AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2015)
While we may never know what went on behind the scenes to involve two composers on this highly anticipated Marvel Studios movie, it is with anticipation that soundtrack fans savour the 77 minutes of music on this album. What’s more, instead of just releasing it digitally, the producers were obviously confident enough to make available physical formats in stores for collectors to own a copy on their shelves.
If you have following all news related to this sequel to the 2012 blockbuster (a true geek will tell you that it’s the 11th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), you’d know how the scoring credits changed from “Music by Brian Tyler and Additional Music by Danny Elfman” to “Music by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman”. Again, whatever business related decisions went behind this change, we just want the soundtrack to bring some awesome wham bham music.
There’s about 50 minutes of music from Tyleron the album, while the rest of the 27 minutes are credited to Elfman. Tyler(The Expendables 3, Furious 7), known for his bombastic action composition, follows up from his works in Iron Man 3 (2013) and Thor: The Dark World (2013) with more of his engaging and heart stopping music. You’ll hear it from the get go in the rather brief “Avengers: Age of Ultron Title”, before tracks like the really loud “Hulkbuster” and the strident “Seoul Searching” brings on the full force.
Elfman (Oz the Great and Powerful, Big Eyes) seems to be in charge of the more emotional cues. Strangely, there are some tracks “note featured in the film” – “Heroes” and “Inevitability – One Good Eye” which happens to be the more memorable piece on the CD. Elsewhere, there’s the expectedly affecting “Farmhouse”, “The Farm” and “Nothing Lasts Forever”. For this multi award nominated and winning composer, “Avengers Unite” is easily a standout track that embodies what superheroes are all about: saving the world.
The album ends aptly with Elfman’s “New Avengers: - Avengers: Age of Ultron”. The question is, when this new gang returns to save the world from evil, who are they bringing along to compose the music?
ALBUM RATING:
Recommended Track: (23) Avengers Unite
Review by John Li
