Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Original Motion Picture Score Composed and Conducted by John Williams

Okay, I cheated, I listened to the music before I saw the movie. From my first spin I would say its a little bland. Not on par with any of the other Indy scores. A few new themes, but like many of John Williams recent stuff, no power punch like he used to deliver. There was ten seconds towards the end of track 10 'The Jungle Chase', that could have been amazing had it been developed into eight minutes. That little power theme could have competed well with Raiders 'Desert Chase' and Last Crusade's 'Belly of the Steel Beast'. There was no new Williams signature power 'march' action chase music in the Crystal Skull soundtrack (read carefully, there was action music-just not in a traditional 'march' like the previous scores). Bummer.

It was strange hearing some stuff from Raiders being reused, Marion's theme (that's okay since she's in the movie), and 'The Map Room' theme returns which I guess now makes the Arc searching music the same as the Crystal Skull searching music (don't worry the Crystal Skull also has its own theme and is kind of spooky). I don't like reassigning music, but maybe it makes more sense in the movie, I don't know yet (We all remember when Jones pointed at an Arc picture in the Rat cave in Last Crusade that had the Arc music play along with it). Maybe there was some music confusion, Williams did use Yoda's theme for Anikin's in the Droid Factory scene in Attack of the Clones, which was very disorienting (that or Lucas's last minute music editing messed things up) ANy one confused yet?

I'm sure I will warm up to the score after a few more listens, and after I see the movie. I was hoping the 'whip crack' sound that has been inserted in all the trailers, previews, and commercials would work its way into the Raiders March, but did not. But did work in the new Indiana Jones Toy Whip that I found (to be seen on a future post of course) Williams did do some funky stuff to the Raiders theme in the final 30 seconds of the 'finale' music which was the only few seconds that reminded me of the glory days of the spunk the Temple of Doom had.

I give this score three out of Five My little Ponies. (which is kind of a bummer, since that the other Indy Scores all got Five My Little Ponies even before the first listen on tape cassettes.)