Hans Zimmer - Kung Fu Panda

A very different story from the last one (Indy), Zimmer's Kung Fu Panda has perfect themes to be listened in the everyday life, but the score didn't really enhance the movie in a particularly awesome way. I do love this though, just because it's a bit different from Zimmer.

The first track, Hero, is a superb strong theme for any day (at least the first half of it). I've listened to it like crazy since I got the soundtrack and still haven't gotten bored of it. The second part of it is a more calm, serene Zimmer which is also a fresh side from his macho themes.

Acutally the whole eastern feel to it suits Zimmer well, he gets to be a little different for a change. There's a lot more softer themes this time, beautiful and peaceful themes, and even the strong and loud themes feel happier than his normal work. Maybe it's because it's an animated film, or because of the setting, I don't know. But I do like it.

Unlike Johnny's Indy, the tracks in Kung Fu Panda aren't too complicated or complex, but of rather simple form. They too are still all over the place, but Zimmer stronger, more attention-seeking style makes them better for standing on their own.

You can hear some of his old manners in the more ominous, action-oriented tracks, such as Tai Lung Escapes. And with that my interest in the tracks goes down as well. Sure they are strong and scary and what not, but the way they demand my attention like a 3-year old child just makes me annoyed. There is a very nice moment in Tai Lung Escapes though, around minute 3, and I do like that he added a little different synthesizer elements in it.

The calm themes are deffinitely the best part of this soundtrack, after Hero that is. There's a lot of emotions in those, a kind of sad serenity. The joyful tracks are also surprisingly fun to listen, it's not something you'd expect with Zimmer's track record.

The shivers -moment of this soundtrack was found from Sacred Pool of Tears, pretty much all the way through it there are moments where I got them, but the first minute was the biggest. The best track of the score after Hero.

I'm a little lazy today so I'll end this one short as well. Mostly because I've listened to these soundtrack a whole lot already, they are no longer new to me. Makes it harder to focus all the way through. But to sum the soundtrack up: Good on its own, good balance of soft, joyful and strong. Zimmer really did a great job with combining chinese and western styles creating a very harmonious and enjoyable mixture of the two. Big minus for the terrible Kung Fu Fighting -cover though.

(HAH! A Lion King moment in The Bridge right before the 2nd minute.)