Speed Racer

Michael Giacchino


Heavy Metal

Elmer Bernstein


Baby

Jerry Goldsmith


The Visitor

Jan A.P. Kaczmarek


This Girl For Hire

Bruce Broughton


Justice League

Kevin Manthei


Sleepwalking

Christopher Young


The Life Before Her Eyes

James Horner


Iron Man

Ramin Djawadi


Leatherheads

Randy Newman

Other recent reviews 
Twilight
Scenes of the Crime
Chato's Land
PS I Love You
Nim's Island
Stop Loss
Horton Hears a Who
Mary, Queen of Scots
A Time to Die
Vantage Point
Point Break
Untraceable
Hack
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
My Life
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Legend of Butch and Sundance
Raiders of the Lost Ark
27 Dresses
Jumper
The Black Hole
Wag the Dog
Island of Lost Souls
Rambo
The Tudors
Red King, White Knight
Neighbours
Up Close and Personal
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Surf's Up
Treasured Island
I Am Legend
The Bucket List
3:10 to Yuma
A Far Off Place
The Kite Runner
George and the Dragon
The Mechanic
The Mist
The Great Debaters
Cassandra's Dream
The Golden Compass
Charlie Wilson's War
AVP Requiem
Harry and the Hendersons
Goldfinger
Hitman
Alien
Journey from the Fall
North by Northwest
The Water Horse
Mr Magorium's WE
Beowulf
Lions for Lambs
Navajo Joe
Enchanted
Curly Sue
Elizabeth: TGA
The Last Winter
Sleuth
Bee Movie
Monsignor
As You Like It
Monster Squad
Reservation Road
Superman: Doomsday
Wrong Turn 2
Dante's Peak
In Valley of Elah
War
Bad Boys
For the Record
Transformers
Beyond the Gates
The Siege
Jane Austen Book Club
Lust, Caution
Michael Clayton
The Brave One
For a Few Dollars More
The Straight Story
Eastern Promises
The Kingdom
Gracie
Atonement
Rush Hour 3
Snow Falling on Cedars
Die Hard 2
The Dark Crystal
The Bourne Ultimatum
D-War
Die Hard
Shoot Em Up
B5: The Lost Tales
Snake Eyes
Invasion
Flood
F/X
Black Robe
Gone in 60 Seconds
Deep Impact
The Last Legion
The Burbs
I Know Who Killed Me
The Simpsons
1408
Fracture
The Wind and the Lion
Great Train Robbery
Godzilla
Les Miserables
Harry Potter 5
Skinwalkers
Outbreak
Tutte le Donne
The Last Sin Eater
Missus
Ratatouille
In Love and War
The Bridge at Remagen
I Capture the Castle
A Simple Plan
Giovanni Falcone
L'Inchiesta
Into the West
Bury My Heart
Instinct
The Ultimate Gift
Die Hard 4
Shrek 3
Midnight Run
Evan Almighty
Reign Over Me
The Devil's Brigade
Three Amigos!
The Reaping
Fantastic Four 2
Pathfinder
POTC At World's End
Premonition
Breach
Goodbye Bafana
Shadow in the Trees
Bug
The Enforcer
Next
Essential Zimmer
The Karate Kid
Ocean's 12
Tango and Cash
The PL of Sherlock Holmes
Shooter
The Creature Wasn't Nice
Straight into Darkness
Ocean's 11
The Lookout
84 Charing Cross Rd
Planet Earth
Alive
Meetings with Remarkable Men
Seven Cities of Gold
The Vanishing
Amazing Grace
Meet the Robinsons
The Astronaut Farmer
The Last Mimzy
Judge Roy Bean
Catch and Release
Nomad
Ghost Rider
Partition
Shire at Movies
Some Came Running
Walk w/ Love & Death
Jurassic Park
The Lost World
Jurassic Park III
The Lost World game
Patriot Games
300
Back in Business
Beat the Drum
Max Dugan Returns
Beat the Drum
Pan's Labyrinth
The Number 23
The Painted Veil
Cinemusic
Hindenburg
Bite the Bullet
24 Vol 2
The Good German
Notes on a Scandal
Around in 80 Days
Blood Diamond
Stargate
Crimson Tide
Gold Diggers
Last Stand at Saber River
MOH Underground
The Holiday
The Good Shepherd
Shire Film Music
The Departed
Girl / Pearl Earring
Night at the Museum
The Phantom
We Are Marshall
Little Children
Happy Feet
Apocalypto
Perfume
Charlotte's Web
Nativity Story
Fur
Blizzard
Flicka
Eragon
Donnie Brasco
The Fountain
Wah-Wah
Birdman of Alcatraz
Deja Vu
Lifeforce
Casino Royale
The Prestige
The Grudge 2
Home Alone 2
The Family Stone
Silverado
La Sconosciuta
La Provinciale
E Ridendo l'Uccise
The Big Kahuna
Home on the Range
On Deadly Ground
Eloise
Runaway
A Name for Evil
Flyboys
Peggy Sue Got Married
Spies Like Us
Guns For San Sebastian
The Liquidator
Lost Season 2
Amazing Stories 2
The Dark
The Queen
Land of the Blind
The Living Daylights
Saturn 3
From Russia With Love
Flags of our Fathers
All the King's Men
The Pick-Up Artist
The Blue Lagoon
Conan the Barbarian
Lonesome Dove
Starship Troopers
The Black Dahlia
Class Action
Those Secrets
Hollywoodland
Iron Will
Bambi II
Headspace/b>
Gridiron Gang
The Wicker Man
World Trade Centre
Secondhand Lions
A Life in Suitcases
The Grudge
Bless the Child
Roving Mars
Lady in the Water
The Lake House
Monster House
The Ant Bully
Pirates 2 DMC
WTR Runs Black
Pulse
Eight Below
Back to the Future
Copycat
Entrapment
Presumed Innocent
An Unfinished Life (CY)
Half Light
Gloria
Aegis
Remember the Titans
The Great Raid
Over the Hedge
Poseidon
War of the Roses
Cars
The Punisher
Superman Returns
Fast & Furious 3
BSG Season 2
Courage Under Fire
United 93
Captain from Castile
The Omen (2006)
The Da Vinci Code
Karol 2

moviewave
OVER TEN YEARS OF FILM MUSIC REVIEWS

Movie Wave StoreReviews by title | Reviews by composerArticles | About Movie Wave | Links


May 18 2008 - New reviews

Speed Racer - Michael Giacchino
A review which uncovers no fewer than four surprises - Read the review

The Visitor - Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Beautiful, heart-felt score is one of the composer's best - Read the review

This Girl for Hire - Bruce Broughton
Obscure tv movie score released on CD for the first time - Read the review

Justice League: The New Frontier - Kevin Manthei
Decent superhero music hampered by performance - Read the review

Twilight - Elmer Bernstein
Solid but low-key drama music from a master - Read the review


May 12 2008 - New reviews

Heavy Metal - Elmer Bernstein
Classic Bernstein finally released from the vaults... - Read the review

Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend - Jerry Goldsmith
...and even the Disney vaults are opened - Read the review

Sleepwalking - Christopher Young
Pleasant dramatic score shows another side to Young - Read the review

Chato's Land - Jerry Fielding
Fiendishly complex, satisfying western music - Read the review


May 5 2008 - New reviews

Iron Man - Ramin Djawadi
If you've been wondering where I've been lately, it's taken me a while to recover from listening to this - Read the review

The Life Before Her Eyes - James Horner
This, on the other hand, actually required some talent to produce - Read the review

Scenes of the Crime / A Child's Game - Christopher Young
Two obscure Young efforts see the light of day on CD thanks to BSX - Read the review

P.S. I Love You - John Powell
Lovely - but hardly groundbreaking - romantic music - Read the review


April 16 2008 - New reviews

Leatherheads - Randy Newman
Charming period music for Clooney comedy - Read the review

Nim's Island - Patrick Doyle
Doyle lets rip in fine action/adventure score - Read the review

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - John Williams
John Williams and the Wonderful Sequel Score - Read the review

My Life - John Barry
Lush, beautiful romantic music from the master of that sort of thing - Read the review


April 9 2008 - New reviews

Mary, Queen of Scots - John Barry
The first official CD release of a Barry masterpiece - Read the review

Raiders of the Lost Ark - John Williams
Not long to go before the new film comes out... whet your appetite in the mean time by reminding yourself of how it all began - Read the review


March 27 2008 - New reviews

Stop-Loss - John Powell
Another week, another new score from Powell... - Read the review

A Time to Die - Ennio Morricone
Gritty suspense music from Morricone gets first CD release - Read the review

The Black Hole - John Barry
A Barry classic which is sorely in need of its own first CD release! - Read the review

Wag the Dog - Mark Knopfler
Easy-going music for witty satire - Read the review


March 22 2008 - New reviews

Horton Hears a Who! - John Powell
Powell goes back to the well one more time - Read the review

Point Break - Mark Isham
Popular early action score from Isham gets released on CD for the first time - Read the review

Neighbours - Bill Conti
Manic comedy score - Read the review

Red King, White Knight - John Scott
Obscure score shows Scott's qualities - Read the review


March 13 2008 - New reviews

Vantage Point - Atli Orvarsson
Typical modern thriller score - Read the review

Untraceable - Christopher Young
Far more interesting modern thriller score - Read the review

Hack! - Scott Glasgow
Great, hugely orchestral horror music - like there used to be! - Read the review

Up Close and Personal - Thomas Newman
Charming romance from Newman - Read the review


March 9 2008 - New reviews

The Other Boleyn Girl - Paul Cantelon
Beautiful music for period drama - Read the review

27 Dresses - Randy Edelman
Typical fluffy romcom music - Read the review

Island of Lost Souls - Jane Antonia Cornish
Gigantic action score - Read the review


March 1 2008 - New reviews

The Legend of Butch and Sundance - Basil Poledouris
Touching swansong from Poledouris - Read the review

The Tudors - Trevor Morris
Modern music for historical drama - Read the review

Treasured Island - Nicholas Dodd
Swashbuckling adventure score - Read the review

A Far Off Place - James Horner
Obscure but fulfilling Horner score - Read the review


February 16 2008 - New reviews

Jumper - John Powell
Powell's latest teleports in - Read the review

Rambo - Brian Tyler
Week-long album from Tyler (or at least, it seems that way) - Read the review

Surf's Up - Mychael Danna
Danna leaves his usual territory and surf's up a treat - Read the review


February 3 2008 - New reviews

3:10 to Yuma - Marco Beltrami
Intense western score nets deserved Oscar nomination - Read the review

The Bucket List - Marc Shaiman
Charming, easy-going return to film scoring from Shaiman - Read the review

The Mechanic - Jerry Fielding
Atonal thriller score is one of Fielding's most ambitious - Read the review

George and the Dragon - Gast Waltzing
Fine fantasy adventure score from little-known composer - Read the review


January 24 2008 - New reviews

The Kite Runner - Alberto Iglesias
Impressive, Oscar-nominated score for Afghan drama - Read the review

Goldfinger - John Barry
Do you expect me to talk? - Read the review


January 22 2008 - Oscar nominations / new reviews

Congratulations to the Oscar nominees.  For Best Score...

Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Alberto Iglesias - The Kite Runner
James Newton Howard - Michael Clayton
Michael Giacchino - Ratatouille
Marco Beltrami - 3:10 to Yuma

An eclectic bunch this year, with deserved first nominations for Giacchino and Beltrami, but the overwhelming favourite must be Marianelli, whose Atonement has a similar sort of musical appeal to people who wouldn't usually buy score albums as Dances with Wolves and The English Patient.  But really - how can the same group that shows such good taste as to nominate the underappreciated 3:10 to Yuma also see fit to reward the year's weakest score by a major composer, Michael Clayton?  My own pick for score of the year, The Golden Compass, is predictably absent.

Also notable, three nominations for Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz for three of the excellent songs from Enchanted.

The Spiderwick Chronicles - James Horner
Horner back in fantasy territory after twenty years away - Read the review

I Am Legend - James Newton Howard
Quasi-religious, epic stuff from JNH - Read the review

The Mist - Mark Isham
Terrifying horror score - Read the review

The Great Debaters - James Newton Howard and Peter Golub
Pleasant drama music - Read the review


January 6 2008 - Happy New Year!

The entire staff here at Movie Wave would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous (if not preposterous) new year!

Cassandra's Dream - Philip Glass
Intense score... for Woody Allen comedy!? - Read the review

Charlie Wilson's War - James Newton Howard
Eclectic drama score - Read the review

Harry and the Hendersons - Bruce Broughton
Mad-cap Broughton family fun - Read the review

Hitman - Geoff Zanelli
Enjoyable contemporary action score - Read the review


December 24 2007 - Merry Christmas!

The entire staff here at Movie Wave would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas.

The Golden Compass - Alexandre Desplat
Wonderful fantasy score - Read the review

Journey from the Fall - Christopher Wong
Beautiful music for Vietnam drama - Read the review

Curly Sue - Georges Delerue
Typical heartwarming Delerue - Read the review


December 17 2007 - New reviews

Aliens vs Predator: Requiem - Brian Tyler
Entertaining action romp - Read the review

The Water Horse - James Newton Howard
Fantasy score with celtic elements - Read the review

North by Northwest - Bernard Herrmann
New recording of Herrmann classic - Read the review

The Last Winter - Jeff Grace
Horror score mixes chills with exquisite beauty - Read the review


December 10 2007 - New reviews

Alien - Jerry Goldsmith
Goldsmith's horror masterpiece finally gets the release it deserves - Read the review

Mr Magorium's Wonder Empire - Alexandre Desplat and Aaron Zigman
Surprisingly coherent, pleasant score from unusual pairing of composers - Read the review


November 24 2007 - New reviews

Beowulf - Alan Silvestri
Routine action score from Silvestri, whose sound is starting to get a little stale - Read the review

Lions for Lambs - Mark Isham
Fine score enlivened further with one oustanding piece - Read the review

Navajo Joe - Ennio Morricone
AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Read the review


November 18 2007 - New reviews

Enchanted - Alan Menken
Menken returns to fairytale realm for Disney - Read the review

Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Craig Armstrong
The 16th century - the time of Sir Walter Raleigh, the Spanish Armada and, by the sounds of it, a few drum machines - Read the review

Dante's Peak - John Frizzell
Compact little thriller score - Read the review


November 14 2007 - New reviews

Bee Movie - Rupert Gregson-Williams
Delightfully undemanding animation score - Read the review

Monsignor - John Williams
Gaping hole in Williams discography filled at last - Read the review

Superman: Doomsday - Robert J. Kral
Quality music, not given the performance it deserves - Read the review

War - Brian Tyler
...or should I say John Powell? - Read the review


Movie Wave was launched in October 1996, and Version 4 was launched in May 2003. Your comments and criticisms are always welcome.

Content and original logos copyright (c) 1996-2008 James Southall.