About the Soundtrack: As we get closer to ushering in the spring movie season, Walt Disney's "The Race to Witch Mountain" premieres on March 13th and features an original score by composer Trevor Rabin. The soundtrack, currently available on iTunes as of the film's week of release, is comprised of three songs and sixteen score tracks. The material by Rabin makes up for about 45 minutes of the soundtrack's length. The three songs are stacked at the head of the album thus the score runs without an interruption thereafter.
What You Need to Know: This is another trap score. As I foolishly do so often, I perceived that the music for "The Race to Witch Mountain" would be a lively and vibrant adventure piece given the story's fantasy elements. What I heard instead from Trevor Rabin is material that ties in more closely with offerings from a generic production music library than that of a promising blockbuster. This one is a clear disappointment.
Rabin's score, and I say this with no disrespect intended, sounds like it is dated back to the 1980s. There is a cheap, electronic persona that the music displays and it's quite difficult to get involved with. Whether this was an intentional ploy or not, it simply doesn't work. While I had hoped Rabin might come close to the thematic promise from a score like "Armageddon," he instead seems to regress in this outing and relies on a style that could fit into any generic film. Aside from flirting with a bit of sci-fi references on track 7, at no time did I feel like I was in the midst of a fantasy adventure while listening to this music. And getting back to the theme -- there is one heard early on but it's basic and uncomplicated. Needless to say, you won't tap into any type of a memorable anthem with this score.
Another element of the score that didn't work for me is the standard screeching electronic sound effect that I hear so often in scores. To me, and pardon the lack of a more eloquent description for it, this halting sound never adds any value to a production and is viewed by me as a short cut. Ultimately, though, the true downfall of this effort is the lack of a creative vision for the music. I didn't get any sense that the score was telling a story, rather, it simply felt as if it was filling gaps. Now I know Trevor is more talented than what he shows here but what he produces for 'Witch Mountain' is largely forgettable.
Final Score: A been there, done that syndrome for "Race to Witch Mountain." It's a score that lacks originality and subtlety, making it a trying listen. As I advise you to pass on this, I can only imagine what wonders could have been spun had classic composers like a Craig Safan or John Barry been on board to write this score.
