Filmtracks: Jungle Cruise (James Newton Howard)

Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #1,985
Written 9/1/21

Invert Colors

Buy it... if you can't resist James Newton Howard's full range of skittish comedy, sincere drama, breakneck adventure, romantic teasing, and flowing fantasy all inhabiting one whirlwind of a score.

Avoid it... if you found this score's closest sibling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, to be thematically overcomplicated and desire simpler narrative development for your ear candy.

Howard

Jungle Cruise: (James Newton Howard) Anyone who has braved the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland through the decades is well aware that it's a relative yawn-fest if not for the eye-rolling, pithy commentary by each boat's guide, the animatronics and other special effects of the ride appealing mostly to little ones. As far back as the early 2000's, Disney saw a feature film as a way to revitalize the attraction, and after more than a decade of toil and pandemic delays, 2021's Jungle Cruise is the result. The film literally translates the whole concept of the ride onto screen in its opening parts, 1916 boat guide Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson delivering expectedly amusing banter while coordinating with local tribal actors to excite affluent guests on his Brazilian steam-driven river boat. His character has a much more complicated backstory, however, one illuminated when Emily Blunt's headstrong botanist from London, along with her helpless brother, arrive in the Amazon in search of a mystical tree of life. The adventure story involves 16th Century conquistadors, a German prince in a U-boat, and a range of other human and animal characters both dead and alive. The haphazard plot relies heavily upon the chemistry between the two leads, Frank and Lily inevitably destined for romantic complications. Their triumph in the plot and in the film's earnings led Disney to quickly announce a sequel for the duo and the principal crew. With no substantial source song applications, Jungle Cruise required more than two hours of music from Disney veteran composer James Newton Howard, who had the fortune of recording the immense score just prior to the pandemic lockdowns of 2020. The 99-member orchestral ensemble, joined by a 40-voice choir, was the last to record at Sony's stage prior to the restrictions, though Howard continued to work on specialty overlays thereafter. The scope of his score is exactly as one would expect, with Brazilian percussion, panpipes, acoustic guitar, and tasteful synthetic effects combining with the main performing groups to yield a modern take on a vintage swashbuckling sound. Had the soundtrack contented itself with that formula, Jungle Cruise could have been destined for greatness. Sadly, a Disney executive stepped in.

The idea of having the heavy metal band Metallica contribute music to a Disney film had been bantered about for many years, and Disney production president Sean Bailey felt that Jungle Cruise was the right place to incorporate them. When you look at the storyline and the personality of the film score, this decision doesn't make any sense, of course, but Howard, a former rock arranger and producer in his day, was the right man to attempt the adaptation of Metallica into the soundtrack. For their part, the band (in this case, the endeavor led by drummer Lars Ulrich) was thrilled to be working with Howard and trusted his approach to reworking their song, "Nothing Else Matters," into an instrumental version for use as one of the score's themes. Astonishingly, Howard succeeded brilliantly in applying the melody from the song to the two conquistador flashback sequences in the film, the former scene and first two minutes of the latter scene applying the song on acoustic guitar and choir with spectacular effect. Unfortunately, the later scene of the conquistadors murdering members of a Brazilian tribe in their effort to obtain an artifact devolves into a slow-motion music video for which the score adds roaring percussion and electric guitars from members of the band, and the overbearing, modern coolness of the sound could not be more inappropriate for the setting, time period, and, most importantly, emotional feel of the scene. In essence, the Metallica presence in this scene makes the slaughtering of tribesmen and women sound cool, and it's a highly disturbing and disqualifying scene as a result. This two minutes of score overshadows almost everything else provided by Howard for Jungle Cruise, diminishing all his other achievements due to a single, terrible spotting decision. That said, if you subtract the latter half of that second "Nothing Else Matters" flashback cue, the rest of the score, including Howard's more low-key adaptations of that same song, is compositionally sophisticated and remarkably entertaining. In general, the composer's approach to Jungle Cruise mimics both his magnificent fantasy mode and children's adventure mode together with a dash of romance. The exuberance conveyed in much of the score is what sets it apart from the work's natural siblings in Howard's career. It's clear that the intent here was to whip up a rousing dose of fun.

While some listeners may prefer the more heavy-handed fantasy personality of Howard's past, Jungle Cruise most closely follows the rubric of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them scores, the full range of skittish comedy, sincere drama, breakneck adventure, romantic teasing, and flowing fantasy all inhabiting a whirlwind of a score. Listeners inclined to follow the development of themes are required to work a little harder to uncover Howard's narrative development, but his ideas typically end up in a good place by the end of the story. Whereas the totally robust orchestral presence of this score shines well beyond Howard's just previous Raya and the Last Dragon, some of the score's highlights come with the application of the percussion, guitars, and pan pipes. There is just enough exotic flavor to suffice without becoming distracting. More intriguing is a potential bleed-through of temp track influences on cues of singular motific development, with hints of everything from John Williams' desert chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark's ("The Rapids") to Patrick Doyle's train material from Murder on the Orient Express ("I Built a Boat") and a bevy of early, playful music for Lily that ironically sounds perfect for Mary Poppins mischief. (One could argue that the chipper main theme of the picture would be a perfect match for a Mary Poppins song melody.) The sneaking animal-related music wraps back to the equivalent cues in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. All of this material is performed and mixed extremely well, speaking to the benefits of recording full ensembles in the same room. For film score collectors disappointed by the lack of really well-balanced and nuanced orchestral recordings during the pandemic lockdowns, Jungle Cruise is a resounding treat in its ambient scope. Howard's purpose was to resurrect the high-flying orchestral spirit of yesteryear to match the film's vintage charm, confessing, "It has a wonderful retro feel, like an adventure movie from the 1940s... it was immensely gratifying." He responded by composing three dominant themes, three secondary themes, and three motifs closely targeted at specific scenes or minor concepts. The most interesting aspect of his thematic choices was the establishment of separate but similar themes for the leads, Frank and Lily, before blending them into one common identity for their shared goals and exploits.

Howard arranged a fantastic "Jungle Cruise Suite" for the end credits that rotates through eight of the film's themes and motifs, and this cue opens the album. (There do seem to be some differences between the credits edit and the album's version.) The primary franchise theme for Jungle Cruise is a jaunty, march-like series of three-note phrases heard first at 0:46 and 1:14 into "Jungle Cruise Suite" before a brassy rendition takes center stage at 3:14. On screen, the theme serves as the main title announcement on brass at 0:08 into "A Steamer to Brazil" before panpipes and others take the idea for the remainder of the scene. The theme, while rooted in Frank's cruises, becomes a general representation of heroics and escape by the exuberant chasing at 0:46 into "Market Chase" and the all-out action at 0:14 into "Sub Attack." The latter cue offers the theme at 1:47 for the victorious, explosive finale to the scene. The idea takes a propulsive but hopeful and lighter tone at 1:24 into "I Built a Boat," adapting to a moment of brief glee once back in action at 2:21 into "Conquistadors Arrive." The theme's figures inform later action in "One Last Cruise" and shift to a sense of longing and survival by 1:32 into "I Want You to Rest Now," a solo oboe passage for the theme especially effective. By Frank's revival, the idea returns to stately horns at 2:46 into that cue, and the full ensemble resolves it at 3:05. In the epilogue, the theme returns in its stately form but reprises its original playful, panpipe personality for Frank's driving, this time in a car instead of a boat. Some listeners may assume that Frank's own theme, which is often intertwined with the main theme for the concept, is itself the movie's primary identity. But it does serve to underline the character's wild antics rather than the main theme, which instead is focused more on Frank's perceived sophisticated sense of coolness. Frank's theme is heard at 0:10 and 1:33 into "Jungle Cruise Suite," though a solo horn performance at 7:31 sets the stage for several subsequent reprises on that instrument to represent the character's wish to escape his lifestyle. The theme extends directly out of the score's secondary adventure theme at 0:43 into "Jungle Cruise" and is caught up in frenzied chasing at 0:34 and 1:10 into "Market Chase" before taking a big, victorious march-like form at 2:34. The theme smartly loses footing in fragments during "The Rapids" but starts reasserting itself by the background trumpet action at 1:19 into "The Tree Fight."

Read More...

Howard's fascinating transformation of Frank's theme in Jungle Cruise really starts to take hold as he and Lily converge on their targeted destination in the story. The theme is simplified to horn once again at 0:57 into "La Luna Rota" and extends in that manner at 3:19 into "Underwater Puzzle," by which time this slower take really starts to meld with Lily's theme. A return to wild action mode awaits at 0:17 into "Conquistadors Arrive," a larger, more elegant, and very brief reference following at 1:00. Opposite the main theme, the solo horn version of Frank's theme opens "I Want You to Rest Now" and is sentimental on strings by 1:16, only partial phrases utilized by Howard to denote the lost character. Much of Frank's theme is supplanted by the love theme thereafter, though by 0:30 into "Absolutely Exhausting," Howard allows the idea some sudden, frantic fun to close out the film. That love theme is somewhat elusive in its opening phrases, though its secondary ascending phrases can offer a touch of pure James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith wonder depending on how it is performed. The structure of the theme almost makes one think that the interlude phrases of the identity are conveyed prior to the main melody itself, which may make it a little challenging for some listeners to identify. Ultimately, though, it's the tone of this theme that matters, and Howard presents it at 2:00 into "Jungle Cruise Suite" and more whimsically at 6:54. It takes a while for this theme to emerge, understandably, as the characters spend much of the first half of the film bickering with one another. Howard, for instance, only references semi-relevant fragments during the spritely "Preparing to Set Sail." The idea finally starts to emerge in the frantic action at 1:18 into "The Rapids" and informs the romantic relief to end the cue. The theme begins working its magic throughout the pretty "Encantado," a cello rendition that is particularly lovely. It turns playfully coy at the start of "Lily Snoops" and starts its deeper duties on strings at 0:10 into "Lily Finds Frank." Howard chose to open "I Built a Boat" with this theme on woodwinds and piano, an interesting suggestion that Frank's feelings for Lily are compelling him to open up about his cursed past. A brief but sensuous release for the theme occurs during the aftermath at 3:01 into "Underwater Puzzle" (but not during the necessary underwater kissing preceding, another intriguing choice), while it's very slight on strings at 1:16 into "Conquistadors Arrive." Howard allows a massive ensemble and choir resolution for it at 2:09 into "I Want You to Rest Now."

Of the secondary themes in Jungle Cruise, none is more interesting and perhaps disappointing than Lily's theme. Her idea is clearly connected to Frank's structurally, so much so that Howard can effectively merge them as the two become a team. But Lily's theme is a more impatient, simple, and linear variant of Frank's progressions, accurately suggesting musically that he is the more complicated character. As such, we only hear Lily's theme in the first third of the score before it sadly departs, a shame given that her variant on the general idea is more fluidly enjoyable in a romantic sense. The "Jungle Cruise Suite" presents her theme at 0:30, and only two cues featured on the album move it along. Upbeat, frenetic fragments of the theme are everywhere starting at 0:12 into "Stop Her!," but the best moment for her theme comes at 1:29 into "Jungle Cruise," where a redemptive, pretty statement on strings accompanies Lily's confident arrival in Brazil. Lily's antics receive their own adventure theme, though the idea could also represent her and Frank causing mischief together. The six-note phrase leading this theme is the score's true swashbuckling spirit, heard at 0:59 and 1:45 into "Jungle Cruise Suite" and debuting in the score at 0:36 into "Jungle Cruise." It is frantically repeated at 1:23 into "Market Chase" and is afforded a momentous moment of triumph at 2:26 in that cue. A wild rendition returns at 0:43 into "Absolutely Exhausting." Howard, meanwhile, counters the protagonists with a surprisingly elusive march for the German, Joachim, pursuing them. The 5-note phrases of this theme ooze Richard Wagner but aren't always enunciated with the brassy pomp one might expect. Featured at 3:53 into "Jungle Cruise Suite," the theme starts with playful variants at 2:28 into "Breaking into the Archives" and becomes increasing agitated at 1:22 and later into "Stop Her!," eventually comically twisted in defeat by the end. Howard doesn't often present Joachim's theme with genuine malice, though its most menacing moment comes at 0:53 into "Sub Attack" for almost parody duties during the hilariously preposterous scene. More impressive is the imposing ensemble performance over swirling insect techniques at 0:14 into "Joachim and the Bees" and a fluid deconstruction of the idea for one final performance at 0:12 into "One Last Cruise." Both the Lily and Joachim themes are underplayed in the score, and while the former can be explained, the lack of better enunciation for the main villain identity remains puzzling, especially considering his hefty screen time.

Three more specific, minor motifs recur in the Jungle Cruise score, the most substantial of which belongs to the magical tree, Tears of the Moon, at the end of the film's journey. Its material is pure Howard, full-ensemble and choir fantasy in the spectacular mould of Lady in the Water, The Last Airbender, and Maleficent, hinted throughout the score before the tree's pivotal scene at the climax. With the "Jungle Cruise Suite," he supplies the fullest performance of this idea twice, the suite assembly introducing the theme at 5:15 before the complete melody follows at 5:52. The same general rendition for the full performing group and electronics is realized in the movie at 1:50 into "Petal Negotiations." Before then, however, Howard teases a fluffy clarinet version at 2:09 into "Breaking into the Archives" but transitions to a bit more nobility in its phrasing at 3:17. A passage at 3:37 into "The Tree Fight" offers similar progressions. A cleverly inverted, suspenseful version of the theme comes forth at 0:17 into "Underwater Puzzle" and consolidates into its regular form at 1:45. After the monumental performance in "Petal Negotiations," Howard allows the theme's chords to inform the latter half of "Conquistadors Arrive" starting at 1:49. Ancillary to the Tears of the Moon theme is a rather hypnotic motif for the arrowhead medallion sought by all the characters to guide them to the magical tree. In the "Jungle Cruise Suite," this idea is conveyed at 4:19, though don't expect it to retain the same exact structure throughout. Howard instead relies on the underlying chords and woodwind and percussion textures to define this motif, including at 0:33 into "Breaking into the Archives." It is hinted in inverted form early in "The Rapids" and has its phrasing rearranged again at 0:40 into "La Luna Rota." Only at 0:53 into "Petal Negotiations" does the motif's total incarnation flourish on flute as the medallion is properly placed to activate the tree. The final lesser motif in Jungle Cruise belongs to Paul Giamatti's comic relief character, Nilo, who is in charge of port from which Frank operates. It's not a well-defined motif, tangled throughout "Nilo" and shades of its underlying lines persisting in "Frank Breaks In." It's mixed into the rhythmic figures of "Sub Attack" before being fully revealed again at 1:33. Don't expect Howard to return substantively to this theme at the end when the character reappears. There was something of a missed opportunity in the relationship between Nilo's theme and Frank pretending to be Nilo in "Frank Breaks In," Howard not exploring an interplay between their themes quite as hoped.

The final thematic attributions in Jungle Cruise exist for the conquistadors cursed for centuries, both in the "Nothing Else Matters" adaptation and a motif unto their own for their contemporary, nasty, ghostly selves in Howard's score. The latter dark motif consists of rolling, ascending brass figures over choir and guitar heard most prominently at 0:20 into "The Tree Fight." (Any music written for their underground resurrection scene prior is not on album.) The outlines of this material recur in "La Luna Rota" and "Conquistadors Arrive." The "Nothing Else Matters" adaptation represents only those characters' past, and the irony of their inclusion is that the first of the two cues is really fabulous on screen and album. Heard over the Disney castle logo and the opening scene, this initial version conveys lovely female vocals over the guitar, percussion, strings, and choir. It's fabulous work by Howard and proves that he would have made an excellent composer for Coco. This mode continues for the first two minutes of the second cue before the full Metallica guest appearance ruins the moment. Howard doesn't make much attempt to carry over the song's melody to the score proper, though a potentially related, dramatic choral passage ensues at 3:39 into "The Tree Fight." The only other musical identity of note in Jungle Cruise exists for the (now female) Trader Sam character, her soft pan pipe, guitar, and woodwind theme a dainty but pleasant diversion for her supporting role. Confined to "Trader Sam," this music is appended to the "Jungle Cruise Suite" at the conclusion of the film's end credits, which is a strangely low-key way to send off the score. Despite the movie containing over two hours of music, the 73-minute album conveys all the vital performances and does not suffer any blatant omissions. The product's narrative is strong even with all the rowdiness and frantic pacing of the many action cues. Ultimately, Jungle Cruise represents most of what his collectors love about Howard's writing, reminding of the scope and tone of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the best of ways. The score doesn't provide its themes with the same shamelessly extroverted, easily identifiable character in all expected situations, but the main theme definitely excels at the catchiness factor. Any chance this score had to earn a top rating vanished with the heinously inappropriate rock intrusion during the second "Nothing Else Matters" cue, however, a tremendous frustration given how well Howard adapted the Metallica song into its softer incarnations. One can only hope that a wayward Disney executive won't interfere next time if Howard returns for the franchise's continuation. **** @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For James Newton Howard reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.4 (in 70 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.36 (in 86,511 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Filmtracks Home	Reviews
Scoreboard	Desktop Site