Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this is a theatrical release rather than straight to DVD. I like Mancina and his first score was pretty good but I can't say I'm clamouring for this one.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this is a theatrical release rather than straight to DVD. I like Mancina and his first score was pretty good but I can't say I'm clamouring for this one.
Oh, you're right. I think earlier on I heard it was going directly to DVD, but I've been wrong before. Hopefully the score is as good as the last one. I still think Track 4, 'Planes', is the best one on the whole album.
It is theatrical, the first one was a sleeper success, pretty good movie, and the score was very likable. Actual themes!
Does anyone make animated films with the "musical wallpaper" approach? It seems the animated flicks are getting everybody's best work these days. I love Captain America and to a lesser extent The Avengers, but I'll chuck 'em both for The Croods and Lilo and Stitch!
It is theatrical, the first one was a sleeper success, pretty good movie, and the score was very likable. Actual themes!
Does anyone make animated films with the "musical wallpaper" approach? It seems the animated flicks are getting everybody's best work these days. I love Captain America and to a lesser extent The Avengers, but I'll chuck 'em both for The Croods and Lilo and Stitch!
Agreed on that TG, some of the best work is being done in animation, and often the films themselves having a better ratio of good to bad than the live action stuff. Just a hunch that these animation directors are a bit more pro-music, and less afraid of it stealing the limelight. They might actually understand that it elevates the picture when they let these guys loose.
How to Train your Dragon and Planes 2 coming up here soon should both be very good.
It is theatrical, the first one was a sleeper success, pretty good movie, and the score was very likable. Actual themes!
Does anyone make animated films with the "musical wallpaper" approach? It seems the animated flicks are getting everybody's best work these days. I love Captain America and to a lesser extent The Avengers, but I'll chuck 'em both for The Croods and Lilo and Stitch!
I know I am going to get hell for this. But I personally think the Pixar scores are pretty boring and forgetful. I can't recall a single theme from a Pixar film other than some jazzy stuff in The Incredibles.
I know I am going to get hell for this. But I personally think the Pixar scores are pretty boring and forgetful. I can't recall a single theme from a Pixar film other than some jazzy stuff in The Incredibles.
It is theatrical, the first one was a sleeper success, pretty good movie, and the score was very likable. Actual themes!
Does anyone make animated films with the "musical wallpaper" approach? It seems the animated flicks are getting everybody's best work these days. I love Captain America and to a lesser extent The Avengers, but I'll chuck 'em both for The Croods and Lilo and Stitch!
I know I am going to get hell for this. But I personally think the Pixar scores are pretty boring and forgetful. I can't recall a single theme from a Pixar film other than some jazzy stuff in The Incredibles.
Some of the best, most tuneful scores (imo) by Randy Newman are for Pixar movies. The man can write insanely soloistic melodies.
@ Jason LeBlanc- Not my cup of tea. It sounds so dated. Listen to Disney's Snow white (Which actually came out in the 30's) and it doesn't sound dated like that.
@ Jason LeBlanc- Not my cup of tea. It sounds so dated. Listen to Disney's Snow white (Which actually came out in the 30's) and it doesn't sound dated like that.
@ Ado- Proud card member.
One More Kiss, Dear from Blade Runner must be right out as well. ;P (It's SUPPOSED to sound dated!)
Got around to picking up this score recently. I thought Mancina did a fine job on the first score and was looking forward to the second. So here goes:
At first, we get three songs. Still I Fly by Spencer Lee is a generic pop song. I probably won't remember it. Brad Paisley's two songs are next. Runway Romance is probably pretty good if you're a country fan. I enjoy his voice and the song is catchy enough. All In is more of a power anthem about, well, fighting fires. The songs are fine, but not totally my cup of tea. Then we get to the score.
The main title is exactly the same as the first (as far as I can tell), which kind of strikes me as lazy - it would be nice to have it rearranged or changed in some interesting way. But it's such a nice tune and so well orchestrated that I have a hard time complaining.The second track, Propwash, starts with a jaunty, backwoodsy feel; but then strings come in and before you know it the brass plays an inspiring, heroic theme. The Planes theme returns a bit in Dusty Crash Lands, but with an appropriately perilous feel to it. Several tracks, like Pontoons, feature a low bassline (tuba, I believe) before instruments in a higher register join in with a catchy tune; these sound like they could have come straight from Chicken Run (which I mean as a compliment). Training Dusty is a musically satisfying training montage. It's Hip To Be Cad is a 2.5 minute (probably source music) jazz piece. Fire By The Lodge and Behind Enemy Lines are both well-written action cues and Thankfully, the Planes 'fanfare' heard in the opening titles is reprised in Dusty Saves The Day. A bit of it is also heard as a slowed-down, piano theme in the last 15 seconds of Saving Dusty. You Had Us Worried is kind of a strange title for a closing piece, but the music is fitting. It encapsulates several themes heard earlier on the album, and finishes full of energy, with a fantastic rendition of the Planes fanfare.
There are only a couple downsides I could find that take away from the listening experience. One is the list of 11-second to 25-second cues. Sometimes there's barely enough time to get a thematic statement in, and then we're off to the next track just as quickly. This is a minor complaint at best, though. The other is the lack of the theme from the Planes: Fire and Rescue Main Title. This is also a more of a personal objection than an objective complaint, but I really enjoy the theme Mancina wrote and would have been eager to hear how it was used and developed across the album. Instead, we only hear a tiny twinkling of what it could have been. Again, this isn't that big of a complaint, but these are really the only two things that come to mind.
Overall I did enjoy this album a lot. It's got a lot of maturity for a cartoon soundtrack, and I would rate it higher than the original Planes album. If you liked the first one, grab this as well.
I have bought this score, based on how much I liked the first one, but haven't listened to it properly yet. I did play the first few score tracks though and was quite shocked out much alike they were to the first one. Seriously. The first track does feature a more symphonic rendition of the main theme but the 2nd score track emulates the 2nd score track from the first one to a tee, at least early on. I will get back here when I've listened to it fully a few times. I agree, it's a great (and memorable) main theme.
I have mixed feelings about the second score. There are a lot of outstanding cues but some of it was repetitive. I eventually made a "best of" from both Planes and Planes F&R into a 120 min playlist and its stupendous.
