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Soundtrack Review


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Wonder Woman 1984
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

 

Composer: Hans Zimmer
Label: WaterTower Music
watertower-music.com
RRP: £13.99
Release Date: 11 December 2020


WaterTower Music releases the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Wonder Woman 1984. In the DC/Warner Bros. movie, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, Diana Prince is living a quiet existence as a curator of ancient artifacts in the excessive and, some might say decadent time of Earth in the 1980s. She occasionally uses her powers to help in certain situations, but is forced to step into the limelight to save mankind from a world of its own making. During this time she will face Max Lord, as well as her fated nemesis Cheetah. The music is by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, who has previously scored The Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar, Inception, and The Lion King. For this one, the director discussed with the composer not only a number of themes which would relate to the '80s, but layers of emotion for the character, and purer, more heroic variations on the original film version of Wonder Woman. The soundtrack is available for download...

'Themyscira' has a mystical opening which quickly evolves into the melodic and grand Wonder Woman theme. It has a taste of Christmas about it. 'Games' has a cheerleading and tribal mix to it. Very dramatic, it uses both orchestral and electronic elements. '1984' develops brass and string galloping music. 'Black Gold' has a marching beat which slaps you around the face before tentatively touching with tenderness. There’s underlying drama inherent. 'Wish We Had More Time' is an emotional short piece. 'The Stone' is something a little different, with a ticking chord sequence. 'Cheetah' incorporates a fantasy element with dark movement and a synthesiser beat. This track isn’t quite sure what it wants to be. 'Fireworks' is a known theme, moderate and purposeful. 'Anything You Want' has jaunty Electronica which is joined by strings, which make the piece more plaintive… Before it builds into a theme of its own. Nice.

'Open Road' has a heavy drumbeat and an overly dramatic full melody. Ironically, this is a little dull. 'Without Armour' is a light harp piece, with strings and choir voices. 'The White House' has a running pace that is taken-over by heavy beats and slamming. In 'Already Gone' the building stomping returns with a siren, but then becomes more melancholic. A sweeping movement. 'Radio Waves' has a distorted rumble and backbeat which becomes an often-utilised clattering, with a simple repeating tune. 'Lord of Desire' is a short, with a chanting choir. 'The Beauty In What Is' jams variations on the earlier main theme. We reach 'Truth' and, as the soundtrack moves on, ideas are re-used, and the central piece is returned to far too often. Towards the end I am tiring of having my ears stomped all over… and this is from a reviewer who loves Metal music! The Bonus Track, 'Lost and Found' makes the entire soundtrack worthwhile. It is a much more restrained and emotional piece. Furthermore, at just under twelve minutes this is much more of a suite. Wonderful, you might say. This gains an extra mark by itself.

With some tracks averaging between five and seven minutes, there is opportunity to hear more of a developing piece than on many other soundtracks. However, this has to be tempered with repeating themes towards the end, and an imbalance weighing heavily on overly prolonged dramatic themes. The Bonus Track proves the fact the composer has another feather to his cap, and is more versatile than the rest of the score would have us believe.

7

Ty Power

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