Search - Henry Mancini, Henry Mancini & His Orchestra, London National Philharmonic Orchestra :: Son of the Pink Panther

One of the Best Panther Scores

gobirds2 | New England | 02/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Henry Mancini's soundtrack to THE SON OF THE PINK PANTHER is one of the best if not the best soundtrack to be issued from THE PINK PANTHER film series. This soundtrack is very much representative of the score heard in the film and not a compilation of source music and songs like many of Mancini's soundtracks. The gifted Henry Mancini not only composed great and endearing songs and melodies but was also an exceptional and somewhat unrecognized composer when it came to scoring a film. His scores were very stylistic capturing the essence of the images on the motion picture screen. This soundtrack is very representative of that quality. This soundtrack seems to have been overlooked as much as the film that it came from. Track 6 - The Gambrelli Theme very much captures Roberto Benigni's performance as the son of Inspector Clouseau. It is very reminiscent and a bit of a tribute of The Inspector Clouseau Theme that Mancini composed for Peter Sellers in THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN. Track 3 - The Snatch is a very good background composition unfolding the caper of this outing. Track 10 - Mama and Dreyfus is a touching and reflective piece with a tinge of endearing melancholy. This soundtrack also features a bit of real innovation with Bobby McFerrin's performance of The Panther Theme. Track 13 - The Showdown is a real tour de force integrating character melodies into this piece of action scoring. In track - 14 Mancini and his orchestra return to their traditional performance of The Pink Panther Theme and it sounds better than ever."