Review
Wow, listening to this soundtrack again was a throwback, as it was among the first soundtracks I listened to as a kid. When I was about to re-listen to this score to give it my review, I thought perhaps the extent to which I loved it would be mainly for nostalgia’s sake, but I found myself very impressed from an objective standpoint. Something I appreciated now is how it has two very different styles and instruments used, one for the present day, the other for the medieval period in the movie. The medieval style parts contain more orchestral instruments, while the more modern stuff has a slightly electronic quality to it. This score reminds me what I love about a lot of soundtracks around that time in the early to mid-2000s — they do not hold back on the intensity and the emotion of the moment. They go all in, and I find that trait to be less common nowadays, and I certainly miss it. The score contains a lot of orchestral strings, brass, and intense drums, and the motifs are clear and notable. The softer, more emotional themes highlight what sound like woodwind instruments, (granted, I’m not a musician, so mine is the untrained ear). One such example is the track “Lady Claire and Merek.” The score has a couple of soft, beautiful, more emotional tracks in the midst of the intensity. I love when a score can do that, have that range of emotions in a way that feels natural (another thing soundtracks from the 2000s excelled at).
Review by Michael.