Age of Ultron Avengers: Orchestra Assemble! Composer Thread

[The_Manhunter]

I liked the music when Vision, IM and Thor blasted Ultron

Avengers Unite was indeed good music

 

[slumcat]

Avengers Unite played during the slow motion single shot of all the Avengers fighting together, didn't it?

 

[TeeKay]

Yeah. It was beautiful.
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[ddddeeee]

At 3:42 into 'Farmhouse' Elfman reprises the 'childhood' theme from his score for Ang Lee's Hulk if that interests anyone.

 

[Elevator Man]

Better late than never. I recently got around to listening to the A:AOU ost. The score in the movie failed to leave any impression on me on first viewing so I didn’t think much of it. But my first impression of the score on album wasn’t anything special either. It lacks cohesion and a narrative structure that would help it flow smoothly, which the actual movie/story suffered from as well. Even though I’ve seen the film once I could tell the cues were out of chronological order on the album. Some of the cues (particularly Tyler’s) was difficult to follow out of context and is probably better in context. Though in context the score still suffers with it being poorly mixed and buried under plenty of sound effects. Assembling the tracks out of order really hurt the pacing and made the 78 minute album feel clunky and more bloated.

Tyler’s cues weren’t anything special and were average at best. I even think it’s a step down from his IM3 score, which I thought was a decent score overall. The cues that he wrote lacked that ‘Star Wars‘, ‘Superman’, and ‘Raiders’ approach that he claimed was his inspiration for A:AOU. I think Tyler bit off more than he could chew making that statement. The score was far from Williams-esque especially of that era in his filmography.

Going off of the album I felt his material was mostly trying to keep up with the action scenes, special effects, and whatever’s happening on screen. It doesn’t add much to the narrative, imo. If it was mixed better in the movie it probably would be more effective in context. And a lot of his percussive bombastic action cues felt repetitive without any nuance. I feel that Tyler, who has scored two MCU movies prior to A:AOU, missed a big opportunity to improve on some of the things I found lacking in the previous score by Silvestri, which I thought was good but nothing particularly special either.

Other than Tyler's Iron Man theme, which didn’t amount to much in this score other than being quoted for continuity‘s sake, the only theme of his I noticed was his menacing Ultron theme/motif, which reminded me a lot of something from Zimmer’s TDK/MOS scores. After IM3, T:TDW, TMNT’14’, I feel that based on his score to A:AOU that he’s getting a case of superhero fatigue at the moment.

Speaking of a composer who should be feeling superhero fatigue at this point with the amount of scores he’s written for the genre. Elfman wrote the more appealing material between the two easily, imo. Not saying that b/c I’m a bigger Elfman fan but, Tyler’s music pales in comparison. This album would’ve been a bore without Elfman’s contribution.

His Avengers “hybrid” theme is the highlight of the album. It’s a theme I could listen to repeatedly. It’s that good. The “hybrid” theme is definitely something I could easily associate with “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”. He took a more whimsical, triumphant, and even swashbuckling approach with the Avengers main theme. Elfman makes Silvestri’s already excellent main theme his own, imho. The “hybrid” theme makes a great secondary theme but I also believe it reflects the transition and evolution of the Avengers becoming the New Avengers by the end of the movie.

Listening to his cues I think Elfman had been itching to score another superhero movie, which has been a while, so when Marvel/Whedon request his assistance he took the opportunity.

Also the pastoral and tender music (accompanied by acoustic guitars) during the “Farmhouse” cue gives the score more heart and nuance, imo. However as good as Elfman’s material is it doesn’t completely save the score. He was brought in the last minute and even though he did the best he could with the short amount of time he had working on it. I believe he should’ve been the sole composer from the beginning. I think we would’ve gotten a better and more focused score than what ended up in the final product. Plus he’d have more than a month to work on it. His effort seems like he’s just filling in/substituting for Tyler while trying to please the studio heads with the changes and reassembling of the score. That’s unusual for Elfman b/c he doesn’t normally take gigs like this. Sure he’s replaced composers/scores before (Mission: Impossible, Hulk, and Nacho Libre) but he doesn’t actually relieve Tyler as composer b/c Whedon still used some of his music. I also believe the score suffers from too many cooks. Where everyone is trying get their cake and eat it too.

I would love for Elfman to return as solo composer in another MCU project, b/c I don’t think this project got the best out of him as good as his Avengers “hybrid” theme was. I doubt he will return for the next installment since the Russo bros. will be directing it. Though it isn’t confirmed but Henry Jackman most likely will get the gig since all three are returning for next year’s CA:CW as well. It’s a pity b/c I’d love to hear more of that hybrid theme again when the New Avengers return, but hopefully this won‘t be the last we hear of Elfman in the MCU.

So the score overall was average with Elfman’s Avengers “hybrid” theme elevating it to something promising.

 

[hafizbat]

Thanks for the great review. You really know your stuff, and I found myself nodding as I read

Wholeheartedly agree about Elfman, I really think he's perfect for the Avengers and I really really really want him to do the Infinity War movies by himself.

 

[Elevator Man]

Bryan Tyler Talks Avengers Music At Comic Con #SDCC
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Funny how Tyler doesn't mention Elfman, the composer who actually adapted Silvestri's Avengers Theme for A:AOU.

 

[The Chris]

Does anyone know why they didn't just get Alan Silvestri back considering how much of his themes from the first film ended up being used anyway. It's wasn't just the main theme either.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Maybe he didn't want to come back?

 

[Johnny-Oh]

I'm watching some of the released clips of the movie and I didn't realize so terrible the music is, easily the worst score in the MCU so far.