| CLOSE WINDOW |
|
FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Alice Through the Looking Glass (Danny Elfman)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you fell in love with Danny Elfman's vintage fantasy
mode in Alice in Wonderland and hope to hear a loyal and
competent extension of that classic score in this sequel.
Avoid it... if superior new themes are your key to enjoyment of sequel scores, Elfman's fresh ideas here outstanding in their action stance but not particularly memorable melodically.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Alice Through the Looking Glass: (Danny Elfman)
Something went terribly wrong in the process of adapting Lewis Carroll's
"Through the Looking Glass" to the screen in 2016, Alice Kingsleigh's
return to Wonderland a frightful mess of temporal mechanics and
confusing characters. The 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland
wasn't a masterpiece, either, but famed director Tim Burton used his
quirky trademark production values to propel the project to over a
billion dollars of grosses in theatres. With Burton retreating to only a
production role for the sequel, director James Bobin returned to
franchise screenwriter Linda Woolverton for a cobbling together of
elements from Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass." The end result of
their efforts is a story universally panned by critics who referred to
it as needlessly extravagant and plain stupid, a blockbuster-oriented
excuse to reassemble the cast of the first film (including Alan Rickman
in his final role) to make a quick buck. The titular Alice returns to
Wonderland to help the Mad Hatter find his family, ultimately battling
Time himself (played by Sacha Baron Cohen with a little too much Borat
Sagdiyev in expressions) and using a "Chronosphere" to a journey all
over the land in time and place to set the universe right. Needless to
say, audiences did not financially reward Alice Through the Looking
Glass as they did the predecessor, a significant cinematic failure
for Walt Disney Studios. None of these regretful circumstances matter
for enthusiasts of Danny Elfman's music for the 2010 film, an enduring
modern classic of a score that harkened back to the composer's early
days of fantastic melodramatic success. The concert arrangement of its
primary theme has been performed around the world by ensembles of all
shapes and sizes, earning Elfman nominations for a Golden Globe, a
BAFTA, and a Grammy (but inexplicably not an Oscar). It was one of the
top three scores of 2010 no matter how you look at it, surpassing the
quality of the film by leaps and bounds and sparking a renaissance in
the composer's fantasy work in general. For Alice Through the Looking
Glass, the composer was cognizant of the need to continue the
thematic and stylistic characteristics of the previous score while
adding a measured touch of new material for this particular
adventure.
Elfman does not often tackle sequels to his own scores, Batman Returns likely being the most famous. Unlike that score, however, Alice Through the Looking Glass doesn't stray far from its predecessor in terms of its instrumental and choral style. The organ and deep brass textures beef up the bass environment while flute and cooing choir anchor the other end, the resulting fantasy atmosphere quintessential, classic Elfman from start to finish. The vocal applications are familiar, ensemble and solo boy soprano performances sometimes wordless and at others featuring lyrics carrying over from the prior score. Rhythmic struck percussion receives an enhanced role due to the element of time, a rather mundane though well played choice. The sequel's music functions more like a loyal extension and careful interpolation of Alice in Wonderland into new circumstances, presenting only one major new theme while focusing squarely on expanding the roles of those from the first score. "I didn't want to incorporate, melodically, too much new stuff because I wanted to stay connected to the original music," Elfman explains. For listeners in tune with the secondary themes of Alice in Wonderland, that's great news, because the composer's expansions of those ideas are executed with considerable merit in Alice Through the Looking Glass. The prior score really hinged on its three themes for Alice herself, with ideas for Hatter and Cheshire Cat, among others, recurring noticeably (if not obscured by incomplete album presentations). The "hero theme" is the one that made up the concert arrangement known as "Alice's Theme," punctuated by its ambitious minor third rhythms and descending "Alice" vocals at the end of its key phrases. Simply one of the best themes in the history of film music, Alice's hero theme remains a backbone of Alice Through the Looking Glass, starting with a faithful, abbreviated variation on the concert arrangement in "Alice." The idea is better engrained in the bulk of the score in the sequel, some very satisfying development of its action mode heard in "Asylum Escape." It is also applied as a crescendo with which to end scenes, whether it be "Oceans of Time" or "Kingsleigh & Kingsleigh," the latter closing out the story with one final enunciation of "Alice" before joining with the childhood theme to suggest an unresolved ending. Although the hero theme from Alice in Wonderland is a joy to hear in any reprise or adaptation (even if some of the concert performances of the theme out there are atrocious; it's not the easiest collection of tempos for an inexperienced group to keep), it's the evolution of that score's two secondary themes for Alice that really shines in Alice Through the Looking Glass. Most important is the "Little Alice" theme, referred to by Elfman as the childhood theme. "Alice's childhood theme, which was featured two or three times in the original film, is much stronger now," says Elfman. "It is stronger in the sense that it's more evocative emotionally because she is trying to save her friend, the Hatter." It is this identity that tends to remind the composer's collectors of Black Beauty because of its closing progressions, and it becomes the de-facto primary theme in Alice Through the Looking Glass. In many ways, the "Alice" concert arrangement in this score is a superior summary of the prior score, because it features this idea prominently between 2:53 and 3:32. Highlighted performances later in this score include massive action renditions of the idea at 2:34 into "Saving the Ship," 3:06 into "Hatter House," and 4:02 into "The Chronosphere." Her bond with Hatter is solidified using the theme at 1:38 into "Hatter's Deathbed," where it is handled in gorgeous solo treatment by music box and cello over choir. Somber, respectful performances of the childhood theme close out the film in "Truth" and "Goodbye Alice." The other Alice identity carrying over from Alice in Wonderland is the "Proposal" theme, referenced comparatively infrequently in Alice Through the Looking Glass, but those reprises account for some of the most poignant moments in this newer score. In the "Alice" suite, you hear the theme (which still reminds of Jerry Goldsmith's Rudy superficially) between 4:04 and 5:14, and although the identity is marginalized through much of the score, it returns for two stunningly impactful performances late (0:37 into "World's End" and 1:08 into "Goodbye Alice"), the latter extending throughout the cue with convincing heart. The only questionable aspect of Elfman's use of these themes in Alice Through the Looking Glass is the fact that he sounds more content referencing the matured childhood theme in massive action sequences than the primary hero theme, which seems like an odd choice at times. One of the unsolved mysteries of the Alice in Wonderland score was Elfman's intent regarding a theme for Hatter, and although the answers to that situation were buried in largely unreleased cues from that score, Alice Through the Looking Glass does finally clarify them. Most casual listeners didn't realize that the interlude section of Alice's theme (the busier, wilder chorus passage) was actually Hatter's theme, and Elfman expands upon its references through the sequel's score due to the character's more significant role in the plot. In the "Alice" suite, you hear the theme between 1:40 and 1:52, 5:30 and 5:41, and at 5:54. Often punctuated by lofty flute, an ominous performance arrives at 1:56 in "Hatter House" while fragmentary references exist throughout "Hat Heartbreak" and "They're Alive." At 0:56 into "Hatter's Deathbed," the flute hands the theme off to solo horn; the cue develops the idea into more stately territory at its conclusion. An upbeat performance at 1:24 into "Truth" returns once again to the flute. For those still troubled with trying to find this theme, it's made a little easier when remembering that if there's a moment you encounter in Alice Through the Looking Glass that inexplicably reminds you of "Jack's Lament" from The Nightmare Before Christmas, especially in the latter half of "Finding the Family" here, then you're hearing the full Hatter theme. "The Hatter's theme was in the first film but it was really kind of quirky," Elfman continues. "Now it is a much bigger theme that is bittersweet and emotional and even a little darker." Not to be forgotten amongst all of the complexity of this equation is the theme for the Cheshire Cat, which returns in familiar sinewy, violin-led fashion at the outsets of "Saving the Ship," "Watching Time," and "To the Rescue." The only major new theme exists for Time, which Elfman claims was part of a "Russian kick." As he explains, "When I saw Time gallivanting around on screen, I thought of Sergei Prokofiev. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but that music was very much inspired by him." Listeners can identify the theme best in "Watching Time," which concludes with a rousing statement of the identity at 4:49. After a number of lighter renditions, including the opening of "Oceans of Time," this theme explodes with ferocious power in "Time is Up," the concluding monstrous performance at 3:43 not to be missed. The Prokofiev connection is inexplicable, really, though perhaps the character's costume was the inspiration for Elfman's Russian approach. Overall, with so many formerly secondary themes taking center stage, it's easy to imagine that some listeners will find Alice Through the Looking Glass to be less satisfying an experience on album. The theme for Time is not really easy to nail down, either. Still, like the prior score, it's the remarkable and consistent quality of Elfman's overarching environment for all these themes that sells the product. The best techniques of Batman Returns, Sommersby, and Black Beauty remain the fabric of this tapestry, and with the action music of Time, you also receive an intriguing infusion of ballsy attitude from the composer's late additions to Avengers: Age of Ultron. The tuba and trombone usage in Alice Through the Looking Glass resembles Avengers: Age of Ultron in the brass' ability to totally dominate the bass region in such a way that no electronic enhancement to the region is needed. There are even a few moments when the propulsive nature of Alice's hero and childhood themes reminds of Elfman's fantastic Avengers theme in instrumentation. Look no further than 3:14 into "Saving the Ship" for one such immensely entertaining Avengers reference (following a Batman Returns choral line thrown in for good measure at 2:47). The entire package retains the best qualities of Alice in Wonderland without being too redundant, and although the new theme for Time is weaker than the returning ideas and Hatter's material still flies under the radar to some extent, you can't really fault Elfman for the end result. He concludes the score with an unresolved pairing of the hero theme and counterpointed childhood theme that perhaps suggests more adventures to come, coherent scriptwriting permitting. The album release for Alice Through the Looking Glass is reminiscent of Goosebumps in that the score is split between the main experience and a collection of "bonus cues" at the end, an unfortunate problem for those who value narrative flow. One of the bonus cues is the insufferable "Seconds Song," a brief Charlie and the Chocolate Factory carryover. The generic new "P!nk" pop song, "Just Like Fire," tacked onto the end of the album, will not interest Elfman enthusiasts unless they have a bodily need for inspiration to expunge a stubborn turd. As for Elfman's score, there are strong arguments to be made for either a four-star or five-star rating. Ultimately, the stunning quality of the new "Alice" suite, the rousing action cues, "Saving the Ship" and "Time is Up," and the general, underlying strength of the referenced material all point to a five-star rating. It's rare that you receive such a competent sequel to an original classic. *****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 76:37
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes lyrics to the P!nk song but no extra information about the score or film.
Copyright ©
2016-2024, Filmtracks Publications. All rights reserved.
The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Alice Through the Looking Glass are Copyright © 2016, Walt Disney Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 6/11/16 (and not updated significantly since). |
