In a follow-up to the original Fantastic Four film, John Ottman returns to score the "Rise of the Silver Surfer," a sequel that offers a classic new villian to the film franchise that debuted on the big screen in 2005.  Ottman's music in the preceding installment was much like the film itself -- campy and fun, representing the true markings of a Marvel comic.  While it was certainly enjoyable to listen to, it wasn't an epic type of score.  What he's done in the sequel, however, has just raised the stakes.   

 

In Fantastic Four 2, what jumps out first and foremost is that Ottman delivers a marvelous new theme for this film, which is written to represent the Silver Surfer.  I submit that it's Ottman's finest work to date and very well might be the best musical representation of a character that we've heard in a comic book film. What makes it so special (to me at least) is that the theme only gets better upon repeating listens and doesn't feel tiresome at all.  John Williams is great at writing themes that become stronger in repeat listens and this Silver Surfer theme is very much like that.  So much so that it became addictive and made me crave an encore listen on multiple occassions.

 

Furthermore, the theme  is as bold as it is melodic, with menacing counterpoints mixed in to represent the ominous overtones associated with the character. It's not developed as an anthem, per se, but it is offered up in the first track as a type of 'suite.'    By having this as the opening track, it also paves the way for usage later in the score which helps the music relate.  One final point about this piece of work is that the theme really gives one a sense of flight as well, which is key since we know the Surfer comes from above.  Everything clicked for me with this.

 

All these accolades so far and still no mention of the main theme from the first film?!  Well, that is also represented on this score, and rather healthily I might add.  The campy notes add to the continuity of the franchise, which I believe might be Ottman's first pass at scoring a sequel.  In a 2006 interview on ScoreNotes, he had mentioned how enthusiastic he was about returning to an existing body of work to develop the material.  Well, he has certainly done that, and then some, with this effort.

 

Another positive note about this album is that there is no overkill with any of the thematic content.  While some composers might have ceaselessly repeated the melodies, Ottman is balanced enough to write a suitable underscore and use the main statements only when appropriate. There are also a couple of light, friendly action cues that are worth mentioning as well, including a very fun sequence of music in track 5 that uses the choir effectively.  So you see, there is more to this album than just one theme!

 

In hearing what John Ottman has accomplished with this score, it only makes me anticipate a follow-up to "Superman Returns" next. In the meantime, he's given the soundtrack community a fantastic, epic theme with the Silver Surfer and beyond that, a very entertaining score with Fantastic Four 2.  This is an absolute recommendation.