I just got done listening to TDKR soundtrack, which a relative of mine gave me this past christmas. I decided to give my first impression of the score here instead of on "TDKR score thread", b/c I don't want to risk getting banned there. It's safer to post it here since this section isn't full of Zimmer worshippers. Besides I don't think they care much of what I think of TDKR score anyway.
When I first saw TDKR in the theater. The score didn't leave any impression on me. The rehash music from BB and TDK stuck out and distracted me in a few scenes b/c of how out of place it felt. It felt like temp music.
So now that I've finally heard the album seperate from the movie itself. Again I wasn't impressed. This is what the fans from TDKR forums are giving all kinds of ridiculous high praise for. It's nothing but the typical loud, blaring, droning, banging MV/RC sound design from the previous two Batman scores from Zimmer and co. It's far from the best score of the 2012. Though it's not saying much it isn't even the best score of the TDK trilogy, imo. For those that consider it one of the best of 2012. It only proves how overrated the score is to me.
Zimmer's Batman theme was just riding on fumes this time. Nothing I haven't heard him do before with the theme. His Batman theme isn't used much in the album either. So that proves my point. Most of the score is carried by the repetitive and overused Bane's chant.
The Bane chant ( I refuse to call that a theme) was nothing special either. Just a bunch of noise and loud chanting. It's just as lame as Zimmer's Joker motif from TDK. I mean seriously these are what's considered a villain theme these days? In the film the chant means "rise" so why is that used specifically for Bane? I mean he didn't "rise" out of the pit. I guess Zimmer and Nolan knew their bootlickers would love that chant and go
. And yep they did.
And speaking of Nolan what was up with his liner notes to the album? With the exception of both his and Zimmer's worshippers I've never seen that much buttkissing for Zimmer in my life. I was
throughout Nolan's notes. Calling Zimmer a "master" seriously? No Goldsmith, Morricone, Williams, and Herrmann are masters. Even Zimmer doesn't hold himself that highly. Then he goes and says that Zimmer wanted to go a different direction for TDK. There were some bits that was taken from BB that was used in TDK score, but TDKR is the worst offender. Throughout the film I heard pieces from BB and TDK. Probably 40% of TDKR score was original. Mainly the cheap attempts at villain themes were (I guess!) "original". Seriously if Zimmer farted in front of a tape recorder repeatedly for one hour Nolan (as well as Zimmer's worshippers) will call it a "masterpiece" and "the greatest piece of music ever written". Nolan doesn't know good film music if it hit him in the face, imo.
Catwoman's motif (I don't know if that's a theme or anything). Sure it's kind of "slinky" and "deceptive" like Hathaway's portrayal of the character. It's nothing to brag about and at times a little annoying. Just like the Bane chant can be at times "annoying" and not to mention "overbearing". Catwoman's theme got nothing on Elfman's theme which not only nailed the psychology of Pfieffer's portrayal, but at the same time feels cat like with the strings. It screams Catwoman. Same can be said for Walker's excellent theme for the same character. I didn't even know Catwoman had a theme in TDKR, when I first saw it, until somebody pointed it out to me in some clips of the film on YT.
The score didn't give me any chills or put me to tears like it did for most of the Batman fans in TDKR forum as well as the Zimmer worshippers. The score was for the most part dull, stale, and uninspired. It was going nowhere for me. Zimmer didn't really take the score to a different direction, imo. And just like the previous two scores it didn't scream Batman to me. I could've done without the track "Death By Exile" b/c it's just a few seconds of ambient sounds. "Imagine The Fire" just like "A Dark Knight" felt like it would never end. It just kept going on and on and on and on and on and on . This score was very predictable. It gave me the feeling that this was been there done that for Zimmer. This is the final Nolan Batman film and this was how Zimmer concluded it? This is one of the weakest third/final scores I've heard. Definitely one of the weakest and laziest scores of 2012. It's also the weakest superhero score of the year behind Silvestri's decent Avengers score and Horners "amazing" pun intended TAS-M score. Somehow the Zimmer worshippers eat it up and love it though.
Another thing I can tell JNH was absent on this one. The score was lacking the little emotion and heart he brought to the BB and TDK scores. He should've done this film solo instead of Zimmer. I think he would've been more inspired by it.
This score is good to listen to as I'm doing something else. Not with me sitting in my room with headphones on waiting for something to happen with the music. I wasn't impressed by the music at all. In fact the best music from TDKR didn't come from the album or film. It came from the 3rd and 4th/Nokia trailer. No surprise since most MV/RC scores tend to make great trailer music. Nolan even pointed that out in TDKR liner notes when he mentioned the BB score. It's a shame that Zimmer ended on a low note. And left the franchise with "poof" instead of a "bang". Since this is Nolan's final Batman film hopefully it'll be Zimmer's final Batman score. If so good riddance. I fear for what he has in store for MOS. I'm sure the Zimmer worshippers will eat it up like they always do. Thank the lord there are other batman scores from various composers I can listen to. Hopefully if a reboot happens they stay away from the "generic" Zimmer/MV/RC sound. And hire somebody who'll come up with fresh and original music but at same time music that feels like Batman. B/c the scores for TDK trilogy weren't what it could've been.
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