The other 2007 movie Elfman scored was for Peter Berg's underrated action-thriller The Kingdom. It's about a team of FBI agents investigating a terrorist attack on Americans on Saudi Arabian soil. It's a great film that does become a typical action movie by the third act. But it's still well made and has a stong message at the end. With strong and believable peformances from the cast.
It was interesting seeing Elfman hired as composer since Berg's usual choices are the generic MV/RC composers. But it was also a good opportunity for Elfman to write music for a movie in a genre he doesn't get offered that often. And Elfman was more than up for the task.
Elfman took a lot of heat from this score and still does. Even Elfman fans hate on it. Which I don't get. I was happy that Elfman got to stretch his music vocabulary. And not writing a score for the usual Superhero/Tim Burton/Dark Fantasy movies (as good as those are). I've heard people complain that it's too synth heavy. Which doesn't make since what other way Elfman could've scored The Kingdom that was appropriate. Should he have scored it like he scored Batman , Spider-man, Darkman, Beetlejuice, Pee Wee, Nightbreed, Mission Impossible, or Charlotte's Web? Come on. Elfman's approach for The Kingdom was the best approach. Any other direction would've resulted in the score getting rejected. Some have even complained that it's mostly sound design. There's plenty of MV/RC scores that are sound design. The Kingdom compared to those sound like a symphony.
Speaking of MV/RC. Then there's those who complain and say the score is MV/RC-esque.
So Elfman uses synthesisers the score is automatically MV/RC? So for the DCAU DTDVD movies that have synth driven scores are MV/RC scores too? They use synth and the like so I guess that automatically means they're MV/RC scores too. If The Kingdom is an MV/RC score then it's the best MV/RC score not written by an MV/RC composer. If anything bits of the score have a more Explosions In The Sky vibe (mainly during the dramatic moments) than a MV/RC vibe.
It baffles me how some (even Elfman fans) say this is unlistenable. It's Elfman getting out of his comfort zone and writing a score that is appropriate for the film. Some consider this score to be among his worst, which is fine that's their opinion, but to say it's unlistenable is horse manure. I've listened to The Kingdom many times and never am bored by it or want to rip my ears off. The album is well paced and is a great listen. In fact I prefer this to his lackluster Meet The Robinsons score in the same year. Nothing unlistenable about it.
"The Kingdom Titles" is a very distraught cue that's heavy with the synth but gets it's point across about the origins of the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. The music is really telling a story and feels crucial to what's being shown on screen. It describes perfectly what the relationship between US and Saudi Arabia is like politically, imo. And not just making noises like some think. It also sets the tone of the film perfectly with hints of a middle eastern sound. You can hear one of the recurring themes (the main theme or motif) in this track that'll be heard throughout the album. This main title is up there with his Dead Presidents main title, imo. Which is a compliment.
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"Waiting" is a very powerful track. It really captures the emotion of the characters (especially Commander Faris'). I believe Berg originally tracked a cue by the Explosions of the Skys and lost it. But then had Elfman emulate their sound and style while at the same time being an original Elfman piece. It's a very strong piece and very effective in the film.
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"To The Prince's" is short but funky and hip track. You can tell this track is all about heading towards a destination. Which is "to the prince's" in this case. It makes good use of the main theme here as well. Probably going to need headphones for the beginning b/c you can't hear the first 3 seconds that good. At least I couldn't anyway.
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"Digging Deep" is another short but great track that uses the main theme to good effect throughout. As the team is getting closer to figuring out how the bomb was made.
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"Friendship" another track that's in the vein of EITS. Which was used in the end credits. This is a very powerful, peaceful, hopeful, and touching track. The title sums it up well. Like it symbolises the freindship that Fleury (Jamie Foxx) and Comamnder Faris developed throughout the film. It also (imo) sums up the hopeful relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. I can't believe some people actually think this is unlistenable.
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"The Chase" kicks off when Leavitt (Jason Bateman) gets kidnapped after the terrorist failed to kill Fleury and his team. This track is very synth heavy, chaotic, raw, nasty, suspensful and even unsettling. Really capturing the tension of Fleury's team trying to save Leavitt. As well as Leavitt's struggles of escaping from the terrorists clutches. As well as the terrorists trying to escape from Fleury and his team to their dangerous neighborhood. Despite what people think the cue is very well put together. And really adds to the suspense and tension in the scene.
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"The Sales Pitch" is a good track that begins softly as it builds up the main theme during the scene where Fleury pitches his plan to the Prince and how he'd benefit from it. I think. It's been a few months since I've last seen it. But Fleury pitches his plan and the Prince agrees and lets them investigate the bombing. The track goes out with the theme reflecting the Prince's approval. It really captures the atmosphere and situation the team is in towards the end of the cue.
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"Finale" is easily the best track. It's also very EITS-esque. It really gets the message across at the end. It's very powerful and even hopeful in someways. It leaves an impression just like the scene itself at the end did. It asks the question that if one day will there ever be peace between Arabs and Americans? It also mourns to one of main characters who've died. I can't help but think about Iraq and the US soldiers that are fighting out there everyday when I hear this. I feel like in some ways this cue honors those that fought and died protecting mine and the US' freedom. It has me thinking in the end as did the film. Funny thing I've heard that Zimmer ended up tracking this in Rango. Even he knows the greatness of this cue.
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I just don't get why this score gets a lot of hate. To me this is more than just sound design and its better than a lot of MV/RC scores. Which would've been generic and predictable if Zimmer, Jablonsky, Gregson-Williams, Djawadi, and the like had written this score. But I bet if Zimmer wrote the score the exact same way Elfman did. People would praise it. Whatever. I'm happy that Elfman got the opportunity to write a score like this. It's unique and fresh. It's also very underrated, imo. And doesn't nearly deserve all the criticism it gets. It's probably the most underappreciated Elfman score of the last decade (even more than his Spider-man scores). I think the album is paced almost perfectly. I'm never bored. In fact it makes me want more after every listen. I also like how this score shows Elfman's versatility. Everybody always complain about his scores sounding the same, and that his fantasy and superhero scores are predicatble. And thinks he never gets out of his comfort zone. When he does get out of his comfort zone especially the way he did for The Kingdom. People still complain. As well as find excuses to bash Elfman. Funny how that works.
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