Avatar

James Horner


Sherlock Holmes

Hans Zimmer


New Moon

Alexandre Desplat


Under the Mountain

Victoria Kelly


Innerspace

Jerry Goldsmith


The Princess and the Frog

Randy Newman


A Christmas Carol

Alan Silvestri


Baaria

Ennio Morricone


Mao's Last Dancer

Christopher Gordon


Exodus

Ernest Gold

Other recent reviews 
The Informant
Fantastic Mr Fox
5 Man Army
House of Cards
Drag Me to Hell
Lonely are the Brave
Land of the Lost
Order of War
Cain's Hundred
Mars Attacks!
Star Trek 2
The Right Stuff
Aliens in the Attic
Hard Contract
The Poker Club
The Informers
Night at the Museum 2
In the Electric Mist
Harry Potter 6
The Journey of Natty Gann
Star Trek
George Washington II
Airplane
In Harm's Way
Mike's Murder
One Little Indian
Wolverine
Coco Avant Chanel
Heroes
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Memories of Me
Knowing
Home of Dark Butterflies
Outlander
Honey, I Shrunk...
Dragonball: Evolution
Shellfish
Lesbian Vampire Killers
Until September
The Uninvited
The Lazarus Project
Body Double
The Golden Seal
Revolutionary Road
Valkyrie
Slumdog Millionaire
Gold
Merlin
Benjamin Button
Milk
Let the Right One In
Pane e Liberta
Defiance
The Dove
Star Crash
Frost/Nixon
Day Earth Stood Still
Che
Max Payne
Short Circuit
Bolt
The Rebel
The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Species
The Express
Desire Under the Elms
Laurette / Prince Jack
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Quantum of Solace
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Jack Brooks
The Boys From Brazil
The Matrix
Passengers
Pride and Glory
Eagle Eye
The First Olympics
Something the Lord Made
Bangkok Dangerous
The Duchess
Towelhead
Not Without My Daughter
A Fistful of Dollars
The Lion in Winter
Out of Africa
Fly Me to the Moon
Eureka
Shogun
The 4 Musketeers
Sisterhood Pants 2
Clone Wars
Tropic Thunder
The Dark Knight
Masters of the Universe
The Mummy 3
Hellboy 2
WALL·E
The Nightcomers
Wanted
Lost Season 3
Alone in the Dark
Meet Dave
Get Smart
Aquamarine
Cross Creek
Hancock
The Happening
Duck, You Sucker
Anne of the Indies
Twister
Kung Fu Panda
Indy 4
The Accidental Tourist
The Lion King
The Man with the Golden Gun
Hard Rain
Sabrina
By Love Possessed
Fool's Gold
The Abandoned
Prince Caspian
Standard Operating Procedure
Stargate: Ark of Truth
The Scarlet Letter
Speed Racer
Sudden Impact
Comes a Horseman
Swept from the Sea
National Treasure 2
Baby
Heavy Metal
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
The Visitor
This Girl for Hire
Justice League
Sleepwalking
The Life Before Her Eyes
Iron Man
Leatherheads
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



moviewave
OVER TEN YEARS OF FILM MUSIC REVIEWS

New!  movie-wave capsules - capsule reviews, blogs, film music news
Movie Wave Store
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January 10 2010 - New reviews

Happy new year to you all - hope 2010 is a good year.  Do keep checking in at movie-wave capsules - lots more new capsule reviews recently.

Avatar - James Horner
Horner pulls out all the stops for Cameron's extravaganza - Read the review

Sherlock Holmes - Hans Zimmer
Elementary, dear Ennio - Read the review

Twilight: New Moon - Alexandre Desplat
Romantic treat from Desplat for teen vampire tale - Read the review

Under the Mountain - Victoria Kelly
Dark, energetic fantasy score - Read the review

Innerspace - Jerry Goldsmith
Long-awaited (and indeed long) extended version of popular 80s Goldsmith score - Read the review


December 15 2009 - New reviews

It's nearly the end of the year, so new scores are appearing from many major composers.  Next up here will be Avatar and New Moon.  Do keep checking in at movie-wave capsules - lots more new capsule reviews recently.

The Princess and the Frog - Randy Newman
Disney goes back to doing what it does best and Randy Newman's along for the ride - Read the review

A Christmas Carol - Alan Silvestri
Zemeckis continues doing what he does worst - but Alan Silvestri gets to shower us with festive cheer - Read the review


November 25 2009 - New reviews

Don't forget to keep checking in at movie-wave capsules - recent reviews include a few Intrada and La-La Land titles as well as the new score for 2012.

Baaria - Ennio Morricone
Morricone graces latest Tornatore film with beautiful score - Read the review

Mao's Last Dancer - Christopher Gordon
Gordon's back, reminding us of his talents - Read the review

Exodus - Ernest Gold
Spectacular recording of long-requested score - Read the review


October 26 2009 - New reviews

Don't forget to keep checking in at movie-wave capsules - regular reviews of a wide range of albums.

The Informant! - Marvin Hamlisch
Delicious retro fun from Hamlisch - Read the review

Fantastic Mr Fox - Alexandre Desplat
Quirky little score marks a real change of pace from Desplat - Read the review

The 5-Man Army - Ennio Morricone
Expanded Morricone western score highlighted by outstanding main theme - Read the review

House of Cards - James Horner
Lovely, little-known Horner gem debuts on CD - Read the review


September 14 2009 - New reviews

Don't forget to keep checking in at movie-wave capsules - a new capsule review has been added every day since I announced it.  Titles reviewed since the launch day include John Barry's Hanover Street, Brian Tyler's The Final Destination, John Murphy's 28 Weeks Later, Bill Brown's The Devil's Tomb and Robert Williamson and Geoff Zanelli's Gamer.  You can also get notification on the RSS feed of when new full-length reviews are added on this page.

Speaking of which... here are six new ones!

Drag Me to Hell - Christopher Young
Young recalls past glories with his latest horror score - Read the review

Lonely are the Brave - Jerry Goldsmith
Goldsmith's breakthrough, finally available after nearly fifty years - Read the review

Land of the Lost - Michael Giacchino
Bitty score for comedy adventure - Read the review

Order of War - Jeremy Soule
Terrific WW2 game score - Read the review

Cain's Hundred - Jerry Goldsmith
FSM unearths another gem with this little-known early Goldsmith tv music - Read the review

Mars Attacks! - Danny Elfman
Enjoyable Elfman score gets the expanded treatment - Read the review


September 8 2009 - Announcing movie-wave capsules

After twelve years of doing this, I finally have a new feature to announce!  movie-wave capsules will provide capsule reviews of scores that, for whatever reason, I don't provide full reviews of here.  Titles will be added on a regular basis so be sure to check out the page often - five capsule reviews are available now!

I'll also be offering occasional blogs and important bits of film music news when they arise.  Yes, I'm finally catching up with where most websites were in 2004!

Don't worry, I will still be offering full reviews of the most important releases here on the main page - expect batches of those to appear approximately monthly, as they have been throughout 2009 (but as regular visitors will know, my reviewing schedule is rarely predictable).

I will mention any new capsule reviews as and when updates to this page happen, but would expect the capsules site to be updated more frequently.  Please check it out!

Visit movie-wave capsules now!


September 5 2009 - New reviews

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - James Horner
KHAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!! - Read the review

The Right Stuff - Bill Conti
First-ever release of Conti's Oscar-winning score tracks - Read the review

Aliens in the Attic - John Debney
Debney returns to family adventure genre - Read the review

The Poker Club - Evan Evans
Snarling, brooding score for indie thriller - Read the review

Hard Contract - Alex North
Varese uncovers another North gem - Read the review


August 17 2009 - New reviews

The Informers - Christopher Young
Look at that CD cover - this one must be one hell of a scary horror score - Read the review

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - Alan Silvestri
Silvestri returns for sequel, decides not to change much - Read the review

In the Electric Mist - Marco Beltrami
Strong score sees Beltrami on top of his game - Read the review

George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation
Music for film about the lesser-known George Washington II - Read the review


July 28 2009 - New reviews

Thanks for your patience while I've been less active than usual (I do have a good excuse, though).  Normal service can now resume - five new reviews today - and next time - KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Nicholas Hooper
Hooper continues in the vein he left off, last time round - Read the review

The Journey of Natty Gann - James Horner
Oft-requested title finally arrives on CD and it's a piece of magic from Horner - Read the review

Airplane! - Elmer Bernstein
Don't give me any of that white zone crap! - Read the review

In Harm's Way - Jerry Goldsmith
Early Goldsmith gem gets welcome CD reissue from Intrada - Read the review

Mike's Murder - John Barry
Obscure Barry thriller score may not be one of his best, but it has its moments - Read the review


June 25 2009 - New reviews

You may or may not be disappointed to hear that I'm not dead.  So - sorry that new reviews have been thin on the ground just lately.  I'm getting married in a few days and have been involved in the hectic preparations.  Normal service will resume!  If you just can't decide what wedding present to buy me, don't forget there's a Varese Sarabande CD Club announcement on Monday.

Star Trek - Michael Giacchino
Giacchino follows in some big footsteps - and isn't that far from filling them - Read the review

One Little Indian - Jerry Goldsmith
Intrada's Disney breakthrough allows release of obscure Goldsmith western score - Read the review


May 13 2009 - New reviews

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Harry Gregson-Williams
Disappointingly dull score for latest chapter of comic book franchise - Read the review

Coco Avant Chanel - Alexandre Desplat
Splendid, lovely score for French biopic of Chanel - Read the review

Heroes - Wendy and Lisa
Surprisingly good album from ludicrous tv show - Read the review

Twilight Zone: The Movie - Jerry Goldsmith
Goldsmith classic gets luxurious treatment from FSM - Read the review

Memories of Me - Georges Delerue
Stunning finale highlight of first release of Delerue gem - Read the review


April 22 2009 - New reviews

Knowing - Marco Beltrami
Thoroughly entertaining actioner finds Beltrami in good form - Read the review

The Home of Dark Butterflies - Panu Aaltio
Simple but effective drama score from newcomer Aaltio - Read the review

Outlander - Geoff Zanelli
Simple but uneffective action score - Read the review

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids - James Horner
Beloved Horner score gets its first CD release - Read the review


March 30 2009 - New reviews

Dragonball: Evolution - Brian Tyler
Tyler is back with a bang, with a furiously exciting action score - Read the review

I Want to Be a Shellfish - Joe Hisaishi
The best traditional "Hollywood-style" score you'll hear all year; and it's not from Hollywood - Read the review

Lesbian Vampire Killers - Debbie Wiseman
Enjoyable horror score... especially if you like listening to temp-tracks - Read the review

Until September - John Barry
Classic Barry romantic gem gets re-release from Intrada - Read the review

The Emotion and the Strength - Maurice Jarre
This isn't a new review at all, but I thought it was revisiting since it's a fantastic overview of the great man's glorious career in film music - Read the review


March 30 2009 -  Maurice Jarre 1924-2009

Some very sad news.  The great Maurice Jarre, one of film music's legends, has passed away at the age of 84.  The Frenchman wrote a large number of wonderful film scores throughout his career, penning some of cinema's great themes in the process, and will always be best-remembered as David Lean's composer-of-choice, writing one of the genuine candidates for the all-time greatest film score, Lawrence of Arabia, in the process.  For all his work in a wide variety of genres, surely Jarre's greatest strength was in the gloriously undampened romantic spirit he brought to so many scores.  As with all the great film composers, he didn't sound like anyone else - you couldn't play more than a couple of bars of his music before realising, usually with a warm smile, that it was his work.  Rest in peace.


March 24 2009 - New reviews

The Uninvited - Christopher Young
Young takes a rare step into the horror genre, delivers with frightening quality - Read the review

The Lazarus Project - Brian Tyler
Laid-back thriller music is impressive from Tyler - Read the review

Body Double - Pino Donaggio
Classic Donaggio appears on CD at last! - Read the review

The Golden Seal - John Barry and Dana Kaproff
Lovely family adventure score gets Intrada treatment - 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) 1996-2010 James Southall.