James Horner's second offering to the Star Trek franchise is solid but not as successful as his first. Maintaining continuity between the two pictures, Horner gives more prominent focus to his secondary theme from The Wrath of Khan, giving it it's best rendition in the sweepingly beautiful Prologue and Main Title. His theme for the Klingons isn't very successful, consisting mostly of a lot of banging and clanging in the percussion section. The score's best moments come during the theft of the Enterprise sequence and as the crew returns in their stolen Klingon bird-of-prey to Vulcan. It's a good score that falls into the middle of the batch amongst the excellent music consisting of the Star Trek film franchise.
Highlights: 1. Prologue and Main Title / 6. Stealing the Enterprise / 12. Genesis Destroyed / 13. Returning to Vulcan / 15. End Titles
1/27. Star Trek: Insurrection / Jerry Goldsmith
For Insurrection Jerry Goldsmith presents a gentle theme to represent the Ba'Ku people and some of the franchise's finest action music. Despite this, he never seems to really receive the opportunity to let his music shine the way he does with his other scores. That's not through any fault of his own as Insurrection plays more like a two-part episode than a feature film (see my May 2009 review). For what he's given, though, Goldsmith delivers.
Highlights: 1. Main Title and The Ba'Ku Village / 4. In Custody / 8. A Few Loose Ends / 10. New Sight / 13. Insurrection / 14. Not Functioning / 19. The Drones Attack / 20. The Riker Maneuver
6. Star Trek / Michael Giacchino
Following JJ Abrams' leads, Michael Giacchino takes the music of Star Trek in a much different dirrection than the rest of the franchise. He presents three very strong themes for Kirk, Spock and the villain Nero with Kirk's theme being the most prominent. Having said that, it feels like Kirk's theme (as heard in the cue Enterprise Young Men) should've been more. The action music is very exciting though similar to Giacchino's previous works. Overall, it's a solid score though there seems to be more style than substance here.
A big gripe that I have though (without holding it against Giacchino's music itself) is the mixing of the orchestra. For whatever reason, there is very little reverb in the mix, giving the orchestra a very dry sound. Hopefully Giacchino rectifies this technique in future scores.
Highlights: 4. Nailin' the Kelvin / 5. Labor of Love / 8. One Proud Mother / 14. Enterprising Young Men / 19. Chutes and Matter / 30. Nice to Meld You / 32. I Gotta Beam Me / 36. Trekking Down the Narada / 39. Nero Death Experience / 43. That New Car Smell / 45. End Credits
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