Merging of Styles
Hans Zimmer has always been extraordinarily collaborative in his work: he’s helped many, many eager and aspiring Hollywood composers get a foothold in their careers, and John Powell is certainly one of his most successful pupils to date: he’s scored such blockbusters as the Bourne series, X-Men 3, Chicken Run, and many other high-profile scores. His reunion with Hans Zimmer for Kung Fu Panda marks the first time the two have collaborated since 2000’s animated film The Road to El Dorado. Zimmer is known for his epic, flowing, choir-heavy anthems, while Powell is known for excelling in rhythmic and percussive ingenuity. The combination results in an upbeat, entertaining score which makes perfect use of each composer’s particular sensibilities.
Ethnic Beauty
Despite the comic nature of the film, Zimmer and Powell treat the subject matter with surprising respect and authenticity, giving the martial arts aspects of the film a soft, noble (even meditative!) theme for erhu and ethnic percussion. The theme is introduced at the end of the opening cue ‘Hero’ and is given full performances in ‘Peach Tree of Wisdom’, ‘Sacred Pool of Tears’ and ‘Oogway Ascends.’ Also, there is a light-hearted theme for Po Panda, the title character, which is similarly attractive in its ethnicity but much more comical in spirit. It is heard first in ‘Hero’, and gets interesting variation in ‘Let the Tournament Begin,’ and ‘Impersonating Shifu.’ Zimmer’s fluid, lovely themes, shifting string chords and the fantasy of the ethnic instruments gives the score an unexpected, ethereal beauty. Occasional additions of Zimmer’s trademark choir give the music an added epic flair. ‘Sacred Pool of Tears’ is a wonderful ten-minute suite of most of the main musical ideas from the score.
Earnest Action
Powell’s famous rhythms are prominent as well. Opening up the album is the aggressively contemporary ‘Hero,’ which underscores the film’s initial two-dimensional dream sequence. The action music on the album is astonishingly catchy and relentless, as shown in ‘Tai Lung Escapes,’ ‘The Bridge,’ and ‘Shifu Faces Tai Lung,’ among many other cues. Simply put, the music sounds like it could easily underscore a serious live-action film. The music is of a higher caliber than what was required, and is an enjoyable surprise in this respect.
The album closes with a short but humorous cover of the classic ‘Kung Fu Fighting,’ performed by Cee-Lo Green and Jack Black.
Summary
On the whole, the album is quite enjoyable. The reverent, ethnic beauty of the themes, along with the driving energy of the action pieces, are of a quality much better than anticipated, and it is certainly worth the price of the album to film score fans. The style of the music is not groundbreaking or particularly exceptional: but it is solidly written, attractively and substantially orchestrated, and the abundance of themes and emotions expressed on the album is very satisfying. Zimmer and Powell could have written this in their sleep, and those who are familiar with their work will know exactly what to expect with this album. But it’s a catchy, fun score for an equally entertaining film. Fans of the Media Ventures/Remote Control group are encouraged to check this one out.
See Also: Bolt Soundtrack Review, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Soundtrack Review
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