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Review of Spider-Man: Homecoming (Michael Giacchino)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if you seek the comfort of a conventionally symphonic superhero score that hits all the right notes, entertaining music with a tight narrative and serviceable themes.

Avoid it... if you expect Michael Giacchino to supply the same intangible emotional connections and fantasy element that Danny Elfman and James Horner had accomplished for the lead character.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Spider-Man: Homecoming: (Michael Giacchino) Thanks to the ever-shifting alliances of studios properties, the time arrived in the mid-2010's to integrate the famed Spider-Man character back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an expected financial decision that necessitated the third franchise reboot for Spider-Man on screen in 15 years. So ubiquitous are these reboots now that 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn't even bother depicting the actual origins of the titular character to much extent; rather, he's simply fodder for high school/teenage angst narratives mixed among Peter Parker's quest for respect, including a sickening excess of sucking up to Tony Stark. Although the film was a certain fiscal success, its story is ridiculous and occasionally asinine, especially in the ferry-splitting sequence. Still, enthusiasts of the 1994 romance Only You will appreciate the Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei casting, and Michael Keaton undoubtedly steals the show as a villain who gives the story its only momentously successful mid-script twist. Witnessing yet another reboot of this franchise is tiring, though, and it can be challenging to separate the inherently unnecessary existence of this film from any analysis of its soundtrack. Having successfully inherited the role of John Williams in the generation of nostalgic, large-scale orchestral film scores by this point, Michael Giacchino enters the equation having excelled in Marvel's Doctor Strange, and it's comforting to see Giacchino transition into yet another franchise to continue defying trends towards anonymous, synthetic, droning music for brooding superheroes. He follows superstar footsteps, Danny Elfman and James Horner writing extremely memorable and accomplished scores for the previous two reboots of the character on the big screen. Giacchino contends with a fair number of pop culture song placements in Spider-Man: Homecoming, hindering his ability to establish his thematic base in lighter shades for Peter Parker and his love interest. But, on the whole, Giacchino accomplishes everything he needs to in his work here, supplying the right personality for the film even if the result falls one step behind equivalent toils by Elfman and Horner.

The original three Spider-Man films were graced by an extremely cohesive set of scores by Danny Elfman and Christopher Young (with some props to John Debney along the way), the main theme clearly identifying the main character with Elfman's uniquely restless, high-strung but heroically elegant mannerisms. In 2012, James Horner addressed The Amazing Spider-Man with a different set of themes but an emotionally deeper musical narrative while retaining some of Elfman's flightiness. The less said about Hans Zimmer and crew's pointless music to the subsequent entry, the better, and Giacchino thankfully returns to the mould largely established by Elfman for Spider-Man: Homecoming, adopting slight electronic accompaniment to his largely symphonic work. Gone is the noble trumpet identity as means of signifying the loneliness of the lead character, and returning are the skittish, slightly hip rhythmic undertones of Peter Parker, addressed early in the film here by muted funk instrumentation and throughout by hints of electric guitar. There is still nothing as inspirationally "cool" in Giacchino's score as Elfman's rendition of his main theme in the 2002 score's "Costume Montage" cue, however, especially with Giacchino's "Academic Decommitment" taking a back seat to song placements early on. Aside from these occasional diversions, Spider-Man: Homecoming is remarkably organic and loyal to orchestral superhero traditions, a mostly conventional score with obvious devices like accelerating ensemble hits (end of "Fly-by-Night Operation") and flowing, classically-inclined expressions of grandiose harmony (end of "Lift Off"). As per usual for Giacchino, tapping metallic percussion and a wide variety of drum sets keep the action moving along. There are occasional connections to vintage Elfman superhero material, such as the brass 16th notes in the middle of "High Tech Heist," but these may be coincidental. Thematically, Giacchino opens the score with a nod to the classic television theme, reworked to a grand scale, and the first three notes of that theme inform the opening of his own, primary identity as well. (He only occasionally inserts the middle note, which makes then it more obvious.) And, as satisfyingly heard in the film, Alan Silvestri's Avengers theme is thankfully heard prominently but briefly twice as the story arc draws Tony Stark's headquarters into the action.

Giacchino's two major new themes for Spider-Man: Homecoming are competently conveyed throughout the score, the composer certainly not afraid to express them obviously and in sonic battle when necessary. The main theme is not as memorable as the Elfman and Horner identities, but it is workmanlike and applied appropriately enough to suffice. The theme for Keaton's Vulture is more intriguing, provided its own backstory in "The World is Changing" and roaring onto the scene on brass every time the winged character makes an appearance. One of the disappointments of the score is the musical disconnect between the Vulture theme and the nascent love interest identity; given how poorly the latter ultimately sinks in the film, it's unfortunate that Giacchino didn't find some way to actually utilize the same theme for both circumstances. That said, the latter half of "Vulture Clash" does shift hints of the villain's theme into the domain of the love theme in tone, perhaps out of a dose of sympathy. The love theme, offered brief, underdeveloped moments in the score (the end of "Monumental Meltdown" among them), strives to achieve Jerry Goldsmith tenderness in its woodwind performances, but only in "Spider-Man: Homecoming Suite" does it break through. Meanwhile, the well exercised villain's theme, as well as an associated, chopping suspense motif, provide the score's most effective moments in "Pop Vulture." Ironically, despite all the pizzazz of the action in "Monumental Meltdown" and elsewhere, it's in the bassoon performances of the Vulture theme and chopping cello fear of "Pop Vulture" that Giacchino makes his greatest single emotional impact on the film. This cue is mixed very prominently over background source music as Parker walks dazed into a school dance, an extremely effective moment. One other theme from Giacchino is a slightly comedic acoustic guitar rhythm in "Stark Raving Mad" that seems unnecessary given the previously existing Tony Stark themes available to reference. Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a conservatively successful score that hits all the right notes, entertaining music with a tight narrative that competes favorably with the film's sound effects. It's an extremely dry recording as usual for Giacchino, and that sucks some of the fantasy element out of the end product. As a stand-alone work, this score is likely a weak four-star execution, but when compared to the solid, preceding efforts by Elfman and Horner for the character, Giacchino's entry fails to beckon the same repeated appreciation.  ***

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 68:17

• 1. Theme From Spider Man (Original Television Series)* (0:40) • 2. The World is Changing (4:10) • 3. Academic Decommitment (1:57) • 4. High Tech Heist (1:27) • 5. On a Ned-to-Know Basis (1:45) • 6. Drag Racing/An Old Van Rundown (4:07) • 7. Webbed Surveillance (4:40) • 8. No Vault of His Own (2:28) • 9. Monumental Meltdown (5:23) • 10. The Baby Monitor Protocol (1:38) • 11. A Boatload of Trouble, Part 1 (3:09) • 12. A Boatload of Trouble, Part 2 (2:16) • 13. Ferry Dust Up (2:51) • 14. Stark Raving Mad (1:55) • 15. Pop Vulture (3:06) • 16. Bussed a Move (1:43) • 17. Lift Off (5:26) • 18. Fly-by-Night Operation (2:24) • 19. Vulture Clash (4:07) • 20. A Stark Contrast (4:42) • 21. No Frills Proto Cool! (0:35) • 22. Spider-Man: Homecoming Suite (7:29)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes a list of performers, a fold-out poster, and a very short note from the composer.

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