As adventure soundtracks go, Alan Silvestri’s Van Helsing, while not a landmark score, is pretty good. What I look for in a good adventure soundtrack are some unique sounding themes to accompany the blood-pumping bombast. Van Helsing is sufficiently unique with a gothic chanting chorus, and classical guitar, for this score to meet any adventure standard.

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The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, is scored by the incomparable John Williams. The soundtrack itself is very enjoyable on a number of levels – particularly with respect to the instrumentation that Williams uses. This score isn’t as heavy with themes as, say, Indiana Jones. But it’s clear that Williams made an effort utilize a wide range of sounds to create a score that is diverse, rich, and ultimately worth listening to as a standalone piece.

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The soundtrack to Glory, composed by James Horner, is to the American Civil War what his soundtrack to Braveheart was to Scotland’s war for independence. In both, Horner manages to forge a sound that is deeply evocative of the culture, time period, and profound meaning behind both conflicts. In a sense, it’s not the celebration of war for war’s sake. This is a recognition of the sacrifice and commitment to higher purposes and ideals. But war is, by definition, tragic. And more than the Braveheart soundtrack, Glory embodies tragedy in nearly every track. The result is a soundtrack that is, for the most part, heavy and somber – and reflective of the brutal loss that comes hand-in-hand with war.

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With the tremendous success of the original Braveheart soundtrack, it’s not much of a surprise that a follow-up was released. More Music From Braveheart does feature some additional music from the film, but it also adds a number of dialogue sections as well as traditional Scottish music. The result is an album that is true to the spirit of Braveheart – if not entirely true to the full score produced by composer James Horner. From a purely soundtrack standpoint, the album is something of a sloppy mess. But for devoted fans of Braveheart and its music, the album is enjoyable enough to warrant purchasing it.

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With the release of Mel Gibson’s epic film, Braveheart, came this soundtrack, by composer James Horner. Like the film itself, the score was beautiful and brutal, sad and hopeful, subtle and sublime. One of Horner’s biggest successes is in how well he manages to capture and convey the emotions of the film, as well as portray the Scottish setting.

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At World’s End, the final film of the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy is, arguably, the weakest of the franchise with a plot that is too convoluted and a story that is too fantastical. It is ironic then that the soundtrack is easily the best of the three. With this particular installment, composer Hans Zimmer has further expanded his palette to great effect. Not only does he have the themes from the first two films to draw upon, but he adds a couple of new themes and motifs that are just as enjoyable.

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If Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was an exercise in brute force, Dead Man’s Chest demonstrates what can happen when that brute force begins to be channeled into new and creative avenues. The soundtrack is still a sonic assault, but it also is much more diverse and epic than its predecessor. Composer Hans Zimmer greatly expands his canvas in this installment, including new themes for the Kraken, Davy Jones and even Jack Sparrow. The soundtrack is also longer, providing more opportunity for listeners to get to know the new musical additions.

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The first thing you have to know about the Clone Wars Soundtrack is that is about as different from the John Williams scores of the Star Wars saga as you can get, while still including a few of Williams’ themes in the score. The conscious decision to go in a radically different direction can be easily understood. The Clone Wars simply cannot hope to compete at the same level of the original Star Wars films. And besides, The Clone Wars is a distinctly different experience altogether – being a purely animated film. As such, the soundtrack should match and complement the film as much as possible. As such, a soaring, symphonic score from Williams would feel too out of place in the completely CGI world of this film. What we get instead is Kevin Kiner’s very spirited, eclectic take on Star Wars. And, for the most part, the results are pretty good.

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Composers: James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer

The Dark Knight is a triumph of modern filmmaking, bringing a dark, complex, adult character story to the big screen in a way few have seen in a long time. The film symbolized the desperate struggle between order and chaos, light and dark, madness and sanity. Along with that film came a soundtrack that was equally tortured, dark, violent, and relentless. Film music purists may find this particular soundtrack to be a bit too offbeat for their tastes. And they certainly wouldn’t be in error. The truth is, The Dark Knight soundtrack represents a highly stylized approach to creating a film score. And the more stylized you become, the more you run the risk of alienating a potential audience.

And that certainly is the case here.

But for my part, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this soundtrack (several times over) since I acquired it following my screening of the film. Where the soundtrack receives its highest marks are, first and foremost, its ability to not only complement the on-screen action, but to also add to the experience. Part of what made the film so exceptional was this soundtrack.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

What the soundtrack to The Black Pearl lacks in subtlety it makes up for in sheer bravado and brute force. In fact, the soundtrack has long been derided by many a musical critic – and probably for good reason, considering its relative lack of diversity and nuance. But what many of the critics miss, and what fans of the soundtrack get, is that technical prowess does not necessarily lead to enjoyment. And if you’re looking for a soundtrack to flat out enjoy, to get the blood flowing, and to tap into your emotions, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is for you.

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