Bill Wrobel's DVD - Film Score Rundowns

For about $140 million you will expect great production values in a movie, and
you will definitely get it here. I was definitely entertained. This is an admirable, quickpaced
Star Trek genesis sort of film (with a twist). I don’t think it deserves quite a
“classic” rating but it could have gotten close to it if they tweaked the story more. Chris
Pine and Zachary Quinto are both terrific as young Kirk and Spock respectively. Karl
Urban as Doctor McCoy was refreshing. Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike is a huge
bonus. And of course having the old familiar Mr. Spock back (played by Leonard Nimoy)
is a treat. My problem with the story is the tired old nemesis story. In this one we have
Nero (Eric Bana) on a huge alien Romulan vessel from the future no less! He’s out to
wreck havoc on Spock’s life (and hence the Enterprise). I am getting quite tired of these
outworn “from the future” plots that I’ve seen over and over again in so many Trek
movies and tv series especially. Another problem was the romantic connection between
Uhura and Spock (not likely!). Then the rapid fire action sequences of getting into one
fix, then getting out of it, and getting into another fix, and getting out of it to (and so
forth). There is a great deal of contagious energy in this motion picture (far more than the
original Star Trek movie directed by a “wiser” director nonetheless!)—and I appreciate
that. But it’s a bit too much, especially with the final battle with the Romulans. Basically
the plus factors outweigh the negative factors in this movie, so I give it a thumbs-up
rating.
-Independence Day (1996) *** 1/2 [music ***]
http://www.amazon.com/Independence-Day-Five-Star-
Collection/dp/B00003Q43A/ref=sr_1_6?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292988115&sr=1-6
Roland Emmerich’s most popular sci-fi adventure about aliens invading Earth just
before Independence Day. It’s fun, it’s colorful, it’s fast-paced, it is superficial but so
what—it’s a summer popcorn movie! The cast is very appealing, a winner ensemble.
-The Lone Ranger (1956) *** [music ***]
http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Ranger-Clayton-
Moore/dp/B00005UWA8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1292988901&sr=1-2
This interesting western score composed by David Buttolph (I already delineated
in detail his House of Wax and Beast from 20,000 Fathoms) was orchestrated by Sid
Cutner and Gus Levene. As a side note, you will hear a quite familiar theme in the score
if you listen carefully: television’s Maverick (James Garner) theme that Buttolph will
self-borrow from this score to the television series shortly afterward. More on this below.
Buttolph’s score is not in the same top drawer as House of Wax but I enjoyed its vibrancy
in this action western with the esteemed Lone Ranger as an excellent model of Old
Western chivalry and justice (making things right!). Paladin was a far grittier, darker
version of the same chivalrous mold (unlike the Masked Man, he normally requested a
thousand dollars for his services, was a womanizer, enjoyed his creature comforts in San
Francisco when otherwise not busy, and many times showed a bad temper and
intolerance). The Lone Ranger’s moral code is so pristine that he never intentionally
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