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| Kamen |
X-Men: (Michael Kamen) Although comic superhero
adaptations had already populated the big screen in sparse numbers from
the 1970's through the 1990's, it wasn't until the 2000's that the
wealth of characters seen for decades in the comics of Marvel
Enterprises made it to the big screen. And then, with ferocious intent,
studios pressed forward with franchises for
The Incredible Hulk,
Spider-Man,
The Fantastic Four, and
X-Men. The
first of these adaptations was an ambitious production of
X-Men
in 2000, with a top notch cast and extremely high expectations. While
eager fans of the long-running comic found much to be happy with in the
final product, executives at 20th Century Fox nearly ruined the venture
with troublesome meddling late in the game. It was a classic case of
industry artists versus studio suits, the latter demanding frantic
changes to
X-Men through the final weeks before its debut. One of
the areas most deeply affected by this disheartening battle was the
music for the film. Director Bryan Singer was originally set to utilize
the services of his regular collaborator, John Ottman, but despite the
young composer's desire to enter the realm of superhero films (which he
would eventually accomplish in both this and the
The Fantastic
Four franchises), Ottman had to step away from
X-Men due to
scheduling conflicts. On board came veteran Michael Kamen, whose career
in fantasy and science-fiction was a bit sparse. He wrote a melodic
score fashioned after the style of the
Superman and
Batman
franchises, which was understandable given his move towards dramatic
lyricism in
What Dreams May Come and
The Iron Giant over
the previous few years. The studio, however, reportedly wanted a score
with a more abstract, electronic edge, and Kamen was sent scrambling to
alter the personality of his work. As a result, fans heard a score more
in tune with the trashy
Event Horizon, with pieces of the score's
former self mixed into a few of the scenes. The lack of cohesion in the
music is most evident on the album, which was assembled in haphazard
fashion as well. The score, while serviceable, is among the weakest for
any Marvel adaptation of the 2000's, and the album provides an even less
remarkable listening experience.
Had Joel McNeely not replaced Michael Kamen on
The
Avengers two years prior, Kamen might have produced this exact same
result for that film. His score for
X-Men straddles the line
between electronic ingenuity and traditional orchestral elements, with
the latter still receiving the primary role even after the last minute
adjustments. The difference between this music and Kamen's more
recognized material for
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and
Die
Hard is the lack of recognizable themes and a heavier reliance on
dissonant and unnerving environments. The majority of the score features
bland orchestral tension in the minor key, served over a background
layer of electronic whooshes and grinding effects. Most of the score is
dark and sinister, accentuating the futuristic, awe-inspiring concept
with ominous meanderings of the string section. The opening cue on
album, "Death Camp," is a highlight that uses a lengthy piano and string
introduction to a timpani-pounding crescendo of menacing force. The
dramatic undertones of the persecution of the mutants is effectively
conveyed in this weighty material, but missing is the ambition or
conflict that results from that premise. The electronic accompaniment,
often tingling in the form of a light rhythm, as well as a choir,
provide the fantasy atmosphere in "Mutant School" and "Cerebro,"
respectively. While pieces of Kamen's original thematic ideas are still
heard in parts of the film, they are almost completely lost on album. A
hint of development in "Ambush" is among the few snippets we hear until
the romantic "Logan and Rogue" cue at the end explores an appropriately
tragic idea. The action material is, like
Event Horizon,
consistently loud and aimless. Despite the more rewarding harmonic
expressions in "Logan and Rogue," the cue and album bubble away into an
anti-climactic and unsatisfying end. Fans of the score have long sought
bootlegs of the complete recordings that better expose Kamen's
intentions for
X-Men, and, given the circumstances, there is
likely merit to their existence over other bootlegs. The commercial
album will require both patience and some picking and choosing of
favorite parts to appreciate. The sequel scores by John Ottman and John
Powell over the remainder of the 2000's are both superior efforts that
provide the concept with better themes and engaging action material.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| Bias Check: |
For Michael Kamen reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.14
(in 14 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.22
(in 33,316 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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The insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
