John Powell X-Men: The Last Stand Soundtrack CD

Composer: John Powell .
Personnel: John Powell (programming); Beth Andersen, Jennifer Barnes, Clydene Jackson, Luana Jackman, Monique Donnelly, Kathryn Bostic, Karen Whipple, Christy Crowl, Cindy Bourquin, Mary Hylan Cain, Donna Davidson Medine, Joanna Bushnell, Virenia Lind, Ilana Marks, Melissa MacKay, Sheri Izzard, Christine Guter, Deborah Scott, Amy Fogerson, Jeannine Wagner, Edie Lehmann Boddicker, Angie Jaree, Teri Koide, Aleta Braxton, Linda Harmon, Sally Stevens, Scottie Haskell, Beth Anderson , Elin Carlson, Bobbi Page (vocals); Marcia Dickstein, Katie Kirkpatrick (harp); Eun Mee Ahn, Bruce Dukov, Roger Wilkie (violin); Brian Dembow, Thomas Dienner, Andrew Duckles (viola); Giovanna Clayton, Paul Cohen , Steve Erdody (cello); Steve Kujala, Heather Clark, Dave Shostac (flute); Dan Higgins, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Josh Ranz (clarinet); David Weiss (oboe); Rose Corrigan, Kenneth E. Munday (bassoon); Jon Lewis, Harry Kim, Rick Baptist (trumpet); Mark Adams , Nathan Campbell, Jim Thatcher (French horn); Alan Kaplan, Alexander Iles, Charles Loper (trombone); Doug Tornquist, John Van Houten, Jim Self (tuba); Doug Petty (piano, celesta); Richard Feves, Drew Dembowski, Ed Meares (bass instrument); Mike Fisher , Wade Culbreath, Robert Zimmitti (percussion); John Ashton Thomas, James McKee Smith (programming); Joan Beal (vocals).
Audio Mixer: Shawn Murphy.
Liner Note Author: Brett Ratner.
Recording information: The Newman Scoring Stage, Twentieth Century Fox.
Arranger: John Powell .
Composer John Ottman helmed the baton for the X-Men franchise after the death of original maestro Michael Kamen and John Powell (United 93, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) took the reigns for the third installment, so it comes as no surprise that the myriad of themes introduced can be a bit much. Ottman gave the series some heft on X-Men 2 with his use of choirs and more than a little Mozart, a style adopted by Powell for X-Men: The Last Stand. Taking a cue from the sweeping and occasionally majestic Spider Man theme, Powell brings the weighty mythology of the beloved DC Comic to an audible level, upping the choral aspects, all the while paying homage to the previous composers themes -- the inclusion of the weighty Dark Phoenix character demands a bit of gravitas. X-Men: The Last Stand is first and foremost the soundtrack to a bombastic summer blockbuster, and detractors of the genre will find little to sway them here, but it's a well-done piece of excess that deserves more than a smattering of applause. ~ James Christopher Monger