The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Hans Zimmer Score thread

[UltimateWebhead]

I love Horner's score. How many superhero movies have such piano-centric, soft, emotional scores? Even though I don't agree, I can understand why some people feel the main theme sounds generic. Still, I don't feel the way it's used throughout the movie is generic at all. The score isn't numbingly heroic like John Williams' Superman score (which I happen to love as well). Instead of taking an in-your-face approach to the theme, it's flowing and beautiful even at its most intense moments.

I get a summer romance/nostalgic feel from the score. To me the themes feel like they're being told in hindsight. For example, a lot of people say the score is unfitting when he's fighting the Lizard in school. That's what I thought when I first watched the movie, but now my feelings are that the score is saying, "This is Spider-Man in his early stages, this is the hero coming into his own". In that scene the score isn't as much about "is he going to win or lose?!" but is more about his blossoming as a hero.

Same goes for the romance themes. It's looking back on a first love, rather than being in the present. Kind of like how Spider-Man:Blue looks back on Peter and Gwen's relationship, but...in music?

The score is like a loving look back on Spidey's birth as a hero. Well, that's just how the music makes me feel anyway. I know this is all subjective. Just offering another positive outlook on Horner's score!

Nice post. I gotta say I really enjoy this perspective on the score. I never thought of it quite like how you've presented it. I'm gonna have to rewatch the movie with that in mind--looking back on the 'firsts' of his life.

 

[SM71]

I love Horner's score. How many superhero movies have such piano-centric, soft, emotional scores? Even though I don't agree, I can understand why some people feel the main theme sounds generic. Still, I don't feel the way it's used throughout the movie is generic at all. The score isn't numbingly heroic like John Williams' Superman score (which I happen to love as well). Instead of taking an in-your-face approach to the theme, it's flowing and beautiful even at its most intense moments.

I get a summer romance/nostalgic feel from the score. To me the themes feel like they're being told in hindsight. For example, a lot of people say the score is unfitting when he's fighting the Lizard in school. That's what I thought when I first watched the movie, but now my feelings are that the score is saying, "This is Spider-Man in his early stages, this is the hero coming into his own". In that scene the score isn't as much about "is he going to win or lose?!" but is more about his blossoming as a hero.

Same goes for the romance themes. It's looking back on a first love, rather than being in the present. Kind of like how Spider-Man:Blue looks back on Peter and Gwen's relationship, but...in music?

The score is like a loving look back on Spidey's birth as a hero. Well, that's just how the music makes me feel anyway. I know this is all subjective. Just offering another positive outlook on Horner's score!

I've been on these boards for 10+ years, this is one of the BEST posts I've ever seen... Couldn't agree with you more dude.. But that's just 2 guys opinions unfortunately..

I love Hans Zimmer and I love James Horner's score, so here's hoping we get a mix/blend of both in TASM2

 

[Airnick]

I love Horner's score. How many superhero movies have such piano-centric, soft, emotional scores? Even though I don't agree, I can understand why some people feel the main theme sounds generic. Still, I don't feel the way it's used throughout the movie is generic at all. The score isn't numbingly heroic like John Williams' Superman score (which I happen to love as well). Instead of taking an in-your-face approach to the theme, it's flowing and beautiful even at its most intense moments.

I get a summer romance/nostalgic feel from the score. To me the themes feel like they're being told in hindsight. For example, a lot of people say the score is unfitting when he's fighting the Lizard in school. That's what I thought when I first watched the movie, but now my feelings are that the score is saying, "This is Spider-Man in his early stages, this is the hero coming into his own". In that scene the score isn't as much about "is he going to win or lose?!" but is more about his blossoming as a hero.

Same goes for the romance themes. It's looking back on a first love, rather than being in the present. Kind of like how Spider-Man:Blue looks back on Peter and Gwen's relationship, but...in music?

The score is like a loving look back on Spidey's birth as a hero. Well, that's just how the music makes me feel anyway. I know this is all subjective. Just offering another positive outlook on Horner's score!

Great post!

 

[DocLathropBrown]

I too loved Horner's score for TASM, which shocked me because I'm a bigger fan of Danny Elfman, and while I 'enjoyed' his Spidey scores I felt they were some of his weaker work. But after hearing Horner's stuff, Danny's Spidey themes are overly complex, stiff and almost mock-heroic/mock-emotional. Danny's work is still proficient but Horner nailed the soul of the character more.

I always felt that a more pop/up-tempo theme for Spider-Man was what fit best since he's sort of a post-modern superhero. In that light, Paul Webster's theme for the '67 cartoon and Shuki Levy's theme for the '94 series fit best; but Horner, for the first time to me, hit a classical sound that fits Spider-Man. His main theme is subtly heroic with an underlying soulfulness. A theme that's simple enough to be played in a majestic sort of way, an adventurous manner or even slightly dark way.

It's got an adventurous melody that is a touch noble but also always keeping that basic humanity of Peter Parker. The noble hero who isn't the biggest or the strongest, but who stands against the odds anyway. Danny tried to do the same in his theme, but it hit those notes in a overly bold way so as to be sort-of overdone.

I desperately like to see musical consistantly between movie installments these days, especially if the composter for the first one crafts a memorable theme, which is rarer these days. So to see changes in composer bothers me--it happens all the time now. I just hope Zimmer keeps the Love Theme and Main Theme from TASM. He can invent the rest, but I identify a memorable theme with a character and to me, it's part of the overall package.

 

[AnneFan]

Danny's work is still proficient but Horner nailed the soul of the character more.

Agreed. I can list a lot more tracks I like in comparison to Elfman's Spidey score. There's more going on. Among others, 'The Ganali Device' really captures the character for me, even if it's not relating to Peter. It is perfect.

 

[spiderral]

I liked a few tracks like "Rooftop Kiss" and "The Briefcase" but the latter seems to borrow heavily from Zimmer's "One Simple Idea" from Inception.

 

[Captain Croatia]

We've assumably heard the first sample of Zimmer's score in the trailer. Thoughts?

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Not bad

 

[Nicko-Ray]

http://www.theamazingspiderman.com/site/

lose the trailer when you hit the link. the music that's playing in the site may be the main theme.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Being a pretty big fan of Zimmer's work I found this theme to be more generic and a retread of stuff he's already done, pretty disappointing actually.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

was the trailer Zimmer? It was suuuuuuuper generic, and I'm generally a Zimmer fan. Maybe that's what Webb wanted.

 

[Tim_Riggins]

If the interview that was out lately is correct, it was Zimmer, but I doubt it's a theme or anything. Zimmer precisely talked about the fact that he was pressed into delivering music for the trailer, which usually never happens since they use stock music. So he composed something for the score, but I doubt it's going to stick, sounds good though.

Listened to the music on the website, sounds cool, not sure about the trumpets (is that trumpets?) at first, but could work if it's Zimmer.

 

[Venomfan]

sounds like superman or cap music more

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

was the trailer Zimmer? It was suuuuuuuper generic, and I'm generally a Zimmer fan. Maybe that's what Webb wanted.

Sounds like his style to me, and who else would it be at this point in production.

 

[eLPAtitoyUPI]

Damn, I don't like the website theme that much, although I love the "The Who" synth at the beginning.

It'll grow on me, I'm sure.

 

[flickchick85]

The music on the website is...ok, I guess. I'm sure it will grow on me, but right now it just kinda makes me long for Horner's return even more, tbh.

 

[SpideyK]

I'm also a little on the fence about the music on the website.

Can anyone confirm whether it's by Zimmer, or if it's just a filler, though?

 

[Tim_Riggins]

No way to confirm.

 

[Michael Frost]

Im reserving actual judgment for the score until I actually get to hear it properly but overall this small piece starts so-so but then it improves as soon as it loses the godamn trumpets...

It feels somewhat familiar too. Isn't this cue used in a Avengers/Marvel game? The heroic trumpet cue I mean, I think I heard it very recently in something that had several Marvel characters together...

 

[Doc Ock]

I'm just hope something of Horner's theme is used in the sequel by Zimmer, something....

 

[Marvel Spider]

Surprisingly, the music in the trailer ISN'T from Zimmer.

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[SpideyK]

Surprisingly, the music in the trailer ISN'T from Zimmer.

[YT]zle17kXReWw[/YT]

Only the beginning of that track was used in the trailer. The rest is most likely Zimmer's work.

 

[SM71]

I love Horner's score. How many superhero movies have such piano-centric, soft, emotional scores? Even though I don't agree, I can understand why some people feel the main theme sounds generic. Still, I don't feel the way it's used throughout the movie is generic at all. The score isn't numbingly heroic like John Williams' Superman score (which I happen to love as well). Instead of taking an in-your-face approach to the theme, it's flowing and beautiful even at its most intense moments.

I get a summer romance/nostalgic feel from the score. To me the themes feel like they're being told in hindsight. For example, a lot of people say the score is unfitting when he's fighting the Lizard in school. That's what I thought when I first watched the movie, but now my feelings are that the score is saying, "This is Spider-Man in his early stages, this is the hero coming into his own". In that scene the score isn't as much about "is he going to win or lose?!" but is more about his blossoming as a hero.

Same goes for the romance themes. It's looking back on a first love, rather than being in the present. It's the Spider-Man:Blue of Spidey movie scores.

The score is like a loving look back on Spidey's birth as a hero. Well, that's just how the music makes me feel anyway. I know this is all subjective. Just offering another positive outlook on Horner's score!

What a fantastic post man A couple months ago I swear I had a long post just like this making all similar points. I couldn't agree more with everything you said in that entire post, even down to your initial-then-revised feelings of the school fight. Literally my thoughts/feelings exactly. Really glad to see someone else loved/appreciated that score the same way I did

edit: just realized I had already quoted your same posts a couple weeks ago lol O well... that's how good of a post that was and how much I agree ha

 

[SM71]

I'm just hope something of Horner's theme is used in the sequel by Zimmer, something....

Agreed. I'm literally praying for this. I understand trying to go bigger and more 'epic' this time around, but damn I loved Horner's score so much.. one of my favorite parts, if not the favorite part of TASM for me

 

[SM71]

However, from what we can tell from the trailer and the Official site, it seems like Horner's cue may be dead and gone

at least it seems he kept the Horner's trumpets/horns...? :/
(from what I can tell from the website)