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"King Kong" - James Newton-Howard

 
King Kong

Composed by: James Newton-Howard

Release date: December 13, 2005


Amazon users rating: 4,5/5 stars.






All About Soundtracks Review: Replacing Howard Shore in the scoring duties for 2005 Peter Jackson's epic King Kong, James Newton-Howard had only 5 weeks.
No one would guess it based on the result of his hard work.
(Read more.)

King Kong is a coerent score, emotionally charged, orchestrally rich. It's a solid score, beautiful from start to end. It's a Newton-Howard score.
Like other scores from Howard, this one lacks an immediatly recognizable theme: as usual, his themes are very subtle and will grow on you slowly.
However, this is probably the Newton-Howard score that will require less time from the listen to get lost into it. King Kong is a very fast-forward orchestral adventure, somewhat a predecessor to Howard's excelent and memorable Lady In The Water.
The score opens with the little theme for King Kong, than we're introduced (in A Fateful Meeting) to the simply beautiful theme for Ann, the girl for whom the beast falls in love. This theme is then explored in the no-less excelent tracks Beautiful and Central Park. The King Kong theme is also developed in It's in The Subtext and The Venture Departs, two appropriately darker tracks.
More fast-paced cues are also masterfully composed and orhcestrated - just listen to Defeat is Always Momentary.
Then the score ends with a series of five cues titled Beauty Killed The Beast. This 15-minute climax has everything there. Climatic, miliaristic action music that matches with the climax of the movie. A desperate variation of Ann's theme (or "love" theme?) and Kong's theme too. There's a beautiful, deep amount of sadness, especially when the choir (and alter a solo boy vocal) comes into the play.
In the movie though, the score is a lot of times overshadowed by the sound effects. But when the movie let's the music be heard, it injects life of Kong's proportions in the picture.
This is a score to admire. Listen to it repeatedly to understand it, then you'll listen to it repeatedly because you'll become addicted.
Bravo, Mr. Newton-Howard. There's just nothing wrong with this score.

Ups: emotional, memorable, solid score. Composed and orchestrated with excelence in just 5 weeks. Very fast-paced even in its 75-minute running time.


Downs: It takes time to be digested.


Noteworthy tracks: King Kong, A Fateful Meeting, It's in The Subtext, It's Deserted, Beautiful, Central Park, Empire State Building, Beauty Killed The Beast I, Beauty Killed The Beast II, Beauty Killed The Beast III, Beauty Killed The Beast IV, Beauty Killed The Beast V.


Score note: 10

Preview:
Track 2 - A Fateful Meeting


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