|
|
6 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fitting, very fitting, 25 Jul 2003
When I first heard of Finding Nemo, another Disney animation, I just rolled my eyeballs. Disney's collaboration with Pixar has been its most rewarding, but I felt that there isn't really anything they could do that will surprise us the way Toy Story did. I didn't bother about the film, not even when it's released.And then it became the biggest summer blockbuster earner this year (even flinging Matrix Reloaded off the top spot). I paid attention, and out of curiousity I checked the composer for Finding Nemo's film score. Thomas Newman. Surprise. Utter surprise. I mean, Thomas Newman can produce funny music - his American Beauty is the only soundtrack (among the dozens that I have) that I could listen to and feel funny about. Of course, the thing is he did produce rather dark and melancholic music for that and many other films. Therefore it is surprising how well he pulled this one off - a Disney animation for kids. The typical eclectic style of his is still there, but of course the music is mostly positive, light-hearted, sometimes funny (I loved 'Pelicans'), on a few occasions quiet and melancholic, but in a strangely Disney manner. I don't know how he did it, but he managed to create a score that is perfect for the film (you do get a sense of being underwater), sounds different from other Disney animations yet somehow still fits the Disney spirit - and still allows any film score enthusiast to recognise immediately that it is a Thomas Newman score. One thing though - this one is a record-breaker in terms of number of tracks. There are 40, including one song by Robbie Williams which is a nice ending to the soundtrack. It is typical for Newman to break his scores to little bits of, on average, 90 seconds each, without a strong theme presence (fine by me). However, rest assured, they all flow very nicely. Flow, huh, pun! I have no doubt that it is worth every penny of yours to buy this score. It is heartwarming and relaxing (so much so that you might doze off dreaming about colourful fishes underwater). It is the perfect Newman score for anyone, beginner or fan. In fact, I'd nominate this score for next year's Oscars, and I'd hope it wins.
|