Search - Jerry Goldsmith :: Looney Tunes: Back In Action

Jerry gone wild! (from a 15 year old Jerry fan!)

Steve | London, Canada | 03/11/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, the first thing I have to say is, I'm a HUGE Jerry Goldsmith fan. After hearing the Gremlin's soundtrack, I got hooked on Jerry's scores. Anyways to the Looney Tunes review...

"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is only my third Jerry soundtrack. (Others include "Star Trek: Nemesis" and "Damien: Omen II"). I have heard other Jerry scores, but I think that the "Tunes" soundtrack is Jerry's most high-energetic score in a long time. From the electric guitar to the very enjoyable western theme in "The Bad Guys" and "Car Trouble", I'm sure that any Jerry or Looney Tunes fan will enjoy this soundtrack.

Jerry uses famous Looney Tunes themes from Carl Stalling, Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin (Track 1,near the end of 10 and track 21). Along with Jerry's own nifty themes.

I play the guitar, my guitar teacher asked me to bring in the soundtrack. He listened to my two most favorite tracks (8 and 9)and wrote the chords for the guitar used in the background for the western theme. Anyways, in "Out of the Bag" Jerry's theme for "Gremlins" makes a cameo at the end of the track. In "Dead Duck Walking" Jerry uses his "Back in Action" theme (in track 2 used with the electric guitar)in full reprise in a more sarcastic energetic way. At the end of the track is a little scary (not really but...yeah...) surprise. In the movie, this cue was used when the batmobile hit the Warner Bros water tower and ...

All I have to say is, this is one neat soundtrack. Though, I wish Verse put more on it! And, due to late editing of the film, Jerry couldn't finish the rest of his Looney Tunes score, so John Debney scored 16 minutes for the rest of the film.

Fav tracks: 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and finally 13 LOL!"

Great stuff, but incomplete.

Inspector Gadget | On the trail of Doctor Claw | 02/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Now that I just love this movie I have to go out and buy all of the merchandise right away. What can I say? I'm a sucker. But when the score is done by none other than the legendary Jerry Goldsmith how could any serious soundtrack collector refuse?This is Goldsmith's tenth collaboration with director Joe Dante (they've done just about everything together) and while it's not the strongest score for a Joe Dante movie it's definitely a whole load of fun. Gracefully blending Carl Stalling's signature Looney Tunes music with light-hearted cues of various natures (and even including a surprise cameo by the awesome Gremlins theme in track 5 'Out of the Bag') the whole album makes for pleasant if shallow listening.But there are only 37 minutes worth of music on this CD. Why? Because of Jerry Goldsmith's hectic work schedule he had to leave the scoring sessions two weeks early and John Debney stepped in to replace him with some of his own material to fill the rest of the movie (tho I personally think Bruce Broughton would have been a wiser choice). None of Debney's music is featured on this CD. Curiously (much like his Total Recall CD) there is some kind of jingle stuck on the end of the last track. I don't know what it is but it's a cute bonus.For all Goldsmith and Looney Tunes fans. It's just a shame it isn't longer."

Funny faces and crazy impressions

Bram Janssen | The Netherlands | 12/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Goldsmith score is the liveliest in years. This moment, it tries to sit down and look cool, but seconds later it looses all restraints and flings through the room. It has an incredible vigour and vivaciousness to it. Still, I'm afraid this score is not for everyone. While I'm loving it, others will surely find it ragged and haphazard. And sure enough, even though the length of the score is below average, it will wear you down with its absolutely crazy and unusual orchestrations. While still clearly 'cartoonish', Goldsmith's percussion and interwoven use of the electric guitar takes Loony Tunes music one step closer to adulthood. But then: a Jim Carry / Mike Myers sort of adulthood, with an array of funny faces and goofed up impressions. Because the true appeal of this record is not the traditional one of filmscores - themes, build-ups and great narrative - rather it is the library of nods and winks of which it consist. The obvious few classic Looney Tunes themes aside, I could discern references to Ray Evans' & Jay Livinston's "Bonanza", Monty Norman's "James Bond", Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther", Camille Saint-Saëns' "Carnaval des Animaux" and "Danse Macabre", Goldsmith's own "Gremlins" and... I am certain there's an entire other list of titles that I'm missing. Get this record and try to single them out for yourself. If you go out and buy this, you will get yourself one of the busiest, craziest and in that sense most masterful Goldsmith records in years.This one gets four starsBram Janssen
The Netherlands"