About the Soundtrack: The gang is back. And after having made over $250 million at the box office, can you blame them? Well, the good news is, Battle of the Smithsonian appears to be an improvement over the first Night at the Museum installment. Better yet, the score has improved dramatically as well, too! Alan Silvestri is back to pick up where he left off, and this time, as I had hoped, there is a bit more room for him flesh out the score in this sequel. The soundtrack was released by Varese Sarabande on May 19th, and while it won't lure you in with a grand running time, the segments of Silvestri's magical, friendly palette will.
What You Need to Know: Alan Silvestri seemed to have a renewed vigor for this engagement. With this sequel, I am happy to report that his score for
Battle of the Smithsonian is a marked improvement over its predecessor and makes for a delightfully entertaining score. Some of the jarring stops and starts that plagued the preceding soundtrack have been eradicated, and though some of the tracks on here are brief as well, there is an assuredly better type of flow with the music this time out. It appears to me that there was an increased focus made to improving the musical transitions from one scene to the next. The end result is a more evenly balanced score.
Where this soundtrack earns its keep are the moments where the vintage Silvestri is on display. For instance, Gate to the Underworld is a brilliantly realized cue that harkens back to some of the best material in his The Mummy Returns score. Though just over a minute long, this cue felt like it had the legs of a suite. Escape in Wright Flyer, as another example, boasts a heroic, dashing melody that brought home a thematic touch that hasn't been heard elsewhere in 2009. There is also an overall adventurous ambition evoked by his work in total that will keep you engaged. Lets face it, in a museum with such a wide assortment of characters, it could have been easy for the musical approach to lose direction. Silvestri maintains a steady handle on it all, however.
In a summer mired with under whelming scores, this one steps up as a most welcome offering. Silvestri takes you on an expedited tour through many genres and many characters in this score, ensuring that each are duly represented without sacrificing any of the cohesiveness that the score required. The shining moments of this album truly represent Silvestri at his best, and in some cases, perhaps his very best!. For as exceptionally talented a composer that he is, I actually think he is getting better. Lets hope he doesn't join the long line of veteran composers who are relegated to sideline duty as the years go by because he is as formidable as ever. There are a good many examples in this score that is proof of that.
Final Score: Hats of to Alan SIlvestri! His Night at the Museum 2 offers a fun-filled romp that is varied yet evenly balanced. If you enjoyed Rupert Gregson-Williams' Bedtime Stories, or highlights of the first Night at the Museum, than you will enjoy a similar type of engagement with this score. A fun diversion!
