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Favorite Action Scores and Composers

post #1 of 32
2/11/06 at 4:37am
Thread Starter 
Has anybody ever seen an action movie that has such a rousing score, that it just really sucks you into the movie? Well I have a few that I'd like to share with you, and I invite anyone to post their favorite scores and composers. Here's mine:

Broken Arrow - Hans Zimmer. This was probably the first movie that I really loved the score to. John Travolta's theme was so awesome, Scream 2 stole it and used it as Dewey's theme. The main theme is still one of the best songs I've ever heard. The soundtrack never lets up.

The Rock - Nick Glennie-Smith, Hans Zimmer, and Harry Gregson-Williams. This is another score that never lets up. I was just watching the movie the other day, and that is what inspired me to make this thread. I love the Hummer chase music. The main theme lets you know that this is going to be an awesome flick.

Total Recall - Jerry Goldsmith. This is a great score for a great movie. I think that this was the first score to just be nonstop, and pulse pounding. I think it set the framework for scores that would come out later.

Die Hard - Michael Kamen. The go to guy for action scores in the 80's, his score for Die Hard really did make the movie feel epic, and it was already epic enough. His Latin strings that he put in there were well noticed, and He got the job composing License to Kill, which is another one of my favorite scores.

Robocop - Basil Poledouris. A great main theme, and the van chase is a great meld of synthesizers and horns. The scene where Robocop is shot up by the cops is very sad and sympathetic towards him, and the score evokes that.

Darkman - Danny Elfman, This man had just done the score to Batman, which I still think is the best soundtrack for a comic book movie, and he did a great job with Darkman. This soundtrack has Danny Elfmans trademark tones all over it.

My favorite action composers are as evidenced in my favorite scores, Danny Elfman, Jerry Goldsmith (RIP), Hans Zimmer.

When I think of more I'll post them. In the meantime people post your favorites.
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post #2 of 32
2/11/06 at 4:53am
Terminator 2-Brad Fiedel. One hit wonder, sure but damn, that's a great score.

The Bourne Identity and Supremacy-John Powell. Just a really good pumping score.
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post #3 of 32
2/11/06 at 6:44am
Total Recall is a favorite of mine; just a relentless action score. And on the subject of Goldsmith, Deep Rising is along the same lines, creating great action cues mixing orchestra and electronics.

Of course, when discussing action music, you just can't leave out John Williams' work on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series. Obvious choices, yes, but they've become the obvious choices for a reason.

On the more recent front, Michael Giacchino's score for The Incredibles gets a lot of play on my computer, and the action cues are some of my favorites in years, especially "Missile Lock" and "100 Mile Dash".
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post #4 of 32
2/11/06 at 6:58am
Hans Zimmer seems to be pretty repetitive and at times derivative to me, though his best scores are really good.

Basil Poledouris' Hunt For Red October and Conan scores are both really good.

Jerry Goldsmith did great work in Alien, The Great Train Robbery, Patton and The Planet of the Apes.

Michael Kamen did a lot of solid work, but nothing truly great in my book. A lot of music that complemented the films well, but not much I'd listen to by itself.

Obviously John Williams deserves mention for too many films to count.

JOHN BARRY does not get the mention he deserves a lot of the time in these discussions. Just check out pretty much any of his work in the early Bond films or Dances With Wolves. He also gets my vote for best score in a bad movie with Hanover Street.
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post #5 of 32
2/11/06 at 7:02am
James Horner's score for Aliens i dig muchly.
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post #6 of 32
2/11/06 at 7:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt OCallaghan
James Horner's score for Aliens i dig muchly.
His Mask of Zorro wasn't bad either.
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post #7 of 32
2/11/06 at 7:09am
While I do love Horner's Aliens score for its driving action, it has to be said that it's pretty derivative of his earlier work on The Wrath of Khan. Doesn't stop me from listening to it or anything, but there it is.
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post #8 of 32
2/11/06 at 7:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragon Ma
Terminator 2-Brad Fiedel. One hit wonder, sure but damn, that's a great score.
How stupid were they for dumping the theme for the 3rd movie? Poor decision-making there!
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post #9 of 32
2/11/06 at 9:59am
The person who, for me, created the prototypical action score was Mark Mancina - back when Bruckheimer films were still fun. In fact, his tunes to Speed and Bad Boys were the first that really made me take notice of film scores in general.
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post #10 of 32
2/11/06 at 11:09am
There's one track from James Horner's score for Willow -- "Escape from the Tavern" -- that is one of the best adventure cues ever written. Just a grand, swashbuckling romp.
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post #11 of 32
2/11/06 at 11:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarant
The person who, for me, created the prototypical action score was Mark Mancina - back when Bruckheimer films were still fun. In fact, his tunes to Speed and Bad Boys were the first that really made me take notice of film scores in general.
Bad Boys does have a pretty good score, another one where they dumped everything for the sequel.
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post #12 of 32
2/11/06 at 11:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nantra
Michael Kamen did a lot of solid work, but nothing truly great in my book.
His Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves score qualifies here for me. It's one of, if not THE best scores he did.
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post #13 of 32
2/11/06 at 12:25pm
Eric Serra is very good, he's got that offbeat synthetsized percussion thing going on that really ratchets his scores up a notch. I particularly love La Femme Nikita and Goldeneye, the latter of which has been used for a lot of action movie trailers.
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post #14 of 32
2/11/06 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crow
His Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves score qualifies here for me. It's one of, if not THE best scores he did.
Wow, I guess I forgot about that one. That is really good, and the opening fanfare is one of the best ever.

Though the Bryan Adams song should be expelled from the record. Looking on the IMDB, his 2 Oscar Noms were both for Bryan Adams songs.
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post #15 of 32
2/11/06 at 2:56pm
It's repetitive as hell, but Horner's work for COMMANDO is a lot of fun. Those steel drums will be in my head forever.

Graeme Revell's stuff on HARD TARGET stands out. Especially the end when it just becomes this glorious bombastic sound that almost makes you think you're watching some sort of epic.

Alan Silvestri's contribution to both THE DELTA FORCE and PREDATOR compliment those movies nicely.
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post #16 of 32
2/11/06 at 3:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quarant
The person who, for me, created the prototypical action score was Mark Mancina - back when Bruckheimer films were still fun. In fact, his tunes to Speed and Bad Boys were the first that really made me take notice of film scores in general.
Hear hear. Both of those are great, especially Bad Boys. Unfortunately it's not available on CD.

I'll add Hans Zimmer for Pirates of the Caribbean.
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post #17 of 32
2/11/06 at 4:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desslar
Hear hear. Both of those are great, especially Bad Boys. Unfortunately it's not available on CD.

I'll add Hans Zimmer for Pirates of the Caribbean.
Hans Zimmer was involved in the scoring of POTC but Klaus Badelt got credit. Badelt did additional music work on some films Zimmer scored, like Gladiator, of which Pirates is derivative.

The Delta Force score is pretty good. I watched that one a couple months ago, what glorious American Propaganda that film is!
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post #18 of 32
2/11/06 at 5:30pm
Hans Zimmer for the Gladiator and Black Hawk Down soundtrack. He's popular because he's one of the best.
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post #19 of 32
2/11/06 at 7:11pm
Thread Starter 
Klaus Badelt's score for Equilibrium is another good soundtrack, got to love that music they play when Bale is running to save Emily Watson. Why is this soundtrack not available? I bet it's probably in that over priced purgatory that the Die Hard score, and the score to Predator are in.

I have to say, I really liked Alan Silvestri's score for Predator 2. The beginning music is awesome, and the subway chase music is a great holdover from the first one.

I'll probably be in the minority here when I say that I like Marco Beltrami's score for Terminator 3. I actually like it more than the score to part 2. Part 2 has the great revised opening theme, and I like the music they play when The Terminator is shooting up the police cars, but that's about it. And they did play the theme in part 3, it was just at the end.
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post #20 of 32
2/11/06 at 7:12pm
It's not much of a score, but Trevor Rabin's "Launch" from 'Armageddon' is one of my favorites.
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post #21 of 32
2/11/06 at 8:43pm
Aliens is a great one...though the best bits are a rehash of his work on WOLFEN. Horner is great anyway. i also recently dug up his work on Humanoids from the Deep and Krull...good stuff.

i dig almost anyhting by Hans Zimmer. i'd have to say that over all, he's my favortie out there right now. Backdraft, Crimson Tide, Gladiator, (the list goes on) all great.

Speed is another good one, by Mancina.

there are so many that i can't think of any more at the moment...ahhh, brain fart.
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post #22 of 32
2/11/06 at 9:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Eko
I'll probably be in the minority here when I say that I like Marco Beltrami's score for Terminator 3. I actually like it more than the score to part 2. Part 2 has the great revised opening theme, and I like the music they play when The Terminator is shooting up the police cars, but that's about it. And they did play the theme in part 3, it was just at the end.
Yes, but it was an orchestral arrangement, which really neutered the effect of the theme. Losing Fiedel was like losing the voice of the machines. Mind you, I like Terminator 3 more than most people around here probably do, but the score was a weak link. I think Beltrami's done some great work since, though, particularly Hellboy.
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post #23 of 32
2/12/06 at 1:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel St. Buggering
Yes, but it was an orchestral arrangement, which really neutered the effect of the theme. Losing Fiedel was like losing the voice of the machines. Mind you, I like Terminator 3 more than most people around here probably do, but the score was a weak link. I think Beltrami's done some great work since, though, particularly Hellboy.
They dropped the main theme, but I have to second some kudos to Beltrami for that score. I liked his new opening march, some of the action cues, and he wrapped up the movie perfectly with that sad, epic piece as the nuclear missiles start flying. And yeah, he orchestrated the classic theme, but I like it. I can see why itgets some hate, but I like it.
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post #24 of 32
2/12/06 at 2:02am
I don't think that, in and of itself, it's a bad score at all. It simply has the misfortune of being a replacement for something else that was very different and iconic. It's akin to having The Dust Brothers score a Star Wars movie. It might be a cool score in its own right, but John Williams is the voice of Star Wars, and it would feel off.
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post #25 of 32
2/12/06 at 6:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nantra
JOHN BARRY does not get the mention he deserves a lot of the time in these discussions. Just check out pretty much any of his work in the early Bond films or Dances With Wolves. He also gets my vote for best score in a bad movie with Hanover Street.
Don't forget that he also did the score to Game of Death.
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post #26 of 32
2/12/06 at 6:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electrichead
Don't forget that he also did the score to Game of Death.
Or what Robert Clouse tried to pass off as Game of Death.
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post #27 of 32
2/12/06 at 6:56pm
I also dug Steve Jablonsky's score for Steamboy.
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post #28 of 32
2/13/06 at 2:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel St. Buggering
I don't think that, in and of itself, it's a bad score at all. It simply has the misfortune of being a replacement for something else that was very different and iconic. It's akin to having The Dust Brothers score a Star Wars movie. It might be a cool score in its own right, but John Williams is the voice of Star Wars, and it would feel off.
I think that's a fair critique.
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post #29 of 32
9/19/11 at 4:24pm
I am a big fan of the MOCAP BEOWULF movie, and I think it's rousing Alan Silvestri score plays a big part in that. It so perfectly sums up the title character, and it just gets my blood flowing whenever it kicks in. You know that whenever Beowulf's theme starts up, delightful lunacy is about to go down. My favorite instance from the film would be when Beowulf has his arm trapped during his battle with the dragon, and he is looking defeated and forlorn. Then the theme starts up and it's like "what's he going to do?!"


For those who have seen the film, I think they would have to agree the music fits the moment perfectly
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post #30 of 32
9/20/11 at 2:22am

Really liked Paul Haslinger's score for Death Race.

 

Hard Rain is my favorite score from Christopher Young. 

 

 

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post #31 of 32
9/22/11 at 11:14pm

 

Let's see..

 

Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 score, those thick synths just ooze menace.  Also, Francesco de Masi did a spaghetti western flavored score for Lone Wolf McQuade that would make Morricone proud (or litigious).

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post #32 of 32
9/23/11 at 10:29am

David Arnold's score for STARGATE is a huge reason I loved the film so much on first viewing. The overture alone is all kinds of great, and the track ("Kasuf Returns") for the action climax is terrific (and it's been used in a slew of trailers, too).

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