Word Of The Day

My nitpickiness knows no bounds, and the orchestral scores to film sequels are no exception.

Most people are happy enough just to get another film. For me, if the composer's different, then the entire mood of the new film is different. The musical cues-- motifs-- for specific and familiar characters are exchanged old for new, and sometimes not for the better.

Robocop, for example. The score by Basil Poledouris was perfect. Hard hitting, larger than life. Robocop 2? Different composer. Different feel, and it just didn't mesh for me.

On the other hand, some films work better with a new composer. Jerry Goldsmith's score for the first Star Trek film was majestic and rich... but it just didn't work for me in Trek. James Horner scored Star Trek II, and that one is my personal favourite, and enhanced the film perfectly.

Don't believe me when it comes to the beauty of having composers return for sequels? What if every Star Wars film was exactly the same, but each episode having a different composer. With different motifs in every film. Indiana Jones scored by someone different in each outing? Sacrilege.