Just got back from seeing the webslinger, and gotta say that this is just one fun fun fun movie! Sure, it's not gonna be heralded as the next CITIZEN KANE, but this one fun superhero film, and a great kick-off to the summer movie season.

Elfman's score delivers what it needs, without being too over the top, and while it's not exactly on par with BATMAN, it's still quite fun and grand.

Looking forward to seeing it again!
Dan

Anyway I'm curious about the score. I haven't heard any of it yet, but I'm sure it has a theme, probably just not a Stand Out Super Hero Theme. Elfman's themes latly have been very subtle. Like Good Will Hunting, it took me about 10 listens before I caught the theme. Anyway just so long as he doesn't make it all wierd like A Simple Plan, I think I'd enjoy it.

As for the score, it's great! It's not very melodic persay... not exactly the most hummable of themes, but it works magic in the film. I can't wait to get the disc when it comes out.

Isn't it obvious why people are making the comparisons between Batman and Spider-man, Peter? I think it's as simple as most people want an Elfman score along the lines of Batman, or at least initially -- it seems now that most people have discovered that it sounds far more PotA-esque, people are repeatedly saying "It shouldn't sound like Batman".

I for one haven't heard the clips; waiting for the film on Friday.

I think people are looking forward to it for several reasons.

1) Spider-man is wicked
2) So is the villian
3) For the general public, it looks cool
4) For movie fans, its directed by Raimi

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Originally posted by Hasta:
[b]The Mummy Returns had The Rock -- can't imagine that didn't help.

Isn't it obvious why people are making the comparisons between Batman and Spider-man, Peter? I think it's as simple as most people want an Elfman score along the lines of Batman, or at least initially -- it seems now that most people have discovered that it sounds far more PotA-esque, people are repeatedly saying "It shouldn't sound like Batman".

I for one haven't heard the clips; waiting for the film on Friday.

I think people are looking forward to it for several reasons.

1) Spider-man is wicked
2) So is the villian
3) For the general public, it looks cool
4) For movie fans, its directed by Raimi

I'm looking forward to it, that's for sure.[/B]

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I'm betting on loving the film. And I know it will be the only one I will see on opening day this month.

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Originally posted by PeterK:
[B]Spiderman was never anything like Batman. Why are these attempts to compare them (even musically) being made?

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After hearing the Main Titles I can say the comparisons are being made because, in my opinion at least, there are nearly direct lifts of material from Batman in this piece. Peter is right, though, Spiderman is not Batman, which makes the similarities even more frustrating.

Having said that, the movie looks like it will be serious fun and I am looking forward to it, but so far I am not overly impressed with the score--which is a shame.

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Originally posted by Jeron:
It's a fun score and it accompanies a fun movie. While it's not Batman (stylistically), this is Elfman in top form when you consider his current sensibilities.

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Yeah.....what he said.

Anyhow...a question occured to me:

Is there a Harry Osborne/Goblin Theme? Talk about character!

But Spiderman rocks, pure and simple. Dan, I envy you GREATLY for being able to be at the scoring sessions...but didn't you need ear plugs? This score ROARS with energy, excitement, thematic motifs and a huge injection of radioactive spider-like fun!

There is indeed a theme for Spiderman in these two cues...you can hear it at 3:45 - 3:55 in the "Farewell" cue and you can hear it rising out of the orchestral chaos in the Main Titles most prominently around 2:50. There's another themeatic motif that keeps popping up earlier in the Main Titles too...one that kind of ascends similar to the Batman theme in a way.

But the themes don't really seem to be what is important in this score...rather, Elfman has created a whole STYLE for Spiderman. As soon as the unique blend of racing strings and quick pounding percussion and mystical chorus comes in, you KNOW you're listening to music for your favorite wall-crawler...of that there is no doubt. Elfman went BEYOND creating a simple "theme" and created a feeling...an orchestral emotion.

I will be FIRST in line to see this film on Friday, and also FIRST in line to get this score when it is finally released in its entirety!

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Originally posted by Brendan Anderson:
Dan, I envy you GREATLY for being able to be at the scoring sessions...but didn't you need ear plugs?

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Hell no! The first cue I saw scored was the first major Spider-Man action cue in the film - and it was just AMAZING to hear the full orchestra perform it live to the picture - which was also the first footage I'd seen of the film (beyond the trailer). No dialogue. No sound effects. Just the music and the images. If I were to go deaf, I would prefer it be from something like THAT.

Dan

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Originally posted by JeffBond:
I like the score quite a bit--Elfman wrote a CHARACTER theme rather than a hyperbolic superhero theme, and for this character that works perfectly.

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My initial reaction to the main titles was that I thought they were good. I guess the composition has grown on me because it seems that today while listening I finally realized the full beauty of the composition and I now think it's quite a spectacular piece.
Congratulations to Danny Elfman. Can't wait to hear the rest of the score from the film.

Dylan

Thankfully it has a good story to go along with it's fast pace, humor, and strict adherence to certain archetypes from the comics- even J. Jonah Jameson's hair!

Jeron

The problem is that too many scores are abandoning coherent, accessible use of melody...and it sounds like Spider Man is yet another perpetrator in this trend.

Damn. I was really hoping Elfman's effort would be as exceptional as Batman or his Black Beauty and The Family Man scores.

I guess I still wish JNH or David Arnold had gotten this assignment.

Of course, Goldsmith is choice...but I doubt he would have wanted to score it even if Raimi had offered him the chance.

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Originally posted by mtodd:
Anyhow...a question occured to me:

Is there a Harry Osborne/Goblin Theme? Talk about character!

Mark

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Yes, Mark. It's a great theme for low violins. Very eerie, and not as bombastic as the rest of the score is (and it has to be, to try to be heard over the sound effects).

And I agree with Bozman. The last 2/3 of the film did plod along a little, but it didn't bore me.

Wow that's a lot of work. I guess some people must have been even more pissed off with what happened next...

More importantly, if you'd like to read a review of mine about the film that features absolutely no spoilers, go to the message boards at www.ghostwerkscomics.com

That site is of a comic book company owned by a friend of mine putting his own work out- that's right, his own comic book! While you're there, check them out. If you like comic books at all, you'll enjoy it.

I meant no offense, any site having to do with scores as far I am humbly concerned is welcome, I didn't mean you guys weren't on your game. I just thought it was interesting since you guys are usually ahead of the curve. Considering your schedule, its understandable.

Elfman's score, as some have said, was "servicable", but I couldn't help but wonder what another composer would have done w/the project.

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Originally posted by Hasta:
Elfman's score, as some have said, was "servicable", but I couldn't help but wonder what another composer would have done w/the project.

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Oh, and Chris? Don't mind Jason (Hasta) - he's a bit of a screwball. So really, when he says stuff like "slick and fun, if disappointing," he means "it was great, I loved it." When he says Elfman's score was "servicable," he means "I can't wait for the album - the score kicks much booty."

Jeron

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Originally posted by Widescreen:
Hasta,

Just curious, were you training you ear to the music while watching the film? That's got to be hard with all the sound effects. Sometimes, I do the same, but ask any filmmaker and he'll tell you, if the audience is walking out saying the music was good, that usually means the film was bad. A good film gets you too engrossed in it to really notice everything because your aural/visual senses are filled. A good film wil give you far too much to see, which is why you'll want to see it again because you won't have caught everything the first time. If Spider-Man didn't do that for you, that's a real shame. I know I hate when I'm disappointed with a film. Thankfully for me, I had a great time, and plan to again tonight. Please tell me you didn't ask for your money back

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Yeah...too bad you notice the scores on such awful films as Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Bridge On The River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Goldfinger (and other Bonds), Gone With The Wind, Spellbound, Psycho, Vertigo...(do I really need to go on?)

For starters, I liked the film, but for some reason or another, I expected a LOT.

This was mainly due, I believe, to the trailer itself, which was so slick and fast the action looked unbeatable. Quick cuts abound, it truly looked marvelous; when we watch the actual scenes play out in the film, we're subjected to some SERIOUSLY flawed CGI work that can't be hidden with great editing.

Honestly, I thought that the CGI (which most everybody has said was "cartooney" thus far) would not be an issue with me. But damn, it was! What were ultimately terrificly shot action scenes with Spidey and the Goblin came off as messy and incoherent far too often; sometimes they didn't blend in with everything around them, and sometimes the flying chracters simply looked as if they were moving at 15 frames per second. I desperately wanted to get past them, but I found it hard to (being that what was actually occuring on screen was pretty kick ass).

The problem with this was the action WAS the movie, and if I didn't totally dig the action, it was hard for me to totally dig the movie.

The film itself was solid, the casting was good (I especially liked that newspaper guy), and the acting was worthwhile (Dafoe being my favorite), but honestly, what would this film been without the action scenes? Not much.

The love story wasn't intriguing for me, and the dialogue hokey far too often... Plus, the atmosphere wasn't really there, as Burton has proved to be able to create in the two Batman films.

I did dig the consistent sense of humor piled throughout, and the several tie ins and references to other films (the giant balloons and Batman -- one of the more obvious ones), but like I said, it was more disappointing in the ACTION aspect than the movie aspect.

Proof of this was the conclusion of the last scene -- aka the confrontation between Spidey and the Goblin -- which used little, if any, CGI and looked marvelous. Amazing how far some great lighting and wicked costumes can go; I just wish the rest of the film could have been more technically accomplished.

I expected a film that I could compare to Burton's original Batman, but in my eyes the two aren't on the same level.

Still, jolly good fun, and probably one of the best summer movies we'll get this year.

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Oh yes, Elfman's score... It's funny, I saw it with a friend who is the LEAST bit interested in film music, and as we were driving home, he said: so what did you think of the music?

I kind of moaned a "Eeeehhhhhhh", and he replied: "yeah, it kinda sounded like a carbon copy."

Which, truthfully, I think is somewhat true. Complexities aside, I constantly kept thinking Batman and Planet of the Apes... There were never any "oo aa" moments of the former, and nothing close to as good as "The Hunt" from the latter. Granted, Spider-Man might not call for over the top, bombastic underscoring, but I still expected some genuinely ROUSING action music, which I didn't really hear much of.