This soundtrack has really grown on me over the past couple of weeks. I wasn't over keen the first time I heard it, but it was definitely better when watching the film. After more viewings, and more listens to the soundtrack, I'm happy enough it isn't overpowering and is a little more reigned in than some soundtracks.
If there's one complaint I have about many films, it's that the soundtrack always seems to be present. No matter what is going on on-screen, the music is always playing. There's always some little beat in the background or pulsating theme building up and it ruins the films for me because it feels like they're rushing me through the moment, trying to build suspense that isn't there through dialogue but through the music.
Spectre was one film I felt did this more recent, and it was very annoying.
But here the soundtrack is bombastic when it needs to be, and lighter when it should be. There are themes at play, without them being too obvious or in your face right now, and I can see that expanding in VIII.
Not only that, and I don't know how other people feel, I'm also happy I could actually hear what the bloody actors were saying in this film. I don't recall a single moment where I didn't understand what was being said, even when they were whispering or mumbling - the mumbling being less because of poor acting, more because the moment called for it. Anything I missed was my own fault, for zoning out, or in moments where commands are being given or two or three people talk at once in quick succession. But that's to be expected.
At no point did the music drown anyone out, and everything was clear. I hate so many films today because the music seems to take the front of it all, rather than dialogue. As far as I'm concerned, if I can't hear the actors talking over the music, or the actors mumble their way through the film, or the sound mix is bad enough there's an unusual amount of bass behind the voices that make them harder to hear - I can't enjoy the film. Kingsman was like that. I wanted to like it, couldn't hear the actors, music too loud/over the top.
And back to the soundtrack - I always found with the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy that each film had two or three stand out tracks, but the rest were average outside the film itself. Put all three films best pieces together, you get an entire soundtracks worth of good music. So I look forward to VIII, to hear new themes and build up a favourite list over time.[/QUOTE
In total agreement here ,especially about the soundtrack not drowning out the actors.