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Reviews
Filmmusicsite.com editor score: 8/10
Review of Andrew Young, submitted at 2008-07-02 07:49:47, score: 8/10
In a film where there is not a word of dialogue from your main character for over half an hour, the score has a special duty. Whereas it might take a backseat in films with action and elaborate monologues to care our auditory senses along, WALL·E’s design forces Thomas Newman to stand in the foreground, pants down, exposed to the audience. In some ways WALL·E marks a touch of the standard fare for Thomas Newman. At first impression it could be suggested that his particular brand of restraint toward an overly-developed set of themes and motifs might be inappropriate for a large fun sci-fi outing. However, Newman makes no apologies for his consistent use of light and airy orchestrations and without a doubt, it raises up the film.
While fans of recent Pixar films may be hyped up on the delightful and more pronounced themes Michael Giacchino, it would be hard to argue that he could match Newman in the realm of tone. And WALL·E, despite its very well-paced plot is a film that relies on tone.
There is no cohesive set of themes in WALL·E. There are no really action-packed cues to get our hearts pumping. Instead, we are presented with music that defines its world. In the year 2815 AD there is one robot left to clean up the garbage left behind on earth. It is a new but familiar world. One which requires a tonal introduction. Newman obliges. From the first cue “2815 AD” (following “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” from “Hello Dolly!”) Newman creates a fantasy tone for us that drags us into a world with one occupant left. The spine-tingling chord shifts and arpeggiated harp immediately create a feeling of isolation that gives form to the earth of the future. This musical thought is followed up at the end of the film in “Horizon 12.2” but with the isolation feeling substituted with a sense of curiosity in the music. While this styling has not become standard fare for sci-fi movies in the past few years. One need only look at Jerry Goldsmith’s score for Alien (which Newman seems to pay homage to) to find the value of tonal science- fiction music.
Newman has managed to tap in to the brainwaves of his main character. The tone of the music often follows closely the mindset of WALL·E and helps us along when WALL·E’s thoughts might be a little unclear for us. Newman also relies heavily on his established use of rhythmic strings and staccato brass to drive the film from point to point. Perhaps the most interesting new element would be the introduction of the Harp which expertly serves to levitate or add mystery to the cues it graces. The only downside to the construction of these cues may be that rarely is a theme allowed to fully develop within a cue. But, that kind of imitates the pattern of the story. WALL·E is not allowed his expression of love for EVE to play out until the end of the film. Cues like “Define Dancing” serve to express those feelings but never let them reach their conclusion. While not necessarily helpful for those who might want to listen to the score on its own, it works splendidly in the film.
For those bombastic action moments Newman has no trouble giving us some full orchestrations. The momentum in “EVE Retrieve”, “Rogue Robots”, and “Hyperjump” drive along their respective scenes without becoming overly thematic. They just move well. Also fun and charming are the themes for EVE and WALL·E which were co-written with Peter Gabriel. WALL·E’s is light and quirky, while EVE’s is flowing and graceful. Perhaps the most fun in the score however is Newman’s short jingle for the “BNL” company, sure to amuse.
Overall, fans should find the score to be a strong addition to Newman’s personal brand of sensitive and emotion driven tones. While, there could have been more thematic development in places, the score serves the film without ever getting in its way, which is quite a feat considering its prominence.
Tracks
1. Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Michael Crawford (1:17)
2. 2815 A.D (3:28)
3. WALL·E (2:00)
4. The Spaceship (1:42)
5. EVE (1:02)
6. Thrust (0:42)
7. Bubble Wrap (0:50)
8. La Vie en Rose, Louis Armstrong (3:24)
9. Eye Surgery (0:41)
10. Worry Wait (1:19)
11. First Date (1:20)
12. EVE Retrieve (2:20)
13. The Axiom (2:25)
14. BNL (0:20)
15. Foreign Contaminant (2:07)
16. Repair Ward (2:20)
17. 72 Degrees and Sunny (3:13)
18. Typing Bot (0:47)
19. Septuacentennial (0:15)
20. Gopher (0:40)
21. WALL·E's Pod Adventure (1:14)
22. Define Dancing (2:23)
23. No Splashing No Diving (0:48)
24. All That Love's About (0:37)
25. M-O (0:47)
26. Directive A-113 (2:06)
27. Mutiny! (1:29)
28. Fixing WALL·E (2:08)
29. Rogue Robots (2:03)
30. March of the Gels (0:54)
31. Tilt (2:01)
32. The Holo-Detector (1:08)
33. Hyperjump (1:05)
34. Desperate EVE (0:57)
35. Static (1:43)
36. It Only Takes a Moment, Michael Crawford (1:07)
37. Down to Earth, Peter Gabriel (5:59)
38. Horizon 12.2 (1:27)
Total duration: 62 minutes
Awards World Soundtrack Awards: Best Original Soundtrack of the Year (Nominee)
World Soundtrack Awards: Best Original Song Written for a Film: "Down to Earth" (Winner)
Golden Globes: Best Original Song: "Down To Earth" (Nominee)
Oscars: Best Original Score (Nominee)
Oscars: Best Original Song: "Down to Earth" (Nominee)
Filmmusicsite.com Awards: Best Original Score (Nominee)
Trailers and others This soundtrack trailer contains music of:
Central Services/ The Office , Michael Kamen (Movie)
Oscar and Lucinda (1997), Thomas Newman (Movie)
Suggestions
The Best Disney Soundtracks
         
Soundtracks from the collection: Kids
        
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