Batman Begins Soundtrack CD

Composers: Hans Zimmer; James Newton Howard.
Personnel: Martin Tillman (electric cello); Frank Ricotti, Gary Kettel (percussion); Lorne Balfe (programming).
Audio Mixer: Al Clay.
Editors: Steve Price ; Richard Robson.
Director Christopher Nolan's brooding attempt at resurrecting the ailing Batman franchise is met head-on by two of film music's most prolific and recognizable characters. The ultra-serious tone that permeates Batman Begins is not limited to its gothic narrative and brooding visuals. Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard have crafted an atmosphere that relies less on the dynamics of Danny Elfman and more on the rain-soaked soundscapes of Brian Eno and Blade Runner-era Vangelis. With over 60 minutes of music, Batman Begins' glacial pace makes for a challenging listen, and its insistence on remaining unabashedly nocturnal -- each track is named for a specific species of bat -- is both admirable and frustrating, as the main theme doesn't truly appear until nearly four tracks in. Though each composer shares a co-writing credit, listeners who are familiar with their work will recognize the signatures -- Howard's bleak and pastoral string and piano cues keep the film grounded, while Zimmer utilizes the thunderous percussion and Soviet-bloc chord structures that fueled both Crimson Tide and Gladiator. For those who were hoping for an audio repeat of the 1989 original, Batman Begins may prove to be a disappointment, but for longtime fans of the caped crusader's darker past, the lack of a traditional "summer blockbuster popcorn" score will come as a welcome surprise. ~ James Christopher Monger
BATMAN BEGINS is by all accounts one of the darkest and most serious films in the Batman series. In part, this must certainly be attributable to the appropriately nocturnal-sounding score. Each of the 12 pieces here is named after a different species of bat, and the music is often just as spooky as the titles imply. A completely different animal than the usual John Williams-style summer-blockbuster soundtrack, or even Danny Elfman's more left-of-center work, this score moves with all the stealth and intensity of a predatory beast, using droning cellos and throbbing synths to quietly worm its way into the most frightening corners of the listener's brain. While a few pieces ("Molossus," "Artibeus") make good use of dynamic passages more typical of a big action movie, in most instances things here build slowly but surely in the manner of the best minimalist classical works.