by Crono/Kyp on 3/26/2002
favorite track: 1
 
"I Will Change It..."

The Time Machine is a story about a man searching for an answer to a question, and along the way he is caught up in the battle for the planet. For those who saw the 1960 version, it was more of a trailblazing experience. The 2002 version strives for a deeper meaning in why Alexander Hartdegen ("George" from the '60s version) travels through time. While the vision of the film is presented well with decent direction by Simon Wells (the great grandson of the famous H.G.), the script by John Logan is just bad, and almost scares me to think what that guy is bringing to the table on Star Trek: Nemesis. However, the film is entertaining and that's what's important (who's ever heard of watching a film for a good story? Blasphemy, huh?).

Klaus (The Pledge) Badelt's score could not have surprised me more. Not only is it a fully orchestral score, it also works brilliantly in the film. The main title is heard in various forms all over the near hour-long CD, with the most traditional form in "Professor Alexander Hartdegen." The theme also gets a big orchestral boost in "I Don't Belong Here." Interestingly enough, the first few notes of the theme remind me of Goldsmith's The Edge. As for the rest of the theme, it is very sweeping yet sad, and the underlying sadness to the theme is what gets me coming back for more. Badelt just nails the theme, and it's perfect for Alexander.

Various instrumentation is used throughout the score, predominantly made up of string use in the first half, and brass and synth elements in the latter half. The action music on the CD, used mainly in "Morlocks Attack," is comprised of a lot of heavy brass with a little bit of the main title. Badelt uses some drums and increases the tempo ten fold, which makes for some very exciting action music. In the final few sequences in the film (the sequence with the Eloi and the Morlocks), Badelt delivers the main theme with ethic instrumentation and choral backing. In doing this, the score rises to new heights and is absolutely stunning; the climax arriving with "Godspeed."

This being one of Badelt's first solo scores, I am very impressed. I think he is a bold new voice that had risen out of the Media Ventures Cookie Cutter Machine and composed something worthy of great attention, especially for Zimmer fans.