Independence Day: Resurgence - Thomas Wander & Harald Kloser

6/18/16
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"Bring back Arnold or we blow it all up." - The Aliens
What You Will Hear:  A watered down version of the original film’s score.  Full orchestra and brass for the big cues and piano/bells for some smaller moments.

Standout Tracks:  More Stimulation, The Only Family I Got, What Goes Up, Worth Fighting For, Bus Chase

Will You Be Humming Along?  Yes, and hating yourself for it.
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Composed by my 15 year old self.
The album this makes me want to dust off:  Independence Day – David Arnold

Will I come back to it?  Let’s get one thing straight:  this is not a poorly scored adventure.  Don't give into the skeptics.  Some of the action cues are quite enjoyable, and the quieter moments manage to instill a sense of family and wonder.  Additionally, the string writing is sufficiently dark to be considered a true successor to the first film. 
   But, ID4: Resurgence has one major flaw from which it just cannot recover.  Following in David Arnold’s footsteps is a tall order.  His theme from the original film is one of the most joyous adventure themes ever composed.  Wander’s & Kloser’s new main theme is beyond generically forgettable.  It sounds like it belongs to some 5th sequel of a C-level franchise.  It works well when it is (rarely) used as part of an action cue, but it is cringe worthy when attempting to convey pride or honor.  Adding insult to injury, Arnold’s theme inexplicably shows up towards the end of the album.  It’s a total head scratcher; the finale uses recycled statements of Arnold’s material.  One cue sounds like they didn’t even re-record it.  Why would you remind us of what is missing?
    The majority of this score is a fun ride.  But, each use of the new theme just takes away from the experience.  A more respectable theme could have saved this attempt at following a classic.  Instead, this one will chase me away from an otherwise enjoyable score.
Independence Day: Resurgence was provided courtesy of The Krakower Group and Sony Music Masterworks.  
​Thank you!

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