John Powell

Composer John Ottman helmed the baton for the X-Men franchise after the death of original maestro Michael Kamen and John Powell (United 93, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) took the reigns for the third installment, so it comes as no surprise that the myriad of themes introduced can be a bit much. Ottman gave the series some heft on X-Men 2 with his use of choirs and more than a little Mozart, a style adopted by Powell for X-Men: The Last Stand. Taking a cue from the sweeping and occasionally majestic Spider Man theme, Powell brings the weighty mythology of the beloved DC Comic to an audible level, upping the choral aspects, all the while paying homage to the previous composers themes -- the inclusion of the weighty Dark Phoenix character demands a bit of gravitas. X-Men: The Last Stand is first and foremost the soundtrack to a bombastic summer blockbuster, and detractors of the genre will find little to sway them here, but it's a well-done piece of excess that deserves more than a smattering of applause. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide