The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Hans Zimmer Score thread - Part 2

[Andrew Lucas]

Airnick is... The Corrector.

Summer 2015.

I like Horner theme.

 

[Nicko-Ray]

Did anyone read that article with Zimmer saying how they started writing the theme for The Sinister Six? And that they "shot their scene" or something like that? Which I think he's referring to The Gentleman walking by the chambers.

But now that I have the score, I always thought he may be referring to around the middle/end of "You're That Spider-Guy" where Rhino steps in. It's also the intro chords to "It's On Again". That villainous, rising, riff.

 

[Perry9]

Did anyone read that article with Zimmer saying how they started writing the theme for The Sinister Six? And that they "shot their scene" or something like that? Which I think he's referring to The Gentleman walking by the chambers.

But now that I have the score, I always thought he may be referring to around the middle/end of "You're That Spider-Guy" where Rhino steps in. It's also the intro chords to "It's On Again". That villainous, rising, riff.

I think that the track is "Special Projects".

 

[Nicko-Ray]

I think that the track is "Special Projects".

Nah there's this riff that plays while The Gentleman walks past the chambers, and while Rhino makes his entrance. It's also the intro to "It's On Again".

 

[Oscorp]

While the soundtrack didn't stand out to me while watching the film, it is one of my favourites to listen to as a CD. It's awesome and feels a lot different to other Zimmer soundtracks!

 

[sephiroth61787]

Nah there's this riff that plays while The Gentleman walks past the chambers, and while Rhino makes his entrance. It's also the intro to "It's On Again".

Yup, I definitely believe that riff is part of The Sinister Six theme. First thing I thought of when I heard it.

 

[Ms. Marvel]

I must say I love Electro's theme.

 

[Eros]

Eh I thought Zimmers theme was just odd for this movie, almost like he was trying to hard. Just bring back Danny Elfman.

 

[Elayis]

I hate to say it, but this was the first Zimmer score that I've listened to in awhile that just didn't resonate with me. I just found it to be generic and repetitive. While there are a few tracks that I enjoy, it's mainly just the Peter & Gwen material (with "I Need To Know" & "Harry's Suite" also being highlights). But even those tracks are nowhere close to what I expect from Hans. It's fun to listen to, but not very memorable.

Man of Steel was one of my favorite scores of last year, and I still find myself listening to it at least once a week, but this is just underwhelming.

What irritates me most, though, is the Electro material (or frankly any of the action music). While I'll concede that the voiceover is a neat idea and works well in the film, on album it gets old fast, especially since they don't really do much with it. Most of the action cues are just obnoixous, though. It seems like Zimmer's trying to get his points across through sheer volume and loudness, not anything inventive.

The score overall I just find to be really cold. The fact that the score is mostly (if not entirely) created using synths and electronics does it no favors. It's hard to connect with music that is so desolate.

No matter how lukewarm I find the score, though, the songs are particularly atrocious. "Its On Again" was just an awful choice for the end credits. I'd never heard of Kendrick Lamar (and I doubt I'll make it point to ever listen to him in the future), but everything Alicia Keys does is garbage. I though the Quantum of Solace title song was bad, but this just reaches a whole new level of awful. I've never been one for rap, but even having said that I can't seem to figure out how this song fits Spider-Man in any way. The rest of the songs are just typical modern crap you could find on the radio. Just drivel, plain and simple. (I actually do like Song For Zula, though.)


Overall, I'd say my biggest gripe with this score (and the songs that accompany it) is how obvious and on-the-nose everything is. Not in an earnest way, which I could forgive, but in a cliche and almost parodical way. I'd almost feel bad for everyone that was involved in this mess, except for the fact that they seem so pleased with it.

 

[Elevator Man]

My first impression of TAS-M2 Deluxe Edition (2-CD) is that overall it’s a very unique superhero score from Zimmer. With the 1st disc having an excellent flow under 60 mins. I enjoyed the 2nd disc as well. That includes most of the songs, which were decent but nothing special. I’m not a devotee to any of the musicians who performed ’em but thought the songs did a useful job of exploring some of the themes and conflicts that the character’s deal with in the movie. One song that kind of annoyed me though was “That’s My Man” I don’t know why but it was a little too cute and cheesy for me and felt incongruous with the rest of the songs. Maybe it isn’t my cup of tea but then none of those songs are my cup of tea and yet I still enjoyed those so…

Zimmer and the Magnificent Six’s score for TAS-M2 is very unconventional compared to past Spider-Man scores, which have been excellent. I know Zimmer likes to take those kinds of atypical approaches to superhero scores i.e. TDKT and MOS, unlike those scores somehow he manage to impress me with this one. He was able to capture certain aspects of the characters as well as Spidey’s dilemmas and adventures in this film.

I think the Electro theme is a stroke of genius. Not only is the theme catchy, but it’s also sort of hypnotic and gives a sense of foreboding. Zimmer and co. skillfully emulate the sound of electricity with synthesizers. “My Enemy” is easily the highlight of the album. In fact the Electro theme steals the album in a good way. It really explores what makes Max Dillon aka Electro tick with the eerie whispering in his head. The theme opens very quirky reflecting how pathetic Dillon’s life was. When the wicked whispering lyrics kick in it shows the listener that Dillon always had a few loose screws and a dark side b/c he feel nobody notices or respects him.. The techno/dubstep is used very effectively adding some menace to the cue proving how dangerous Dillon has become as Electtro. I like the easter egg at the end of “The Electro Suite”. So I guess Jamie Foxx did performed those bizarre whispering lyrics in “My Enemy‘ and “The Electro Suite“.
　
Harry/Goblin’s theme isn’t as clear to me as Electro’s but I enjoyed “Harry Suite”. It (just as “My Enemy” and “The Electro Suite”) get’s into the psychology of the character. And just like those two tracks its sort of a character arc told musically. It’s a very bleak and depressing cue. It gives the feeling of isolation which makes sense in the film. Harry was estranged from his father Norman (who resents him) and best friend Peter for a decade b/c of traveling. He’s trying to cope with his father’s death and his legacy at as Oscorp, while also dying from the same rare genetic disease that killed his father. I feel this track reflects all of that in this one cue. Again the theme feels more sympathetic to Harry than it does a villain theme. The cue (as well as “I Need To Know”) also has sort of an Inception vibe to it, which wasn’t a bad thing.

The Peter/Gwen theme is more pop rock than Horner’s from the previous film. It has an Explosion In The Sky tone with the guitar riffs, but it’s still very tender though underused in the score . Also the cues that use the theme are short but that’s probably b/c the characters had an on and off relationship in this film.

Rhino also has a theme which is surprising since he’s basically just a cameo in the movie. It’s a very menacing villain theme that plays towards the end of “You’re That Spider Guy” track. There isn’t much layers to it compared to Electro’s and Harry’s theme b/c he again was in two scenes. So it works as a typical villain theme b/c that’s pretty much all the character was in this film.
Spidey’s theme is very catchy. Zimmer gives the character a big triumphant melody that for me represents the thrill of being Spidey. I know it’s bit too heroic for some but it works in the context of this story b/c Spidey is looked to as the hero and protector in NYC. Police, Firefighters, and the majority of the good people of NY look up to him in a way Metropolis does to Superman, which we don’t see that often with Spidey. Usually the city is pretty divided on Spidey. I love the use of it in this score it never feels repetitive or overused and has me wanting to hear more of it. Whenever the theme pops up be it in full or in small doses I can’t help but smile. I like that Zimmer found ways to use it in a more emotional and sentimental way and not just the “Spidey to the rescue” way in the dramatic moments dealing with Peter. It shows the theme could be done more than one way. He makes good use of the theme with electric guitar as well in some tracks.

I think there’s another theme that represents Peter and Harry’s friendship as well which feels touching. I think it’s in “We’re Best Friends” and sprinkled elsewhere in the score. I’m not sure b/c again this is my first listen of the score outside the film.

The highlights of the score for me were “I’m Spiderman”, “My Enemy”, “Ground Rules”, “Look At Me”, “You Need Me”, “I’m Goblin”, “You’re My Boy”, “I Need To Know”, “I Chose You”, “We’re Best Friends”, “Still Crazy”, “You’re That Spider Guy”, “The Electro Suite”, “Harry Suite”, “Cold War”, and “No Place Like Home”.

The score overall was excellent and was a very interesting listening experience. It was paced well for an album under 2 hours. I much prefer this over his TDKT and MOS efforts. Electro’s theme is one of the most witty and unique villain themes in a comic book superhero movie or in any movie. I know some believe the dubstep/techno pop rock approach will automatically root it in the 10s, but it works for me. It captures the high tech feel with Oscorp being Spidey’s biggest threat in the Webb movies. Heck Peter’s parents and even Gwen (as well as the majority of the villains in this franchise so far ) worked for Oscorp. So I think that’s one of the reasons Zimmer took that approach b/c of how big a part Oscorp plays in these adventures. I enjoyed this score and curious of what else I missed from this score. I’ll probably do a Spidey marathon between both of Elfman’s scores, Horner’s and Zimmer’s to compare and contrast, but I’ve enjoyed all the Spidey scores (even though I’m not that crazy about Young’s score for the 3rd Raimi film) so far. And won’t pick a definitive score.

 

[AnneFan]

Great review, Elevator Man. Seems like you really had a good time with this score. I think as an album listening experience, it's the best of the franchise. As you note, the first disc especially has a good flow. From my first listen through, Zimmer's TASM2 grew on me in a big way. It compliments the film and also works in isolation. I've been listening to it ever since the film came out.

 

[Elevator Man]

Hey AnneFan, how would you rank this with Zimmer's Batman and MOS scores?

 

[AnneFan]

Hey AnneFan, how would you rank this with Zimmer's Batman and MOS scores?

First of all, I make no secret Zimmer is my favourite composer. I think he has given all these characters a distinct voice. Especially with Spidey, he's proven he's not just all dark and gritty with superhero sounds.

I was impressed with his Superman score. I think it flows well as an album listening experience as well. His Supe theme was applied in various different moods that I think weren't explored as much in the past. The humble country boy upbringing in 'Earth'. The Americana patriotism of 'Flight'. The tenderness of 'This is Clark Kent'. The full rendition in 'What Are You Going to Do?'. There are some really lovely renditions of that soaring theme in the MOS suite, too.

Zod's theme, 'Arcade', is a real grower and I think it's one of his best tunes. The emotional Krypton stuff was solid, too, particularly 'Goodbye My Son' and 'Krypton's Last', the latter also containing that opening ethereal 'alien' sound. I also enjoy 'Launch', a dramatic piece but also with a underlying tragic quality which is released at the end with Jor-El's death.

For Batman he had various motifs. I know it's not to everyone's tastes, but I think he captured the darkness and tragedy of the character. The complete scoring sessions contain great content not present on the albums. 'Miranda Visits Wayne-Take Me To Bane' is an encapsulation of what I like about this character. Defiantly rising from tragedy. One of his best cues. The rising note introduced in BB shines in 'Why do we Fall - or titled 'Without a Rope' in the scoring sessions. Batman is my favourite character so I like those scores the most of the three, but I like all his approaches and think they fit.

 

[Elevator Man]

Yeah I knew that you're an avid Zimmer fan, and enjoyed each superhero/cbm score by him. And I was curious how you'd rank 'em, which is cool btw. So the scores are pretty much neck and neck for you, but in the end TDKT comes out on top. Thanks for responding and giving your reasons behind why each hold a special place in your heart.

 

[Nicko-Ray]

First, it was bumping "Honest" on repeat all day, and then "Gone, Gone, Gone", and now it's "Song for Zula"

 

[Airnick]

First, it was bumping "Honest" on repeat all day, and then "Gone, Gone, Gone", and now it's "Song for Zula"

Can't get that song out of my head lately haha.

 

[Nicko-Ray]

Can't get that song out of my head lately haha.

Good song for that scene. I didn't know that dude was American Idol. Or at least that's what I was told.

 

[AnneFan]

Yeah I knew that you're an avid Zimmer fan, and enjoyed each superhero/cbm score by him. And I was curious how you'd rank 'em, which is cool btw. So the scores are pretty much neck and neck for you, but in the end TDKT comes out on top. Thanks for responding and giving your reasons behind why each hold a special place in your heart.

Yeah, Batman first. Then Spidey and Superman.

 

[Airnick]

Good song for that scene. I didn't know that dude was American Idol. Or at least that's what I was told.

Yeah he won American Idol, I remember watching him that season lol. I always liked him.

 

[JJJ]

First, it was bumping "Honest" on repeat all day, and then "Gone, Gone, Gone", and now it's "Song for Zula"

Can't get that song out of my head lately haha.

I this song, first song I played when I returned from ASM2. Why is it not on the soundtrack?

 

[Nicko-Ray]

I this song, first song I played when I returned from ASM2. Why is it not on the soundtrack?

I know, it's a bummer. I just bought it on iTunes.

 

[Elevator Man]

I listened to TAS-M2 for a 2nd time (still enjoy it), but was wrong about "We're Best Friends" using a theme that portrays both Peter and Harry's friendship. Zimmer's Peter & Gwen theme actually carried that track. I believe the scene itself took place around the climax on the bridge between Peter and Gwen.

Speaking of the Peter/Gwen love theme. It's grown on me, but it had a hard time resonating with me on first listen, which is probably b/c it wasn't used enough in the score. And it seemed to be used during short cues as well. That particular theme finally sinked in the day after. Horner's Peter/Gwen theme still leaves a bigger impression on me. And kind of had me curious of how he'd score [BLACKOUT]Gwen's death.[/BLACKOUT] With that said Zimmer's theme is tender and somewhat romantic that I feel has a hint of inevitable doom/loss. I think Zimmer's theme explores their relationship as too much of a good thing and won't last long sadly. After each listen it'll have a stronger resonance with me. Heck I can hear the theme as I'm typing this.

 

[LizardMan07]

Which songs are in Peter/Gwen's themes do you think?

 

[Elevator Man]

Off the top of my head "I'm Moving To England", "Let Her Go", "I Chose You", "We're Best Friends", and "The Rest Of My Life".

 

[LizardMan07]

That's what I thought to Just making sure I didn't miss anything

"Song for Zula" and "Gone Gone Gone" are probably Peter/Gwen songs to some extent as well