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How come Disney produced Super hero movies have so forgettable soundtrack....

G

Gunslinger

Member
I mean I can't recall a single one of them having good soundtrack or OST unlike the superhero movies of the past.

For example:

SpiderMan (Danny Elfman Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQe8j92j-Eg

X-Men (Michael Kamen):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKIRcZCvUR8

Dark Knight (Hans Zimmer Not marvel but still superhero movie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1B3Mgklfd0

SuperMan (John Williams Not Marvel but Superhero Picture):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjIlBoGrVJM

I can name more but you get the point. I know disney movies are probably produced with an assembly line type of scheduling. But come on Soundtrack in a movie is more important than dialogue. for example the first 20 min of the good the bad and the ugly have 0 dialogue just background music and tension buildup. Enough to have people like Tarrantino rip it off countless of time and calling it the best picture ever made in his opinion. Yet I cant recall the single track from a Disney MCU.

GotG series is the only one with good soundtrack but they are not original work. Rather a greatest hit collection.

Thoughts?
 
W

WillyFive

Member
Their only superhero movie was really The Incredibles for a long while until they got Marvel, and that has one of the best superhero scores of all time.

They recently added Giacchino to their MCU movies, so now we got Doctor Strange and Spiderman with great scores.
 
D

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
Hot take: the Spider-Man theme isn't good, it was just Elfman mashing together his work on Batman and Men in Black.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
Dan said:
Hot take: the Spider-Man theme isn't good, it was just Elfman mashing together his work on Batman and Men in Black.
Click to expand...

Even if it is true it still sounds better than anything in MCU and instantly recognizeable like any other iconic theme like Star wars, Jurassic Park, The good the bad and the ugly, Shane etc.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Dan said:
Hot take: the Spider-Man theme isn't good, it was just Elfman mashing together his work on Batman and Men in Black.
Click to expand...
Regardless of the theme itself (I like it), his moments of subtler score are generally above the current crop of superhero scores. The themes that play during Parker and MJ scenes.... feels.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
Also I would like to say Michael Kamen's work on x-men is super underrated that main theme fits so perfect with the idea of x-men. I don't know why.
 
W

WrenchNinja

Member
I dont know why Spider-Man Homecoming didn't just use the orchestral 60s theme throughout the movie instead of whatever the fuck they had in there
 
R

Renekton

Member
There is a new paradigm/trend recently to make the music as ambient and inconspicuous as possible. It's affecting AAA games as well.
 
A

admiraltaftbar

Member
Marvel sounds heads and tails better than DC. I liked wonder woman but the action theme was so bad I'd dock points for it alone if I had to give it a numerical rating.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
admiraltaftbar said:
Marvel sounds heads and tails better than DC. I liked wonder woman but the action theme was so bad I'd dock points for it alone if I had to give it a numerical rating.
Click to expand...

Actually that Wonder Woman theme is more recognizable than anything in MCU. I bet it will become an iconic theme like Star wars or James Bond.
 
C

CaviarMeths

Member
While we're on the subject of MCU talking points, DAE think Thor: The Dark World is forgettable? I can't remember anything from that movie LOL!

Quips, no steaks, Iron Man & Friends, etc, etc.
 
S

SoRuffShoNuff

Member
Soundtrack is not more important than dialog. A good soundtrack can enhance what is already there but in general you need good dialog to tell a good story. I can't even recall any music from a lot of good recent movies.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
SoRuffShoNuff said:
Soundtrack is not more important than dialog. A good soundtrack can enhance what is already there but in general you need good dialog to tell a good story. I can't even recall any music from a lot of good recent movies.
Click to expand...

You think the fight scene between vader and luke in RoTJ would be as good without this soundtrack and just dialogue ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li0vFxbo3sY

this scene from For a few dollars more would be as good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JPnR7C8mZQ
 
D

dabig2

Member
I feel like we get this thread like once a month.

Avengers Theme - great and melodic

Ant-Man is great

Dr Strange theme has been on repeat for me since it came out. Very melodic and hummable

GotG main theme - ripped from the Avengers with its own flare

And of course the Cap films are great.

The only problem is that these themes aren't heard all throughout the movie so someone might not make the connection to the character. But since all you posted were themes, that's what I focused on too and MCU is stock full of great ones.
 
F

Fancyarcher

Member
While a lot of the MCU's music is overall not superb (I say as I'm listening to Spider-Man: Homecoming's score, which has a good theme, but is a bit chaotic), I quite like Captain America's first theme, Ant-Man's theme, AOU's theme (Elfman's rendition is excellent), Son of Odin, and The Incredible Hulk's theme.

There's also some really good dramatic bits sprinkled throughout each of the scores, that I like.

For example,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NMKOa4KY9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHwuUjbzXZg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtocayLtVrE

Vincent Alexander said:
Please watch this:

The Marvel Symphonic Universe

He does a great breakdown of the issue. All around really great video by Every Frame a Painting. I need to watch more of their stuff.
Click to expand...

This is a very flawed video. His opinions are very biased IMO anyway. Most Marvel soundtracks are not really anything to write home about, but most of them aside from perhaps Jackman's Captain America, have actually melodic themes, the problem is, is that someone in Marvel seems to hate music continuity, so good or bad, if the composer doesn't return for the sequel, RIP to that sequel.

And really this is an issue with the current state of film music in general. Hollywood seems to hate having memorable themes these days. It says a lot when Howard The Duck has a better score then most of the comic book movies these days.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
B33 said:
Spider-Man: Homecoming has a solid score.

It just wasn't mixed well into the film.
Click to expand...

It started out strong with remix version of the Original Spiderman theme then fell apart badly. Like collapse in a cricket match. Started out 150/0 then 160 all out.
 
F

Fancyarcher

Member
HariKari said:
Winter Soldier has the best score so far out of any of the MCU movies IMO. It was noticeable, in a good way.
Click to expand...

Personally I think that's the MCU worse score Just a bunch of loud noises, in fact it was probably my least favorite aspect of TWS, which says something considering how much I love film music and all, but hey it's my opinion, so no hard feelings.
 
B

B33

Banned
Gunslinger said:
It started out strong with remix version of the Original Spiderman theme then fell apart badly. Like collapse in a cricket match. Started out 150/0 then 160 all out.
Click to expand...

I don't agree.

It works for me throughout, although I don't like the way it was mixed into the movie.
 
F

Fancyarcher

Member
Gunslinger said:
Also I would like to say Michael Kamen's work on x-men is super underrated that main theme fits so perfect with the idea of x-men. I don't know why.
Click to expand...

I like parts of that score, but I do know that apparently Kamen wanted to do more of a retro score. He and Singer didn't get along because Singer wanted more ambience and electronics, which he got. Heck the only reason Kamen scored that film was because Ottman was off making his directing debut with Urban Legends: Final Cut, lol.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
dabig2 said:
I feel like we get this thread like once a month.

Avengers Theme - great and melodic

Ant-Man is great

Dr Strange theme has been on repeat for me since it came out. Very melodic and hummable

GotG main theme - ripped from the Avengers with its own flare

And of course the Cap films are great.

The only problem is that these themes aren't heard all throughout the movie so someone might not make the connection to the character. But since all you posted were themes, that's what I focused on too and MCU is stock full of great ones.
Click to expand...

Listened to all of them right now to refresh my memory (couldn't recall any unlike dark knight or Wonder Woman) and Doctor Strange is the only that came back to me others I don't even remember hearing lol during the movie. But like someone here* said Disney need better sound editor. They are completely clueless IMO when scoring a scene.
 
T

timberger

Member
I've honestly found every superhero movie soundtrack to be completely forgettable since Batman 89... and even that I only remember because it was the theme for TAS as well.
 
P

Poor GRIMES

Banned
admiraltaftbar said:
Marvel sounds heads and tails better than DC. I liked wonder woman but the action theme was so bad I'd dock points for it alone if I had to give it a numerical rating.
Click to expand...
I, at the very least, can recognize her theme song the first second it plays. If you told me to hum one melody from a Marvel movie then I'd be at a loss.
 
W

WillyFive

Member
Gunslinger said:
It started out strong with remix version of the Original Spiderman theme then fell apart badly. Like collapse in a cricket match. Started out 150/0 then 160 all out.
Click to expand...

The 60s Spiderman during the opening credits was great nerdy fan service, but the score that was in the rest of the movie was really nice, and the new Spiderman theme is crazy hype, not to mention the great fanfare for Vulture and the overall music for Peter's life.
 
F

Fancyarcher

Member
Poor GRIMES said:
I, at the very least, can recognize her theme song the first second it plays. If you told me to hum one melody from a Marvel movie then I'd be at a loss.
Click to expand...

That's probably because it's a theme they actually re-use as oppose to dumping it like the MCU is often guilty of.
 
G

Gunslinger

Member
inm8num2 said:
The budget for hiring composers is mostly reallocated to Robert Downey Jr.'s salary.
Click to expand...

lmaooooooo. In that Note SW Episode VII while had 10000xbetter music than anything MCU (disney) still lacked compared to the other 6 movies. I thought the prequels had better music than disney SW pictures. I think the problem lies with Disney and not the composer. They have a set deadline for everything and thus more than likely rushes the composer. I think SW VII is weakest John Williams work. Compare this to duel of fates , across the stars or order 66 etc.
 
P

Plywood

NeoGAF's smiling token!
Yeah they're not every memorable, but then again the only super hero theme to stick in my head is Wonder Woman's. /shrug

Oh and Zimmer's work on the TDK trilogy.
 
W

WillyFive

Member
Interesting how many people liked the Wonder Woman theme, despite how it's just a fast paced drum beat with a guitar riff that is notable only on how unexpected it is anytime it is played.

Gunslinger said:
lmaooooooo. In that Note SW Episode VII while had 10000xbetter music than anything MCU (disney) still lacked compared to the other 6 movies. I thought the prequels had better music than disney SW pictures.
Click to expand...

This seems like nostalgia talking.
 
R

Razgriz-Specter

Member
Because anytime they come up with something good the followup has less effort or replaces the person entirely.
IM1 ost > IM2 > IM3
A1 >>>>>>>> A2
CA >>>>>>>> WS
 
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