"Tron: Legacy" Score by Daft Punk Review

So, I've decided to write on this score because as I listen to it, I can't help but over think it. I mean, it's good, no doubt, but I'm hearing a LOT of unoriginalty. That sounds weird, right? Why don't I just say that it doesn't sound original? A lot of scores don't sound original, but this one sounds like specific scores. Yes, some artists do that too, but when they do that it's because of their mentor or because they have done so much or even too much. (John Williams for example. A lot of his filler music sounds the same because of all the films he's done in the past 40+ years. Hans Zimmer is another great example. He has taken on too many projects and gives them to his lackey's to do for him after coming up with some basic themes.) But as I listen to this score I find myself thinking, "Oooh. Hey! I know this! That's from 'Inception'" or "'Batman Begins'" or "The Dark Knight'" or "'Gladiator.'" I can hear some Harry Gregson-Williams in some of the opening tracks and a bit of John Powell, who I am less familiar with, but it is really, TRULY annoying to hear the same instrumentation, chord progressions, and such as some of these artists. Every so often I'll hear something original. "End of Line" or "Derezzed." So much Daft Punk goodness. This is the sort of stuff I was expecting when I realized that Daft Punk was two techno artists. (Forgive me for keeping my head in Movie Score Land. I am venturing out...a bit.) But tracks like "Recognizer" just miff me. It's SO Hans Zimmer. 

So I think we have established something. I am really annoyed that Hans Zimmer had his hand in so much of this score. Yes. That's actually my biggest complaint since I am very sick of him doing everything. Especially after "Inception," which I hate. Admittedly, this score reminds me heavily or "Inception." I noticed it IN the theater. Oh, Daft Punk, how could you do this? 

Let me continue. Or more, start from the beginning. 

Overture: 

It's very basic, slow, but it builds nicely. It's actually very reminiscent of the first film. Not in actual sound, but it just reminds me of the original with all the electronic sounds. It's rather grand.

The Grid:

This is a great track. I love that they used Jeff Bridges's opening lines. So cool. It's sets a very nice tone for the movie. It has the same melody as the "Overture," but it gets there faster and with more interest. And it has Jeff Bridges. Yay.

Son of Flynn:

I liked this bit in the theater when I saw the movie. I remember hearing it and loving it.  It's also perfect driving music. And it's sort of techno without the bass. Heh heh. I could be wrong, but that what it feels like. I also LOVE -- and I mean really enjoy -- the cadences. The candential six-fours with the V going to VI and then again with the cadential six-four NOT going to five. YES.

Recognizer:

Oh, Daft Punk. Why did you sell out to Hans Zimmer? Why, oh why?! Especially when he's in this "Inception" groove! Gah. That's not to say that I don't like it. It's not bad. It gets good 1:16 in when it goes to the "Overture" theme and gets rid of the big brass hits. But the lower strings underneath it all are SO Zimmer. Like, right out of "Dark Knight." Makes me want to smack Daft Punk. Silly, wonderful Frenchies.

Armory:

It's slow. When I put the score on in the car I actually skipped this bit after a minute. I was waiting for something to happen, but it was just so static. It fits the scene well, mind you, but it's just not...brilliant. I like it, I guess. That was a neat scene with Fergie or whoever the chick was. "What do I have to do?" "Survive." Heh heh. 

Arena:

It starts off slow, but then Daft Punk gets going and it is fantastic. For a few seconds. Then it's fun, but repetitive. The rhythmic hits underneath give energy to the repetition of the "melody," but it's fun. 

Rinzler:

Yeah, again, slow to start off with what with all the hits and the creepy electronic sound. But once more, Daft Punk brings something interesting to the table. And then Hans Zimmer at 1:20 uses the EXACT same effect he used in "Batman Begins." It sounds exactly the same. Again, it's repetive, but it builds. Oh, wait. Wasn't that does in "Inception"? Multiple times?

The Game Has Changed:

It starts off wonderfully. Very fun. It makes you want to grin mischievously because you remember the Light Cycles from this scene and you remember how brilliant that scene was. Again, another great song to drive to. Still a bit Hans Zimmer, but we are beginning to move past it. Ish. It's repetitive until 2:05 when it begins to build and then--a less than massive change. In fact, it keeps going, then changes and adds some rhythmic interest, but honestly, with the way this song started it sound have been so much cooler. The ending is strong. 

Outlands:

Fun. The whole time this song is fun. The chords are great, the underlying harmonies are fun, the electronic sounds work well, it builds nicely into a melody of sorts. It's interesting, if not a bit Zimmer. But still, it's very good. You start to get a bit bored and then...wait for it...you realize that the song is about to go somewhere and then it doesn't disappoint. The brass was great at the end. I wish that they had capitalized on how great that was.

 Adiago for Tron:

It actually feels for me like it was from Javier Navarrete's "Pan's Labyrinth" until about 1:15 and then Hans Zimmer and John Powell do some tinkering and I actually like it. I remember the scene and how emotional -- well, you know what I mean -- it was. The song drops off a bit as C.L.U. goes from Lucifer to Satan and then Hans Zimmer rather blatantly takes the score from "Batman Begins," hand it to Daft Punk and says, "try to be clever." ...And they aren't. I mean, the song's not bad, but honestly, if Javier Navarrete and Hans Zimmer were to do a score, this is what it could very well sound like. However, because of the scene I'll stop. Poor Tron.

Nocturne:

I dunno what this reminds me of to be honest. I mean, it sounds very much like the beginning of the score, and I like it. Oh. I know. "Princess Bride." No. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Get off the floor and stop laughing at me. But I like it. It's dramatic in a very non-grandiloquent way. Luckily, it's also short.

End of Line:

THIS is what I was wanting. Techno meets score. Yes. Castor, Daft Punk, The Grid, a night club, and Sam Flynn. Yes. Just listen to it and enjoy. I like how the "melody" changes instruments (?) even if it is repetitive. I mean, it's not the best thing ever, but I like it. It's what I figured that score would/should be like. 

Derezzed:

YES. And then...Kevin Flynn came to the party and got stuff done. YES. More Daft Punk goodness. Repetitive? Maybe a little...ish...sort of..yes. It is, but you enjoy it because while this song is playing, Jeff Bridges is owning people.

Fall:

This is good. Zimmer-esque? Yeah, a bit, but it's great. Is it just a descending B minor scale with a lowered 2nd and some do-me-so underneath? Yes. But I like it. 

Solar Sailer:

Yeah, well, in neither of the movies was this scene particularly interesting, expect theologically, so I guess the music is fitting. It's not terrible, but it's not amazing. It builds and sort of...builds. Much like a Hans Zimmer piece. It's okay. It's sad, but in a good way for the film. Luckily, it's also short. (Okay, please get on with it.)

Rectifier:

Gah. Hans Zimmer. Will you please just go away? And will you take John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams with you so that you can stop stifling Daft Punk's creativity? I mean, they're not Beethoven, but let them sink or swim on their own! It's not bad, but it so lacks originality. Oh, hey, there's the shimmery effect from the "Pirates" score... I would facepalm, but it doesn't feel strong enough. 

Disc Wars:

This opens like it should be from a video game. And then it says, "Hey, wait! I'm from a movie! Hear that? Hear that?! That's Hans Zimmer! I mean, Daft Punk. Yeah. Daft Punk." Okay, so perhaps I'm overreacting a bit, but I'm really done with Hans Zimmer doing everything. Please, sir, go take some music classes, learn to read music, and don't make your lackey's do all the work. Wait, what's that? Daft Punk at 2:00 in?? Yes! Here we go! And suddenly, the piece becomes from interesting. Seriously.And then what sounds like it could be a midi choir. Nice. Nice. I like that. Oh, wait. No. Here's Zimmer again. Doing what he always does. Build, then drop off. 

C.L.U.:

Yep. Villainous. A bit dastardly. A bit Zimmer, but in a not so terrible way. And then it gets a little electronic mixed in with some good old fashion Bernard Herman movement. And you know what, I'm okay with that. See, you don't know whi he is--most don't, and so I'm glad that they pay some homage to him. The brass arpeggatating up is very Herman--in a good way. And then they really start to get going. More Herman, and it's a little annoying, but it's a villain's theme. Duh. And then they abandon Herman to do some Zimmer, but it works and I like it. More building, but hey, C.L.U. is about the wreck someone and so I think we can put up with some building. After a while it does get annoying. Can't this score do ANYTHING but build? Reallly, guys? Oooh, and then--A Zimmer drop off. 

Arrival:

Ah, the "Overture" theme is back. Nice. It's very airy and mystical, but still retains some of the heaviness of the score. I like it, I guess. I mean, this was the bit with all the wonky theology so I have mixed feelings. But it's not bad. Again though, the static feel of it is very Zimmer. 

Flynn Lives:

An immediate harmony--I like it. It allows for the theme to creep in unannounced and sort of just move about. And then a sort of beeing noise from a wind or string--very Zimmer. Actually, I just remembered what the theme reminds me of--"Harvey Two Face" from "The Dark Knight." Meh. I'll live.  This song is repetitive, but okay. Please go somewhere--oh. No. It's not. It's doing what Hans Zimmer does very well--build. And build. And build. And make a lot of noise, but go no where.

Tron Legacy:

Wait--what? WHERE WAS THIS TECHNO IN THE FILM?! What the....!!!! Not even a facepalm can describe my desire to smack Daft Punk and then deck Hans Zimmer. I mean, it's the "Overture" theme, but in techno form and it's fun! It sounds so much cooler when Daft Punk just does their thing and tells the norm of film scores to go suck on a lollipop. In this track, you can really hear some Daft Punk. It's nice! It's grand like the beginning, but with some more life to it. And then the techno drops out a bit and you realize that the strings have been creeping in without you noticing and you don't really care because it's cool.

Finale:

Hm. It starts off slow, but you're still interested in the low brass and then they add in some harmony and you're sold. Is it genius? No. But it's pleasant. Cue strings. And there is the "Nocturne." But it's not bad. Cue "Overture" theme. Nice transition. And in it's grandeur, you want to hear Tron say one last time: "I fight for the Users." Oh. Wait. That what this sounds like! John Ottman's "Superman Returns"! Yes! Bah. That's annoying. That score was good, but I don't need to hear it in another movie.

Now that I really have listened to it and thought it through, I find that this score isn't that great. I mean, it fits the movie's grey, blue, subdued feel. But musically, it just builds a lot. And that's fine, just not very good. Honestly though. This IS Daft Punk. I'm not expecting John Williams to wow me with lost of musical interest, or 3+ themes per movie, or John Powell to bring me to tears with a piano and cello, but this score is repetitive and has so, SO much Hans Zimmer in it that I'm almost disappointed. It has some really great moments, but it's not going to win any awards or anything. (We'll let the movie do that for us.) But do I like it? Well, yeah. Is it worth the $10 on iTunes? Yeah. If you've got $10 in an iTunes gift card, sure. I would recommend John Powell's "How to Train Your Dragon" or Harry Gregson-Williams's "Kingdom of Heaven" before this, but it's not bad. My issue with it? It's too blue and gray and has entirely too much Hans Zimmer in it. But I do like bits of it, yes. 

My score: B

"Tron: Legacy" Movie Review

Spoilers...blah blah blah...Spoilers.

Also, I wrote this  early in the morning, so it's a bit disjointed. 

I would like to start out by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and that it was a very fun, if not theologically wonky, ride and that I would recommend seeing it in 3D as opposed to 2D because you will realize by the title sequence that you should have sprung for the 3D tickets if you see it in 2D. That being said let us analyze it.

Let's start with the plot. So, it''s basically the same plot as before with a few twists. I'm serious. I'm not complaining, but it's essentially that same thing. You're watching Sam Flynn break into Encom and thinking, "hey, this looks familiar." He gets onto the Grid and picked up and put into the games and you're like, "hey, this look familiar too!" And then he get's off-Grid...like his dad. It's all very similar. He has to fight his way to the center to this massive light to get out...like his dad. I'm not complaining--it's awesome, but it's the same idea. I mean, you even have the sort of revealing and deep conversation on the Solar Sailer thing across the sea (to the massive light). Honestly though, I am NOT complaining. It was faster, not by much, than the first one, but still the same plot outline. 

Speaking of similarities, let me quickly address the theology of the film. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Theology? In a techie movie about programs? You're joking?" Nope. Not at all. If you've seen the first one then remember with me the massive, MASSIVE Christian theme going throughout it about still fighting for God...I mean the Users. Same general idea in this one, but now, Jes--I mean Sam has come into the picture: Flynn's Son. Basically, Flynn=God, Sam=Jesus, and Kora=Holy Spirit. Ish. Seriously. This is all very New Testament what with Sam coming in to save the Grid from Clu 2, who came from Flynn and then challenged him thinking he was equal with him. Sound familiar? And, with the help of Flynn, Sam beats Clu and goes back to the world with Kora to change it. I mean, it's not perfect. Flynn is imperfect and has given up hope, he joins with Clu at the end, he didn't create Kora, he didn't send his son to the Grid--lot of issues, but when Kora says things along the lines of "He saved me," what else am I supposed to think? Now, the theology isn't all the same within the two films. Flynn goes off an tires this Buddhist thing which doesn't work. Funny how doing nothing and "removing yourself from the equation" does that. So, am I super happy with the theology? No. Will I deal with it and move on? Yep.

What else? Ah. Yes. Characters.

Flynn: He does a bit of development. He goes from annoyingly pacifistic to awesome to a tad less cool (last three minutes of the film were...disappointing). But he develops and it was cool to see Jeff Bridges acting like it was the 80s. So nice.

Sam: Well, see, he matures and becomes less cynical and steps up to responsibility. Not bad.

Kora: What was her purpose? To look sexy (as a straight woman, I am perfectly comfortable saying that she accomplished that) and to provide some plot point (which she did). Did she really develop? Yes. I guess, but not as much as the others. But let's be honest. Are we seeing this for character development? No!

Visual Effects. THIS is why we saw the movie. I'm not sure where to start to be honest. But the moment Sam get's on Grid and the Recognizer picks him up, you find yourself a bit breathless just because you are remembering the first movie and seeing the landscape of it the way you always wanted it to be. The Recognizers, the disks, the light bikes, the solar sailer, the Grid, off Grid, the costumes--everything. Everything about the visual effects it awesome. I mean, there are some continuity issues with the light bikes, but you don't care because from the moment Clu jumps into his bike you've been taken hook, line, and sinker. And the light jets are stellar. That is a very cool scene for a number of reasons. I'll digress and indulge for a sec: That scene is stellar. It's intense, high action, fun, and redemptive. I submit the greatest bit about that scene: "I fight for the Users." 'Nuff said. Honestly though--the effects are great. The buildings, the lighting--I could go on about the technical aspects of the movie from the costumes, to the cinematography, to the sound editing (which was rubbish to be honest), to the animation (which, aside from Clu's face was flawless), but I'll stop and go onto something I know more about:

Music. I'm actually listening to the score on youtube as I write this. It works well for the movie, but it's not very original and it's not very diverse.It's very, VERY Hans Zimmer. It sounds like a combination of his "Inception" and his "Dark Knight." But I like it more than "Inception." (Oh, may I just point out that the visual effects of this movie were meant to crush any dreams (pun intended) of "Inception" winning any sort of visual affects award--ever. Thank you.) The score isn't bad, but it's just not Oscar stuff. It's techno meets movie score and I love it, but they basically stole Hans Zimmer. Still, I would imagine that they are better musicians than him and can read music, which Zimmer cannot do. Not to put too fine a point on that. For the record: "Outlands" is a brilliant piece. 

What else. Let's see...Castor. Very fun. Very cool. He was terribly entertaining. Actually, that scene was brilliant. It was a bit dull, well, as dull as it can be with Castor, until Flynn showed up. I love that Daft Punk just started playing fight music as the disk jockies. Funny. Very funny. But when Flynn showed up the equation changed and he was awesome again. 

Ah. Yes. Let's talk about the homages to the original. Dillinger's son, the storage carrier having the label "Dumont" on it, the blue water, the touch screen desks--oh, so much. So much goodness. And Tron. Oh my gosh. When I realized who he was, I wanted to cry. I thought, "You can't do that to him! He's* Tron*, you evil Program! Jerk." And then, "I fight for the Users." Cheering in the theater, opening night. Brilliant. (Question: WHAT HAPPENED TO TRON?!) Also, I enjoyed that Flynn's and Clu's speeches paralleled. Very nice. Very nice indeed. I was waiting for Clu to say "This is out destiny!" Very nice bit of writing. 

Speaking of which...

The dialogue wasn't that good. Some of the lines were funny, others awkward, other forced, but for the most part, it wasn't bad. I enjoyed it a lot. I can forgive most of the problems with this movie because it was just so much fun and so entertaining. It doesn't help that I really liked the first one and so all of the nostalgic touches made my day. 

So. Over all. Better than the first? Well, yes. I hate to say it, but yes. But in a different way than  the first. The epicness of the this movie does not diminish that of the first. Not in the least bit. 

Where does it rank on my list of movies this year? Well, my list either goes "Dragon," "Tron," "A-Team," "Sorcerers," other movies ending with "Inception"/"Shutter Island." Or with "Tron" first. Dunno yet. I loved "Dragon," but this was excellent. 

So. 

Acting: B/B+

Visual Effects: A+

Lighting: A

Cinematography: A

Sound: C-

Plot: B

Dialogue: B

Characters: A-

Choreography: A+

Editing: B+/A-

Music: C/A (lack of originality v. fun)

Total: A

I recommend this movie--it's brilliant.