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The LEGO Batman Movie – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack loves its Batman by upping the dramatic camp and delivering it in a black cowl. Review by Matt Cummings The LEGO Batman Movie was a hilarious tribute to the 75-year history of The Dark Knight, offering up heavy meta to every incarnation including the infamous Bat Nipple. While it's not as good as the fantastic The LEGO Movie , there's so much going on here that you need multiple viewings just to get all the jokes and to appreciate Actor Will Arnett's performance. An important component to my elevation of the film as one of the best of early 2017, The LEGO Batman Movie – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is also full of terrific tips-of-the-hat to previous Batman movies, blending heavy orchestrations, guitar rock, electronic drums, and interesting sound effects into a must-buy. Billionaire Bruce Wayne and his doppelganger Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) revel in the life each has created for himself. ...

xXx: Return of Xander Cage - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack delivers a bold sound for a great action flick. Review by Matt Cummings If you missed the surprisingly entertaining xXx: Return of Xander Cage , you weren't alone. As of this post it's only made $37m from an $85m budget, which doesn't bode well for a four-quel. But it's a great ride, filled with incredible stunts and some memorable one-liners, even if it feels like Actor Vin Diesel is putting together another Fast & Furious family of xXx-ers. Composer Bryan Tyler and Robert Lydecker's score for the film is also another bright spot, filled with plenty of muscular tracks which makes the movie a Must-See instead of a Forget-Me-Not. Although Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) has been out of the NSA for 12 years, his former boss Augustus Gibbons boss (Samuel L. Jackson) has been busy recruiting for the xXx program anyways. But that doesn't mean the bruising baldy doesn't still enjoy the...

The Flash: Original Television Soundtrack Season 2 speeds to thrilling musical pulse. Review by Matt Cummings Season 2 of CW's The Flash was almost as good as the first, expanding the DC universe with new and thrilling villains to contest Flash (played by the great Grant Gustin). And just like its lead, Composer Blake Neely speeds the series' score to new and darker heights, confirming what we already knew: this guy can make music. As he moves on from the defeat of the evil Reverse Flash, Barry Allen (Gustin) is attempting to piece back together his shattered family which includes the release of his father (John Wesley Shipp) from prison. But trouble is on the horizon, as the dangerous Zoom unleashes an army of baddies from an alternate universe where he rules supreme. Faced with the reality that he cannot defeat Zoom alone, Barry cobbles together allies from an alternate universe called Earth 2, which include the kinder, gentler Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) a...

Although Season 1 may not be great, Supergirl: Season 1 Original Television Soundtrack is up, up and away. Review by Matt Cummings When CBS announced in 2015 that they would enter the superhero television party and produce Supergirl , audiences were concerned whether a network known for attracting older procedural audiences would actually know what to do with it. More specifically, would they screw it up and totally miss the central themes behind the character? Sadly, the answer was yes, as most audiences backed away by the end of its first season. CW, smartly realizing what it could do with a slightly-damaged product, brought it onboard (a small matter since CBS owns CW) and the early result sees a vastly improved Season 2. One thing that was never in doubt was Composer Blake Neely's Season 1 score, which - like its titular hero - flies to new and different heights, establishing itself as an Übermacht incarnate. When the Kryptonian Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) es...

Like the series, Legends of Tomorrow: Season 1 Original Television Soundtrack sets a course for superhero time-traveling kick ass. Review by Matt Cummings CW's superhero shows have become a M-TH staple in my DVR. Whether it's the speed and quick wit of The Flash , the gritty Star City vigilantes of Arrow , or the newest arrival of Supergirl , CW has hit creative gold by assembling this team. Perhaps at the top of these was the surprise hit DC's Legends of Tomorrow , a time-traveling epic featuring several characters culled from Arrow and The Flash . The completely original series from Producer Greg Berlanti sported impressive special effects, more witty banter than three people can stand, and of course a solidly entertaining score from Composer Blake Neely. The bold and unapologetic Legends of Tomorrow: Season 1 Original Television Soundtrack arrives full of superhero kick ass and ready to take the throne as Neely's best so far. The time-traveling Capt...

Like the series, Arrow: Season 4 Original Television Soundtrack offers a mixed quiver. Review by Matt Cummings If any of you found Arrow: Season 4 to be...well...a little boring, you're not alone. I've always appreciated the gritty street drama of Star City, and Actor Steven Amell is fantastic as the titular hero. But the series under Producer Greg Berlanti has declined since the amazing Season 2 (remember Slade?!), with too many love stories and far too many episodes. The biggest complaint I had with Season 4 was that Arrow was now fighting fantastic (and unbeatable) villains, something better suited for (better) shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow . Moreover, a paternity story slowed down any inertia which the show was building, leading to a wild League-esque battle royale that set up Legends . Composer Blake Neely's Arrow: Season 4 Original Television Soundtrack suffers from the same lack of direction, serving as more of a setup album than esta...

Suicide Squad: Original Motion Picture Score is big, brash, and doesn't care what you think. And that's awesome. Review by Matt Cummings With DC's Suicide Squad taking home the most box office receipts for an August release, it's no wonder that its score from Steven Price might be one of many reasons for the film's success. Driven by a litany of epic moments, Suicide Squad: Original Motion Picture Score announces to the world that it's here, not going anywhere, and that you'd better get used to it. And we're OK with that as it becomes our new favorite superhero score of the year. Having already locked up a collection of dangerous metahumans including Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Diablo (Jay Hernandez), the shadowy government agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) hatches a plan to use them as disposable weapons. The deal: serve on an elit...

Star Trek - Music from the Motion Picture is lost in deep space. Review by Matt Cummings Star Trek Beyond has done a good job winning over critics and fans, who wondered what we would get from the 50th anniversary of the beloved series. And while its excellent cast and positive story of unity are a few reasons for its box office success, the pedestrian Music from the Motion Picture doesn't stand out as another reason why. Three-plus years into their five-year mission, the crew of the USS Enterprise boldly explores the final frontier, while their Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) secretly harbors personal doubt. His approaching birthday will see him live longer than his father (who died aboard the USS Kelvin in the 2009 reboot), and thus Kirk is entertaining a promotion and desk job at the Yorktown space station. His science officer Spock (Zachary Quinto) is also wondering if his future lies in helping to repopulate New Vulcan. But when The Enterprise is vicious...

The Neon Demon - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is twisted, sexual brilliance. Review by Matt Cummings While the 2016 movie season has seen a ton of misses, misfires, and genuine disasters, the same cannot be said for soundtracks. Already, we've witnessed half a dozen memorable contenders, including The Nice Guys , Forza Motorsports 6 , and X-Men: Apocalypse . But with the arrival of The Neon Demon - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack , there's a new top dog, elevated by sexy dance beats and twisted interludes that make it our new favorite of the year. From acclaimed indie director Nicolas Winding Refn, The Neon Demon introduces us to the dark world of fashion modeling. Bright-eyed and busy-tailed Jesse (a very good Elle Fanning) arrives in Los Angeles from Georgia, ready to make the big time. She has only one asset: her incredible natural looks, which quickly gain the attention of the bisexual make-up artist/moonlighting mortician Ruby (an even better Jena...

The Nice Guys - Original Motion Picture Score takes us back to 70s porn and 80's action style. Review by Matt Cummings If you haven't seen the Russell Crowe/Ryan Gosling 70s PI comedy The Nice Guys , stop reading this review and take your best friend to see this film. Afterwards, read our review ( which you can see HERE ), and then check out our thoughts below on Composer John Ottman and David Buckley's excellent score. The release by Lakeshore Records is a mix of 70's porn and 80's action style that's sure to find an immediate place of worship in your music library. Los Angeles PI's Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) and Holland March (Ryan Gosling) are not exactly the perfect Dynamic Duo for 1977. The bruiser Healy has been sent to beat up March, who is looking for a missing porn star. But as the two 'meet' with Healy getting the better (broken) hand, the two realize that they're being set up by shadowy and powerful forces. It's re...

Criminal - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack sports dark ambience and powerful electronic beats. Review by Matt Cummings Say what you want about the Kevin Costner action/thriller Criminal ( we sure did HERE ), but its excellent score surely wasn't a reason for its disappearance at the box office. Filled with incredible dark electronic beats and beautiful tender moments, Criminal - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack compels us to take in every bit of Composers Brian Tyler and Keith Power's environment. The violent world of spy craft has taken another soldier, this time in murdered CIA operative Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds). But his sacrifice yields an interesting by-product: he was on his way to pick up the launch codes for the entire American defense network, which was stolen by a shadowy character named The Dutchman (Michael Pitt). The bag's disappearance and location of The Dutchman have also spurred interest by other parties, including the psychotic anarchis...

Much like the film, Composer Theodore Shapiro's score fails to find its pulse. Review by Matt Cummings A seriously good soundtrack starts with a message, something that binds the music to the film. Think Star Wars . James Bond . Unfortunately, Zoolander No. 2 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is lacking that element, instead riding a wave of set up music and never quite reaching its potential. When world famous pop stars are murdered by a shadowy organization, Interpol Agent Valentina (Penelope Cruz) suspects that their final poses on Instagram look suspiciously like those of fashion icon Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller). Unfortunately, he's been out of reach for over a decade, living in seclusion after losing the rights to his child and witnessing the death of his wife. His friend Hansel (Owen Wilson) has also been living away from the runway, now a part of a multi-marriage family in the desert. But when the two are offered a chance to return to the fashion l...

The score goes a long way to prop up the film's central flaws. Review by Matt Cummings If you've read our review of the Michael Bay film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi , you know our love for its performances was slightly outweighed by Bay's jingoistic sabre-rattling. One thing we forgot to mention in that assessment was Composer Lorne Balfe's score: it's certainly not what you'd expect from a siege film, but works quite well in shaking up our expectations for this kind of music. If you're used to the bombastic music belting from Bay's association with Hans Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky, 13 Hours is markedly different: it reminds us that there might be a deeper Director Michael Bay here than indistinguishable robots with giant balls and women who need to visit a clothing store. A lot of the 13 tracks have a distinct electronic personality, fed by a chorus of violins and pianos. Hero is a sullen start to things: filled with d...

Season 3's score continues to solve the mystery behind this modern series masterpiece. Review by Matt Cummings Unless you've lived under a television rock for the past three years, you probably know all about the BBC series Sherlock . Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, these 90-minute, three-episode arcs have done nothing less than solidify each actor's standing as top-tier talent. Central to the success of the show is the soundtrack by Composers David Arnold and Michael Price. Season 3's score is out now, and the results continue to unravel the mystery of this now iconic series. Set in modern-day London, Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Freeman) use their quirky chemistry to solve a series of crimes using Sherlock's brilliant but tattered mind and Watson's medical prowess. Season 2 witnessed the apparent death of Sherlock, but after two years he returns to find Watson having moved on. Faced with the loss of his teamma...

Season 3's score is filled with brash tactics, sweeping epics, and incredible pay offs. Review by Matt Cummings Super heroes and their television drumbeats are undergoing one impressive chrysalis. Ill-content to simply be complimentary to a network's lineup of comedies and procedurals, comic book series have found fertile ground on the small screen with series like Arrow , The Flash , Agents of SHIELD , and others. Composer Blake Neely is helping to forge these soundscapes with big sounds for small packages, drawing the blueprint for the next generation of innovative television soundtracks. With the release of the very good Arrow Season 3 , we get all the proof we need that Neely is in full control of that movement. Produced by La-La Land Records, DC Comic and Warner Bros. Television, the 2-disc set arrives well-apportioned and filled with memorable reminders of why we love Neely's work. Already well-known for blending synthesizers, and violins with sound ...

The Flash Season 1 shows just how far television soundtracks have come. Review by Matt Cummings As a long-time lover of television soundtracks - no, not the awful rock collections that appear in shows like Vampire Diaries , etc - I had lamented their near total ignorance for the better part of the last two decades. True, the Bear McReary score for Battlestar Galactica was an epic reminder that television didn't have to go the cheap route. Luckily, Composer Blake Neely's submission for The Flash Season 1 is leading the triumphant charge to return television scores to their rightful place. Released by WaterTower Music, the score is a great mix of electronic and symphonic. There's two CD's here - a total of 29 tracks - so a blow-by-blow rundown would take all day. Instead, let's mention several highlights, beginning with tracks 1-5. A show always has to have a memorable theme, which is what The Fastest Man Alive/Always Late exactly does. But jus...