Scorpion King.
Interestingly, the use of the guitar fits the film's targeted style quite well,
though when applied in total contrast to an adjoining orchestral cue, the
instrument becomes cumbersome. The solo guitar is sadly absent from the rest of
the score; in fact, McNeely's work loses much of its contemporary touch as it
progresses to more of a Hollywood Silver Screen-formatted resolution. The
contemporary elements serve to add much welcomed spice to the score, just as they
would add style to
The Avengers several years later. The music for
Terminal Velocity never becomes as outlandishly stylistic as
The
Avengers would, however, and remains a more coherent and solid action piece.
The cue "Cadillac Freefall" remains a favorite, foreshadowing the highlights of
McNeely's tumultuous action music for the upcoming
Virus. Ultimately, the
consistency exhibited in this score might also be a detriment for some listeners;
an anonymous personality does inhabit the music as a result of its steady tone.
Many score fans will probably consider
Terminal Velocity to be an average,
if not mildly interesting action effort, and they would be correct in that
assessment for the most part. More than anything, the score continued to build
the case for many film music enthusiasts that McNeely deserved better scoring
assignments that were not forthcoming.
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