Search - Harald Kloser, Thomas Wander :: 2012: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Soundtrack To The End Of The World

Q. Pair | USA | 11/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If your anything like me, when you first saw the preview for 2012 back in early summer fo 09, your jaw should have hit the floor when you saw that titanic tsunami spilling over the peaks of the mountians. The preview was no longer then 90 seconds, yet it was enough establish that this was going to be a movie of truely epic proportion. As one might expect, an epic movie with an onslaught of epic visuals deserves an equally epic soundtrack. Lucky for us (not to mention the success of this movie), thats exactly what happened.



I do believe that the title of this review pretty much sums up what this score is like. Composers Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander do an excellent job of audibly illustrating the collapse of planet Earth, both the destruction of the land, and the destruction of our humanity. While this movie is admittedly driven by the CGI, there IS a story stuck in there somewhere, and that story is made more enjoyable by the score behind it. In the periods of time between the total annihilation of continents, which calls for tracks like "Spirit of Santa Monica" or "Leaving Las Vegas", there are the quieter moments, away from the destruction. Tracks like "Great Kid", "Wisconson" or "Nanpam Platau" are much slower then most of the tracks on here, and allow more of a reflective tone to set. A Personal favorite of mine is "Adrian's Speech".



The majority of the tracks on the score rely on synth and wind instruments, mostly horns and various forms of flute stuck up in the background. Some of the action scene tracks can get a bit repetative in certain parts, but for the most part they are still an enjoyable listen. The tracks are definitely the most effective when paired with the images they were made for, but it is capable of being a stand alone CD. At the end of the day, the music is beautiful, and whats more, it fits the movie perfectly. Behind frequent feeling of my stomach in my chest, the emotions felt in the movie are reinforced by the music.



If your into big sounding music, or maybe a fan of scores done by Hans Zimmer, then I think you will like this soundtrack, even without having seen the movie. I highly recommend it."

Music Befits The Title

StardustfromJesus | Columbia, California | 11/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This music fits each and every change of situation perfectly and I highly recommend it for those who collect movie sound tracks and use them for other purposes, with permission of course! I would say that the music definitely added suspense, depth and imagination quality to the film. I am buying it and also sharing it with family and friends. It is worth its weight in musical gold."

Music For The End

Erik North | San Gabriel, CA USA | 11/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It only seems fitting that director Roland Emmerich's Doomsday epic "2012", which it seems may put a capper on such films, given that it destroys the world in a thoroughly complete way, should come equipped with the proper music score. In this case, it is supplied by Thomas Wander and the film's co-screenwriter Harald Kloser.



Much like the 160-minute film itself, Wender's and Kloser's score is extremely energetic and, on occasion, very loud, much like the score John Williams supplied for Steven Spielberg's 2005 remake of WAR OF THE WORLDS. Those score cues perfectly fit the scenes of L.A., San Francisco, and Las Vegas being annihilated by earthquakes, volcanoes, and ash clouds. However, there are more than a few poignant sequences of music that fit for the quieter moments involving the characters played by John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Chiwetel Eijofor. The most stirring pair of cues on this soundtrack are "2012: The End Of The World" and "The End Is Only The Beginning."



I think the soundtrack probably could have done without the heavy metal bombast of Filter's "Fades Like A Photograph", which really only added to the already bombastic nature of seeing the world come to an end. The film's main anthem, "Time For Miracles", as done by American Idol winner Adam Lambert, however, seems absolutely appropriate, given the film's ambiguous but hopeful coda. Another track worthy of consideration on the soundtrack is "It Ain't The End Of The World", a jazzy swing piece done by co-stars George Segal and Blu Mankuma onboard the ocean liner prior to its becoming one of the first victims in the chain of Doomsday cataclysms.



This is not the most subtle of film scores, just as "2012" itself isn't the most subtle of films, even of the Doomsday variety. Nevertheless, it delivers precisely what it promises; and enough quiet and thought-provoking moments balance the explosiveness of the rest of the score."