Hans Zimmer Scoring The Man of Steel - Part 3

[KalMart]

I think the tone of Zimmer's score fit the movie. I actually have some issues with the editing and mixing of the score in the film, which I found less than effective at times, but in terms of overall tone...when I listen to the score isolated, it sounds like the world Snyder created. The movie itself is kind of moody, with huge adrenaline pumping bombastic action. A score in the vein of Michael Giacchino's Star Trek scores could have worked, but it wouldn't have been as edgy as the tone they were going for.

Zimmer did the job he was hired for, and Snyder knew who he was hiring. I just don't think it's fair to be like "Zimmer ruined Superman!", when he was the guy who kept turning down the job with Snyder pretty much begging him to take it. Snyder wanted Hans' low brass, emotional string swells and huge percussion and all that stuff you guys hate. You don't hire Hans Zimmer to score a huge superhero action movie if you want a more swashbuckling musical motif. Eg. The Amazing Spider-Man- Webb specifically wanted a throwback kind of superhero score with a clear main theme, so he hired James Horner and specifically instructed him to write a catchy jingle for the main theme.

I'm just saying, by all means hate the score, but Snyder hired Zimmer to be Zimmer. And chased him down too- there was nobody else to score the film in his mind.

Yeah but strangely he seemed to take it rather light in this movie, so they may have hired Zimmer to be Zimmer, but what they got was sort of....Zimmette.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Yeah but strangely he seemed to take it rather light in this movie, so they may have hired Zimmer to be Zimmer, but what they got was sort of....Zimmette.

I don't know, I think he did well enough, but the use of his work in the film could've been a bit more creative, should've got that main theme out there more often, and I wish they'd used the softer pieces of the score more often as well.

 

[KalMart]

I don't know, I think he did well enough, but the use of his work in the film could've been a bit more creative, should've got that main theme out there more often, and I wish they'd used the softer pieces of the score more often as well.

Yeah, it didn't really seem to kick in until the end of the film. Obviously trailers have to do their own thing, but there probably should have been more parts where it was really front and center like that.

But I was surprised it was so much more 'pushed back', maybe in the mix, than so much of his other work. I've said it before, but did we ever think we'd see the day when we'd be asking for Zimmer's music to be heavier?

 

[ThePhantasm]

No, it was way too heavy already.

 

[KalMart]

No, it was way too heavy already.

Maybe it was the mix.

 

[KillerMcQueen]

Maybe it was the mix.

that's what I'm leaning towards, and what I meant when I said they should've used the softer pieces more often, would've made the moments where the score is really heavy stand out more.

 

[the last son]

I seriously wonder if we listen to the same score. I've listened to the full soundtrack multiple times now and this is easily his best work in almost ten years. This fit the movie beautifully. It does sound rushed. I'm really excited to hear where he takes this movie for the sequel.

 

[the last son]

I mean seriously the last 2 mins of general zod theme was some of the most beautiful music ever.conceived. Why aren't other movies held to the. Same standard? Iron man 3 soundtrack sucked, as well as avengers. Thor soundtrack sucked as well.

 

[Super Kal]

was able to pick up the tin version at my local FYE for $20. very happy

 

[ThePhantasm]

I like the Smallville young Clark piano theme. Its a good theme, and it plays when young Clark has his pretend "cape" for one example. I wish the majority of the score had such strong leitmotifs. Unfortunately it is underused and the generic booming sounds are far overused.

 

[super-t]

Im pretty sure they saved the "main theme' for the sequel since by the end of MOS is quote, unquote the Superman we all know. Hence why they used it in the end.

 

[manofsteel4life]

Love flight

 

[Milu]

Well Superman finally heard Zimmer's MOS score. And even he gets an earache and headache from it.

[YT]X18u6gZhBis[/YT]

I didn't the score was bad, but I found this video funny. The same guy's also uploaded a "what if Zimmer composed Episode VII" video, which is also amusing.

 

[ThePhantasm]

Im pretty sure they saved the "main theme' for the sequel since by the end of MOS is quote, unquote the Superman we all know. Hence why they used it in the end.

For the first film - largely mindless ambient sound! Derivative of Inception and the Dark Knight scores! For the sequel - actual character motifs! Stay tuned fans and continue supporting the franchise!

 

[restlessdreams]

I seriously wonder if we listen to the same score. I've listened to the full soundtrack multiple times now and this is easily his best work in almost ten years. This fit the movie beautifully. It does sound rushed. I'm really excited to hear where he takes this movie for the sequel.

I would say it's a good soundtrack and it fits the movie just like how his Batman scores fit those movies. Where I completely disagree with you is when you say it's his best work in 10 years. Last Samurai was better than this and even Sherlock Holmes was better. Sherlock Holmes had such a unique sound to it.

 

[Max Newlander]

Well Superman finally heard Zimmer's MOS score. And even he gets an earache and headache from it.

[YT]X18u6gZhBis[/YT]

Hahaha.. Love this...

I was reasonably exciting about the score alone when I finally got to walk into the cinema last Friday after months or anticipation (Ironically I was William's humming all day up to it).

Well let's just say I exited the cinema on Friday still humming William's score. Also I was hoping I could become Superman circa (1978) so I could somehow spin the wee earth around quickly so I could go back in time. Then warn Zack and Han's that their end production just really wasn't very good and if they could please try a great deal harder to make it better.

Han's Zimmer IMO is slowly becoming very overrated. I'm beginning to tire of his scores. There are better composers out there IMO. This is not to say he is poor at his profession, quite the opposite I still rate him highly. I just don't think he is quite as good as some make out, Chevaliers da Sangreal is still a fine piece of music though.

I personally didn't like, rate or enjoy MoS soundtrack.

 

[ThePhantasm]

Han's Zimmer IMO is slowly becoming very overrated. I'm beginning to tire of his scores. There are better composers out there IMO. This is not to say he is poor at his profession, quite the opposite I still rate him highly. I just don't think he is quite as good as some make out, Chevaliers da Sangreal is still a fine piece of music though.

I personally didn't like, rate or enjoy MoS soundtrack.

I agree. I also have a high opinion of Zimmer's capabilities, which happens to be why I hold him to such a high standard. I think his own previous work holds him to a high standard, which his most recent work has not been meeting. It seems his entire philosophy of music underwent a shift from an emphasis on leitmotifs and powerful themes to an emphasis on soundscapes, booming bass, and generic "emotional" sound.

 

[georgec]

The MoS score felt sterile or even absent during most of the film. I think Zimmer's style worked well for Batman, but MoS needed something a little more 'human'.

 

[BatLobster]

Yeah, that's one thing I will say- Zimmer's score felt more "alien" than "human". Which, I guess you could argue is a valid take on Superman, but I agree...I got somewhat of a sterile, cold and alien feeling during the movie.

There is some warmth there though, and a few cues I absolutely love. I still think it's a shame "Earth" wasn't in the movie. You really feel like you're looking up at a starry night on the Kent farm with that track and I was hoping there'd be a scene in the movie that conveyed that feeling.

 

[ThePhantasm]

Do you think that was a wise choice to musically emphasize his alien side given the plot of the film?

(I don't)

 

[KalMart]

Hahaha.. Love this...

I was reasonably exciting about the score alone when I finally got to walk into the cinema last Friday after months or anticipation (Ironically I was William's humming all day up to it).

Well let's just say I exited the cinema on Friday still humming William's score. Also I was hoping I could become Superman circa (1978) so I could somehow spin the wee earth around quickly so I could go back in time. Then warn Zack and Han's that their end production just really wasn't very good and if they could please try a great deal harder to make it better.

Han's Zimmer IMO is slowly becoming very overrated. I'm beginning to tire of his scores. There are better composers out there IMO. This is not to say he is poor at his profession, quite the opposite I still rate him highly. I just don't think he is quite as good as some make out, Chevaliers da Sangreal is still a fine piece of music though.

I personally didn't like, rate or enjoy MoS soundtrack.

I tired of it quite a while ago, but I thought things were looking up based on the music used in the trailer. But strangely, it ended up feeling like he barely showed up. Maybe I was expecting his usual hurricane of music/sound design and he went for something more understated, but it felt rather under the radar.

 

[br0adband]

After dozens upon dozens of listens over the past few days I've got no beef with Zimmer's work for MoS and I'm referring to the Deluxe edition of the OST. While I do love the whole OST (as featured in the Deluxe edition which has at least two tracks not in the movie), I've taken a fondness to "Arcade" which is the last track on CD2 probably more than anything else. It just has a great feel to it; the theme of the track is featured in several scenes in the movie.

No complaints here at all.

 

[georgec]

There were moments in the trailers ("They will join you in the sun", first flight, etc.) that were so powerful with the accompanying music. But in the film the music was rather subdued in those moments. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[georgec]

Do you think that was a wise choice to musically emphasize his alien side given the plot of the film?

(I don't)

I don't think so, because the single most difficult aspect of Superman is getting audiences to relate to and empathize with a god-like alien. We needed a more human touch in those intimate moments with Clark/Superman.

 

[AnneFan]

I am still listening to this score and I am getting a better feel of it all the time.

A list of all of my favourites:

Look to the Stars
What are you going to do when you are not saving the world?
Flight
Earth
Man of Steel (Han's original sketchbook) - this is MoS's 'A Dark Knight'
If You Love These People
This is Clark Kent
Terraforming
Sent Here for a Reason
Krypton’s Last
Goodbye my Son
Oil Rig
Ignition
Arcade

That is a good number of cues. The main Williams march is excellent as we know, but I don't have any real connection to it really. Overall I prefer 'SuperHans', and have no problem saying that.