Henry Jackman

Composer Henry Jackman has labored in the soundtrack factory of Hans Zimmer, contributing ill-defined "additional music" to such films as Hancock, Kung Fu Panda, and The Da Vinci Code. He gets to step out on his own, with his name on the album cover, with Monsters vs. Aliens, which, despite a title that suggests a horror film franchise, is actually a CG animated children's movie. It seems that the only time a film composer gets to use his entire tool box of skills is when working on a live-action movie about comic-book superheroes or a cartoon like this one, and Jackman certainly uses his chance, employing a full orchestra to play a score that calls to mind the ambitious accompaniments to widescreen entertainments of the 1950s and, before them, the classical compositions of the Romantic Era. Jackman's task is to thrill, but not frighten, his young viewers, and in cues with titles like "Meet the Monsters," he manages to be weird without being scary. The producers of the soundtrack have kept in mind that it isn't only children who will be in the theater, but also parents and grandparents, so the music is sprinkled with oldies and novelty hits including everything from the Exciters' 1963 hit "Tell Him" to the B-52's new wave anthem "Planet Claire." These pop songs interrupt the proceedings periodically, leaving Jackman free to swing for the fences with his grand themes and masses of strings. He doesn't take any great risks, and as a result often echoes the modern master of this sort of score, John Williams, particularly on the climactic "The Ginormica Suite," with is very suggestive of Star Wars. Even then, however, the music isn't over. Movies like this have a lot of credits, and patrons are urged out of their seats with an electronic dance theme, "Monster Mojo," and one more novelty oldie, Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater." ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide