by pianoman on 1/8/2005
 
It's unfair Rob Reiner got so much stick for this film. It is supposed to be a kids movie! When I first saw it, I was 8 and I just loved it (I don't really like it now - it is a bit too childish, and the child actors in the film are head-wreckingly annoying).

Composer Marc Shaiman really had a chance to shine with this project and showed off his two best musical traits: sentiment and satire. Seeing as the film travelled in locations around the world, Shaiman is THE expert on melding worldwide musical cliches into his music. This is why this music is so enjoyable, and shows how he is the perfect choice for scoring things like the South Park movie (I wish an isolated score album could be released for that one).

As the score stands, it has a brilliant theme for the main character, but it is used a bit too much in the score to be fair. There are some very enjoyable moments where Shaiman integrates well known tunes into the score.

I enjoy this score because as a child this film was one of my favourites and the score has been with me for a while. As for recommending the score, I would recommend it to fans of the composer only.