While one would not have blamed Silvestri for solely raising memories of Carl Stalling and the innumerous cartoon scores that have addressed similar action, he manages to transcend that sound by tackling Mouse Hunt with more intelligence and unique personality than the film likely required. As with other comedy entries in Silvestri's career, this entry blasts wildly through a number of genres on its periphery, especially referencing vintage jazz to define its easy-going swagger for one of the two brothers. The sense of humor extends to the work's devious side, which foreshadows The Witches for the composer many years later. But the straight symphonic portions of the score excel because they emulate the kind of unnecessarily complex action that resided more firmly in John Williams' domain at the time, with a few snippets of exposition reminiscent of James Horner's top genre entries and even Silvestri's own prior works in the fantasy genre. There is a certain amount of formulaic procedure adhered to by Silvestri for Mouse Hunt, led by the pretty and redemptive melodic conclusion for the film's happy ending. But the mouse and the antics it causes are treated to one of the composer's most spirited and Williams-like career themes. Heard in full in the "Main Title" and "End Credits," this propulsive little march progressively grows into a menacingly rambunctious identity of stout classical stature. Heard in several cues within the score's frantic action sequences, culminating in "Flaming Doo" and "Water Pressure," the idea's progressions defy what you'd expect for a mouse by intentionally bloating the demeanor of the theme up to gargantuan proportions. As usual, Silvestri's handling of rhythmic propulsion is top-notch, chanting tempos wildly but always keeping the narrative moving at an engaging clip. The technical mastery layered into this theme is often its greatest asset, humorous runs by supporting instruments entertaining with their depth and precision. The secondary themes in Mouse Hunt are also proficient despite being less flashy. An old-school, jazzy identity introduced in "Chez Ernie" for the one brother (leading a series of early cues of faux-affluent eatery tones) and expanded with a prominent whistler in "What Are You Doing?" flirts with its French connections in several places in the score and offers breezy atmosphere.

More conventional in Mouse Hunt is Silvestri's heartwarming dramatic theme for the overarching family and, by association, all things wholesome in the picture, this score's Marc Shaiman equivalent, if you will. Heard first on solo violin in "Dying Wish" and translated into a stately waltz for the architect's legacy in "Charles Lyle Larue," this idea eventually finds its way to the heart in "String Cheese" and the interlude passage in the "End Credits," where it closes out the feel-good narrative by accenting itself with the opening phrase of the mouse's theme in charming percussive counterpoint. The opening thirty seconds of "String Cheese" is highly reminiscent of Horner's late 1980's and early 1990's animation works. Keeping the score interesting in between the major renditions of the themes, Silvestri strays humorously into a few one-time sidetracks of interest. The "Funeral Prologue" cue foreshadows the drama theme with an appropriately morbid organ performance. Enthusiasts of Silvestri's ballsy action mode from Predator and Judge Dredd will appreciate a few of the crescendos of standard bravado from the composer, the middle portion of "Nail Gun" reminiscent of the wondrous space theme from the prior score and "Ernie Finds the Contract" using stomping snare-led rhythms highly familiar to the latter. The zanier moments of the aptly named cue, "Shit Explosion," exude the playfulness of Danny Elfman. Sappy romance for accordion, an offshoot of the jazz theme, in "Silent Movie" is a pleasant diversion. At the end of the day, though, the main theme of Mouse Hunt and its underlying, octave-hopping rhythms will best represent the score's lasting recognition as a fine comedy entry. At the time of the film's release, Varèse Sarabande released an album frustratingly limited to 30 minutes in length due to musicians' union fees, but the label returned to the score in 2023 to provide a proper 65-minute presentation. The longer "Deluxe Edition" experience doesn't expose any greater individual highlights than the prior album, but this is one case in which the added material sustains the general quality of that which had been heard before. The staunch enthusiasts of this score will appreciate the expanded, 2,000-copy product's faithful arrangement, though they may notice issues with left and right channels reversed. You so often encounter pointless, generic music in these circumstances that it's great to hear the composer tackle this occasion with genuinely creative spirit.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download