James Newton Howard

James Newton Howard's score for the post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama I Am Legend flies in the face of expectations -- while the film's subject matter would seem tailor-made for sleekly modern, electronics-dominated music, the composer instead favors a more classicist approach, tapping the Hollywood Studio Symphony and Hollywood Film Chorale to create widescreen drama rooted in the classic cinematic tradition. Howard embraces the film's messianic themes, juxtaposing hymn-inspired melodies and classical sensibilities alongside more conventional action themes. The more ethereal elements offer a nice contrast to the aggressive brass and battering-ram percussion that characterize I Am Legend as it reaches its climax, and in fact linger in the memory far longer. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide