Paddington 2 - Dario Marianelli

12/9/17​
Picture
Anybody else getting a "Follow That Bird" vibe?
What You Will Hear:  Piano, toy piano, xylophone, orchestra, a large collection of accessory percussion, and more calypso tunes from d’Lime.

Standout Tracks:  Windsor Gardens,  The Pop-Up Book, The Book Is Stolen, A Letter From Prison, Marmalade Chefs, Jungle Jail, Escape Waltz, Lost And Found, The Steam Trains, Happy Birthday Aunt Lucy
​
Will You Be Humming Along?  The main theme is simple but often expanded upon and the villain’s theme is equally simple but effective.  Both fit the characters well.
Picture
There's more to it than this, but the basics are here.
Picture
The Baddie Theme
The album this makes me want to dust off:  Paddington – Nick Urata

Will I come back to it?  Paddington 2 has some big expectations to live up to.  Nick Urata’s original effort was pure magic.  Dario Marianelli does not use any of Urata’s thematic material, but I’m happy to report that the spirit is alive and well.  The orchestrations are still light and playful, the calypso music is back (sometimes incorporated into the score this time), and the new themes stand up relatively well to the first movie’s material.  For the action cues, Marianelli creates constant motion either by passing ascending/descending lines around the woodwinds (see: The Book Is Stolen), or repeating staccato sixteenth note rhythms.  The gentle moments are heartwarming, but maybe not quite as beautifully childlike as Urata’s efforts (see: A Letter from Prison).  The creative use of the ticking clock is fun (see: Escape Waltz).  Have you ever heard a clock in triple meter?  You have now.  While I prefer the first movie’s score, this is a faithful continuation of Paddington’s soundscape. It’s rare to have two different composers approach a series of movies with the same styles, and have the outcome sound so seamless.  It’s even more rare to have both scores end up so delightfully enjoyable.  Paddington 2 is that rarity.

@FILMSCOREFANS

© 2017 Film Score Fans