Planet of the Apes
The original 1968Planet of the Apesinspired a whole cycle of sequels, a television series, and this modern Tim Burton revamp. It also contained one of sci-fi's most original and haunting scores, composed by the greatJerry Goldsmith. In scoring his dark take on the story, Burton again turned the reigns over to longtime collaborator Danny Elfman, who promptly pays tribute to Goldsmith in the "Main Titles" (echoing the original's ethereal, descending glissandos), then sets about conjuring a marauding orchestral action score that's as fierce as it is relentless. With echoes of the dramatic tension of hisBatmanscores for Burton, this flourish-filled simian symphony nonetheless seems distinctly melody-challenged; not a bad thing per se in the genre, but still a far cry from Goldsmith's masterful, spare balance of dynamics and color. "The Return" offers up some respite from the Sturm und Drang but then succumbs to the era's favorite classical rip-off, er, "tribute"--Holst'sMars, the Bringer of War--while the percussion-driven "Main Title Deconstruction" grandly succeeds on more Goldsmithian terms. DJ-king-cum-modern-film-scorerPaul Oakenfold(Swordfish) concludes the album with a fresh, compelling mix of music and dialogue that gives Elfman his due and then some; a more proactive collaboration offers promise.-Jerry McCulley