The Last Mimzy

I suspect that some listeners surveying Howard Shore's pre-Lord of the Rings discography would be surprised at the number of, what one might deem, unlikely entries lurking there. For every Cronenburg horror, there's something unexpected, from Big to Mr Doubtfire. However, kids' films have never really been Shore's best known line of work but The Last Mimzy goes some way to rectifying the situation. Quite what happened to the other Mimzies, I have no idea, but whatever the case, the film is something to do with a magical box that makes kids intelligent and psychic and thus able to save the future from pollution. Or something. It sounds like the kind of film that ought to be terrible, but is better than expected. However, it would seem the general consensus is that it was just rather mediocre.

The film seems ripe for a score by James Horner, Thomas Newman or, if you're after something anonymous, John Debney, but with The Mandala, it's clear that Shore is sticking to his current style. However, there is a lightness of touch that isn't always so obvious in his post Lord of the Rings sound world, the strings aren't laid on as thickly and there brass is kept low key. The main theme is slightly unusual in construction, consisting of small melodic fragments that are bounced around the orchestra, which have more in common with The Aviator than the more luscious tunes associated with the family fantasy genre. However, it's quite malleable in terms of tone and just subtle changes in the intervals can turn it from very light and delicate to surprisingly sinister; indeed, there's a slight undercurrent of darkness running throughout. Tracks such as Under the Bed and Blackout present subtle, if fairly genuine menace. I Have to Look and Can I Talk feature some crisp action writing and Through the Looking Glass is undoubtedly lovely (with textures that, along with a couple of other tracks, slightly echo the tone of James Newton Howard's Shyamalan scores) but isn't quite the catharsis one might hope for.

The film has been compared to ET in its overall conception, but Shore's score is about as far from Williams grandeur was one could find, even the finale is fairly low key. In fact, the entire thing is just a bit too subdued, lacking any joie de vivre, as though the composer is taking it all a bit too seriously. The chamber like textures are lovely, but never quite taking flight and any moments where it starts to open out seemingly cut back by Shore's musical reserve. That the main theme is the type of melody that is difficult to broaden doesn't help. Given no knowledge of the film for which it was written, one would be tempted to think it was some rather earnest drama, not a fantasy. The closing song, Hello (I Love You) co-written and performed by Roger Waters is largely dire, bizarrely constructed and not very memorable. I must admit to having had high hopes for The Last Mimzy, but Shore doesn't really broaden his palette as one might hope and, despite some undoubtedly fine moments and typically sincere writing, the whole experience is just a bit flat.