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Review of Kung Fu Panda (Hans Zimmer/John Powell)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you appreciate either Hans Zimmer's epic and fluid
harmonic progressions or John Powell's dynamic and creative rhythms and
instrumentation, for this blend of the two is adequate in sum and
impressive in parts.
Avoid it... if the extensive use of the tones of Eastern culture, led by the erhu and expansive percussion, are too overwhelming an influence on the score, or if the few comedy and fighting cues you heard in the film break up the otherwise solid and consistently respectful treatment of the martial arts.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Kung Fu Panda: (Hans Zimmer/John Powell) Marking
the first animated film by Dreamworks to be produced in 2.35:1
widescreen format, Kung Fu Panda has a more weighty dramatic
storyline than you might expect. While the images of a cute panda
engaged in kung fu comedy will entertain the kids, the film also places
an emphasis on the value of perseverance, self-respect, and confidence.
In an Eastern kingdom of only talking animals, Po the Panda is the
unlikely candidate selected by the top martial arts master of the land
to become "Dragon Warrior" and defend the land against a powerful,
escaped villain. The panda, a huge fan of martial arts despite his
clunky and awkward personal stature, has hidden talents that expose
themselves beyond his fanboy enthusiasm (and thus much of the comedy of
the film) for other, more famous animals successful in the martial arts.
The collaboration between Dreamworks and veteran composer Hans Zimmer
continues with Kung Fu Panda. In a year of accelerated activity
in film scoring (including sequels to Batman Begins and
Madagascar), Zimmer plans to clear his compositional obligations
to embark on a world tour of his music. Although Zimmer was originally
reported as the sole composer for Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks
announced late in the production (at test screenings, interestingly)
that former Zimmer pupil and now very successful composer John Powell
had contributed music to the film. This collaboration, while significant
in the 1990's, had not been revisited since Powell's marginal work on
2000's The Road to El Dorado. Powell himself has matured into a
career among the most active of any composer working in Hollywood, with
an astonishing level of production in 2008 alone. Kung Fu Panda
directors Mark Osborne and John Stevenson enthusiastically embraced the
two composers and their distinct contributions to the film. Their intent
with the soundtrack was to avoid pop songs and elements of animated
musicals, instead opting for a score of epic proportions that would
respect the history of the martial arts and address the culture of the
East.
Given the need for a unique musical identity for the title character, the splitting of duties between Zimmer and Powell was natural enough to function while also allowing noticeable traits of both composers' styles to exist in the same score. Ultimately, it was Zimmer who wrote the more fluid and epic thematic material for the concept of the Dragon Warrior while Powell addressed the individual, quirky character of the panda with his greater expertise in cartoonish rhythmic and instrumental creativity. Dividing the duties this way makes perfect sense when you ponder the careers of the two men and the areas and styles in which they excel. While there are indeed parts that will strike an avid film music collector as being a definite "Zimmer moment" or "Powell moment," the composers' merging of the material into one cohesive score is accomplished well. Listeners familiar with Powell's more vibrant, hyperactive style of animation scoring will appreciate the humor and spirited movement of his dynamic ideas for Po. More compelling on album is the grandiose, respectful harmonic material by Zimmer, which often uses the same expansive orchestral sound (with his usual mixing techniques contributing to a harsh edge at times), broad chord progressions, and choral accompaniment heard extensively in his career. At no time are the roles of the two composers more clearly defined than in the final cues in the film, summarized by the three very strong tracks that conclude the score portion of the album. Powell's bouncing theme for Po is delightfully rendered in "Panda Po," eventually combining its Eastern instrumentation with flowing progressions that remind of Zimmer's score for Toys. The following cue, "Oogway Ascends," counters with the epic theme of respect for the martial arts that Zimmer fans will greatly appreciate. When concentrating solely on serious expressions of either of these themes, Kung Fu Panda is an impressive work. Zimmer and Powell can't resist, however, delving into territory that Lalo Schifrin traversed in his Rush Hour scores, with parts of the opening "Hero" cue imitating the hip 70's style of jazz as explosive interludes to otherwise respectful cultural introductions. The usual tones of Eastern culture saturate Kung Fu Panda, with the erhu leading a collection of percussion that conveys the region so overwhelmingly that it almost becomes tiresome. In ways, it seems that Zimmer and Powell may have (likely unintentionally) been trying to find the same balance between Eastern and Western instrumentation that Jerry Goldsmith so effectively achieved in Disney's Mulan. Ultimately, the layers are brushed on a bit heavily on the canvas in Kung Fu Panda, though the usage certainly gives the score a unique identity. In sum, what Zimmer and Powell have accomplished with Kung Fu Panda is admirable, and there are certainly portions on the album's presentation that will solicit repeat listens. There are weak points, including the outright comedy ("Impersonating Shifu") and moments of training or fights that feature mostly the ethnic percussion by itself ("Training Po"). But with some editing, there is enough material of beauty and scope (spread between both Powell's and Zimmer's themes) to merit attention from those composers' collectors. The lengthy cue "Sacred Pool of Tears" is a good place to start in terms of surveying all of the thematic ideas in the score. The album release by Dreamworks interestingly neglects to advertise what the promotional materials for the score indicate was a recording of at least some of the material by the China National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Xincao Li. According to the album, Gavin Greenaway conducts a standard London ensemble. The lack of clear credits on the product are curious given that the studio/label should want to advertise the recording's unusual location (despite the fact that it really doesn't make much of a difference in terms of performance). The album concludes with a Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black cover version of the song "Kung Fu Fighting," which, surprisingly, is actually more listenable than the original. The score by Zimmer and Powell achieves everything necessary for the film, and as for its translation onto album, only the inconsistency of the comedy and actual fight material in the middle of the product, as well as the few moments of outward cross-cultural flair, restrain it from a fourth star. ***
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 60:05
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes extensive credits, but no extra information about the score or film.
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