The Hunger Games Catching Fire Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the film score The Hunger Games Catching Fire by James Newton Howard.
At a glance:
27 tracks
74 minutes of score
Geek Score: 84.4
Total Minutes Of Excellence: 29.4
Album Excellence: 40%
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It is no secret that I disliked the previous Hunger Games score, in fact the best cue wasn’t even written by James Newton Howard. I wasn’t the only one in thinking that Hunger Games could have been so much more, what a missed opportunity. Luckily for James (and us), there is another chance with Catching Fire and although we’re not quite where we hope it to be, it’s getting there because this score is considerably better than Hunger Games in my opinion. The score feels a lot more powerful this time around thanks to some great cues. The opening cue ‘Katniss’ sets the scene (and tone) with a dark and ominous theme for Katniss. You have a a quasi love theme with ‘Just Friends’ that is just magical, old style James Newton Howard kind of scoring that I love. The final great cue is “The Arena Crumbles” which is on my shortlist for best cue of the year.
The only criticism I would put at it’s feet are the fact that it doesn’t contain any great action material and that is a bit surprising to me since JNH has shown some great action moments in the last few years. It doesn’t matter too much because the great cues we get in here are melodically and sometimes really gorgeous and warm and other times they are dark and gloomy, but not any less gorgeous.
Catching Fire is a major upgrade on the previous Hunger Games score and it bodes well for any future Hunger Games score and hopefully they can keep James doing these.
HIGHLIGHTS:
01. Katniss
02. I Had To Do That
04. Just Friends
06. The Tour
09. Fireworks
10. Horn Of Plenty
13. A Quarter Quell
14. Katniss Is Chosen
17. Bow and Arrow
19. Let’s Start
26. I Need You
28. Arena Crumbles
GD Star Rating
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Source:
http://www.soundtrackgeek.com/v2/soundtrack-review-the-hunger-games-catching-fire/