Huntsman: Winter's War - James Newton Howard

5/1/16

I'm sorry, but that awesome mirror is the true star of this franchise. Am I right?

What You Will Hear:  Standard JNH orchestra and choir (if you don’t know what that sounds like, aren’t you at the wrong website?)

Standout Tracks:  The Huntsman, Lacrimosa, You Shouldn’t Walk In Shadows, Tavern Brawl, Goblin King, The Goblin Fight, We Are Worth Of Each Other, Kill Him, Ravenna Returns, Ravenna’s Embrace

Will You Be Humming Along?  There is an enjoyable main theme.

The album this makes me want to dust off:  King Kong – James Newton Howard

Will I come back to it?  As we usually expect from James Newton Howard, there are a large number of beautiful and adventurous cues on The Huntsman: Winter’s War.  But, when you have such a long history of great music, your new releases have to really stand out.  This release is a lot of fun, but there is nothing iconic or overly memorable here.  While it is far superior to Snow White and The Huntsman, there is still just better music in JNH’s earlier catalogue. 
   The new theme is proud and soothing (at least I think it is new – I couldn’t get through a full review listen of the first film).  The evil queen’s material has carried over nicely, and the appearance of “Escape From the Tower” was an exciting surprise.  It was like going to a rock concert and the band plays all new stuff… until they break out one classic. 
   Winter’s War is one of the composer’s better outings this decade, but it doesn’t live up to past JNH experiences.

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