Search - John Powell :: Happy Feet [Original Score]

Better than the "Original Soundtrack," but still a mixed bag

Traveler | New England | 12/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was so disappointed with the "original soundtrack" that I didn't even bother purchasing it. The songs were either not in the movie or the ones I didn't care about.



The John Powell tracks presented here are closer to the heart of Happy Feet. Lots of thump-thump beats, rhythm and bass.



The tracks that stand out IMO are:

1. Huddle (Sounds like sailors chanting on a Russian ship.)

4. Wives Ho!

11. Adelieland (Sounds like a Brazilian marching band with whistles)

12. Bob's Led (A little bit of tapping - what we didn't get on the original soundtrack!)

14. Lovelace's Pile (A dash of Barry White)

17. The Leader of the Pack (Hispanic penguins singing.)

27. Tap Versus Chant (Tap dancing and bass - arguably one of the best tracks on the CD)

29. Communication (A mixed bag of a little bit of rhythm, beat, and slow drama.)



Unfortunately, most of the other tracks have far too much of that obvious soundtrack drama too them. They don't really stand on their own as separate pieces and will only really be enjoyed by the most hardcore fan.



Despite how many more tracks I like on this version, I can't help but still feel a bit ripped off by the two choices. The "original soundtrack" includes several great songs such as "The Story of Mumble Happyfeet" (also by John Powell) which is easily as rousing if not more so than anything here, "Boogie Wonderland," and "My Way." Instead of selecting the best songs it seems they were more interested in splitting them up and trying to get us to buy two CDs instead of just one.



One question that might come up is which to buy if the listener is a child. Unfortunately, neither CD fits the bill. The "original" has tracks that many find far too risque or are simply far too different than what appeared in the movie. And this John Powell CD has far too many dramatic classical sounding pieces that would put most kids to sleep.



So which to buy? Hard to say. I wish we could take half from one and half from the other. Some might want to consider purchasing their favorite MP3s and leave it at that. Personally, I probably won't be satisfied until the DVD comes out which will obviously include all the tracks I like.



If Amazon hasn't yet offered sample links check out the Rhapsody site where you can hear short snippets of each track.

"

Wonderful!

Chaya J. Anderson | Seattle, Wa | 12/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Powell's 'Happy Feet'is nothing less than beautiful! I'm extremely picky about my movie soundtracks, especially when most of the original score is cut out of the cd - which is what usually happens to most animated movie soundtracks. Fortunately, this cd is nearly the complete soundtrack (minus the one's contained on the other cd) and in perfect order. If you loved the movie as much as I did, then you'll be pleased with this cd. It's refreshing to find a soundtrack for an animated film that's pretty much complete; I only wish other animated movie producers could learn from this soundtrack release.

PS - buy both Happy Feet cds and you'll have the entire movie soundtrack!"

John Powell's Score Is Breathtaking & Epic, It Will Have You

Kaya Savas | North Hollywood, CA | 03/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Powell is a composer whose name has become synonimous with animation. 2006 was a huge year for Powell with his work on Ice Age: The Meltdown, United 93, X-Men: The Last Stand, and of course Happy Feet. Powell is unique when compared to all the other composers from the school of Hans Zimmer. He is really the only one that has gone to utilize the orchestra the way he does. Harry Gregson-Williams has showed his orchestral side but he will always be known for his brilliant electronic style.



Happy Feet is a mammoth of a score, perfectly capturing the setting and tone of the film. Powell spent 4 years working on this film from scoring to arranging the songs for this musically driven animation wonder. The score is a wonderous masterpiece, it's the most epic I've heard from Powell. The first track is so powerful it brought tears to my eyes and had my hairs standing on end. Using a full male chorus he creates the harsh and frozen landscapes of Antarctica soley through his music. Track 1 is definitely the highlight of the album. Tracks 4, 21, and 27 are also extremely thematic and memorable. Most of the score is orchestral heavy while occasionally he will bring in some synth work. It's definitely less playful than his score for Ice Age: The Meltdown. John Powell truly deserved an Academy Award nomination for at least one of his works in 2006. It's too bad the Academy knows nothing about music. Thankfully he won the IFMCA Award for Best Animated Score as well as being nominated for Ice Age: The Meltdown in the same category. He was also nominated for best Fantasy/Sci-Fi score for X-Men: The Last Stand. Happy Feet was truly a breathtaking listen and proves that John Powell is one of a kind. I can't wait for his score to The Bourne Ultimatum."