When I had learned that Tim Burton and Danny Elfman had parted ways, I was needless to say, a little distraught. I took the news with the utmost grace and dignity. After two minutes of that foolish behavior I immediately locked myself in my room. There I stayed for months, or so my psychiatrist told me (it's a bit of a blur). Surviving on Ketchup and Mustard packets that were slipped under my door, and some McDonald's napkins for fiber, I sat on my bed and listened to every Burton/Elfman collaboration I owned. When the batteries in my discman wore out, I simply hummed every single track from memory. Some time later, while I was writing the word "Why?" in crayon, a thousand times on the wall, I heard about a movie - Mars Attacks! I also heard that Elfman and Burton were back together again. I emerged from my room, looking like Howard Hughes on a bad hair day, and sang songs of praises to the almighty powers above. I saw the movie, and it wasn't very good. I bought the soundtrack, and that wasn't very good. Result: total relapse.

Months passed, and a rumor spread that I was dead. Then I received a phone call from a friend. I answered the phone and proved that I was very much alive (my friend lost a bet of fifty dollars). A few days later, after my friend got over the fifty dollar loss, I received a second call from him. All was forgiven and he informed me of a new movie - Men in Black. I assumed it was a Burton film, after all, any movie with a bizarre plot, dark humor, supernatural events, alien pugs, and a giant cockroach on a homicidal rampage, smells of Burton. Therefore I also assumed Elfman composed the music. I was correct on one assumption: "Music by Danny Elfman". The director was Barry Sonnenfeld, the genius who gave us the Addams Family movies. I saw the movie, and it was very good. I bought the soundtrack, and that was good. Result: total cure! Thanks Mr. Elfman! Unfortunately my psychiatrist doesn't share my view on who's responsible for the cure. He's suing me for payment due, and I've filed a counter suit. We now speak through a thick wall of lawyers - but that's another story. . .

THE GOOD

Men in Black: The Score or Mars Attacks: Take Two, as I prefer to call it, is not an Elfman classic, but a solid score nonetheless. I was pleasantly surprised with this soundtrack, especially considering I haven't enjoyed Elfman's recent comedic scores. Mars Attacks made my ears bleed and lacked any sense of direction in the action department, The Frighteners wasn't creepy enough, and Flubber is great when listened to in small doses but becomes downright annoying in the long run. Men in Black was a breath of fresh air to my ears, and harkened back to the glory days of the zany Beetlejuice and the electric adventure of Mission: Impossible. Don't get me wrong, the score still contains some of those bad habits Elfman's picked up since the hiatus from Burton (for a full list - see my review of Mars Attacks), but there are many fantastic moments which should not be ignored.

The first moment which struck me the most was the opening title sequence (MIB Main Theme). The only words I can use to describe this track are funky, groovy, hip, far out, catchy, and rhythmic. I'm sure there are other sixties catch phrases I can find, but I don't have the time to look them all up. The segment is a classic Elfman opening title sequence. The various strings and bells are a fantastic backdrop to a space backdrop, and once again the music slowly builds until the main title is presented. From here on the theme becomes a roller coaster ride of immense proportions. The theme owes itself most to the sci-fi brass of Mars Attacks, the beat of Beetlejuice, and the electronic synthesized instruments of Mission Impossible. And yet the theme also has a James Bond quality to it. This combination whirls the listener through the surreal flight of a dragon fly through a dark desert. It was the perfect accompaniment, and yet also worked well as a working man's theme. It's fantastic driving music, working music, running music, - in fact, there's very little it can't be set against. What makes this theme further enjoyable is

the use of sci-fi oriented instruments that accompany the driving force. The problem I had with Mars Attacks was in part due to the overuse of sci-fi instruments. In Mars Attacks, Elfman's writing, and Bartek's orchestrations did not incorporate these strange sounds into the music as well as they should have. It is possible for them to use that effect well, such as the screeching strings used as "meows" in Catwoman's theme. In Mib, the sci-fi element is spared without it sounding like cheap, inserted sound effects. Here the unearthly sounds are used as tools, not the centerpieces of the score. In addition, the theme itself is universal. Kids, teenagers, and adults can all enjoy the music because the sound is hip, and yet not enough to scare off older people or sound like a musical cliché. That type of musical philosophy continues throughout most of the score, which allowed me to play it in front of my trendy friends without any complaints.

The second moment which struck me was the calm, heartfelt music of K's theme (K Reminisces). After the ridiculously loud Mars Attacks and wild action tracks of this score, it was nice to find some relaxing music. One again, the theme of agent K owes itself mostly to Mars Attack and perhaps Sommersby. With its slow beat and soft guitar, I was reminded of Richie's Speech from Mars Attacks. The theme itself serves its purpose as a small interlude to all of the comedic violence and strangeness in the picture. It even reminds the listener that agent K had a simple, country life before the chaos of MiB Organization.

On that note (no pun intended), the Morgue theme (Morgue Time) also worked well to portray the working climate. The section is simple, rhythmic, yet interesting enough to hold it's own when listened to out of the movie's context. While this may seem simple, anyone who has listened to "Looking for Job" on Mission: Impossible knows these slow themes can drag on into oblivion. Also worth recognizing is The Suit, which carries a nice MiB patriotic theme, and J Contemplates, which is the perfect "I'll think about it" track I've ever heard.

Credit should be given to another fantastic track: Petit Mort, which accompanied the death of the cute little green alien living inside of the human exoskeleton (I'm not going to even bother explaining, if you don't know what I'm talking about then: See the Movie!). At first, this track seemed fairly normal, but after watching the movie I realized something. There is something going on in the music that is much more deep and intentional then I ever imagined. Once again Elfman cleverly combines the unique with the traditional. Here he uses strange sounds to symbolize the alien itself, while using a trumpet which represents the present MiB agent, and combines it with the screeching strings that are reminiscent of the cat. A series of beats underscores this poor being's theme and stops right after the alien's last words. This creates an eerie, clinical, flat lining effect, as if the beats represented his heart. That type of clinical scoring fits incredibly well with the morgue setting and is a demonstration of what film music is all about.

There are other great moments on this CD, such as Orion's Belt. Elfman tributes Bernard Hermann once again with a series of choral stings that are reminiscent of The Day the Earth Stood Still. This accompaniment was perfect for displaying the awesome sight and wonder of a whole galaxy laid out in front of a human's eyes.

Last but not least is the fantastic finale. This single track replaced Batman (Finale) and Mars Attacks (End of Richie's Speech) as my all time favorite Elfman finale piece. Like Batman, it starts with a nice and slow resolution. In this case it was K's final theme which culminated into a heartwarming musical acceptance by agent J with strings and trumpets. Without fail the MiB theme crops up again, after a long absence, and leads directly into Elfman's best finale ever. The amazing thing about this finale is not only the sound of it, but the length. Just when I think the choir is going to stop, they keep going, and going, like an Energizer Bunny from hell. It is the perfect revealing piece for a revealing scene (in which planets become systems, systems become stars, stars become galaxies, ect.). Every time I listen to it, my ears pick up another element I hadn't heard before. Choir, bass, strings, trumpets, synthesized sounds, bells, and other elements form a medley that is as diverse as the galaxy itself, which I believe was the purpose. After the spectacular build up, the piece returns back to its roots with the MiB Main Theme. This time a choir underscores the short snippet, adding a creepy element to the surreal sight of an alien playing marbles with our worlds.

THE BAD AND THE UGLY

While MiB has some stunning moments, it also contains some less than exemplary material. I first hit a snag with the second track (Chase), which lacked any of the excitement of other Elfman chase scores such as Mission Impossible (Trouble) or Batman (Rescue/The Batmobile). The problem lies in Elfman's new action scoring philosophy: the action cues are no longer thematic, i.e. instead of pulling out segments of the main theme, increasing the tempo, and expanding on them; he merely writes cues that underscore the sound affects and totally disregard the main theme as a source. This can work when written properly, such as Mission: Impossible or Edward Scissorhands (Barber). Unfortunately, Chase doesn't work on any level, even in the context of the movie! The problem goes back to Mars Attacks and its overuse of wacky instruments. There are whole sections of Chase that are comprised of unearthly sounds and no music. Yet a scene which involves a NYPD officer pinning a suspect down, does not require any wacky alien noises. In the movie, these sounds were barely audible, and on the CD, they are merely annoying. I will give credit to Elfman for the final minute of the chase section. Here the sounds worked well with the creepy alien explaining his failure and blinking two sets of eyelids. But the ridiculously loud percussion in the opening ruins the track as a whole, and the otherworldly sounds aren't worth sifting through directionless brass.

Other problems with this score cannot be blamed solely on Mr. Elfman or Bartek. Like Batman Returns, MiB: The Score is a victim of MiB: The Movie. Elfman composed a score that fulfilled its purpose too well. Music that was great accompaniment during the movie, is far less spectacular to listen too on the CD. Case in point: the Bug's theme, (which can be heard in Edgar's Truck/A New Man, Orion's Belt/Cat Stinger, Sexy Morgue Babe/ Icon, and Take Off/Crash) is the perfect score for Edgar and the giant Bug. The orchestrations create a creepy crawly feeling while not betraying the clumsiness of the huge animal. Unfortunately this theme works only when set against the movie. Constant silences, stings, and rumbling drums indicate an action has happened, but we don't know what it is. The theme represented the slow, burly, clumsy, and creepy nature of the character's movements so well, that the score can only function when set against the scenes. Consistently dull slow motions, coupled with the infrequent silences and sudden bursts of percussion, with short intense spurts of action cues, made for an unpleasant listening experience. As with Mars Attacks, I constantly had to race to adjust the volume every minute or two. Yet that was the motion of the movie: jumping from scene to scene faster than a hyper kangaroo. That's fine, and I enjoyed the pace of the film, but listener's should not expect a linear thematic masterpiece such as Elfman usually pulls off.

On that note, the MiB theme, which ranks as one of the great comedy classic themes of the nineties, doesn't appear nearly as much as it should. Once again, Elfman has outdone himself in creating a moving, catchy theme that will not be forgotten. And yet it almost was. I could barely remember the theme as I stepped out of the cinema, and for a good reason. With the exception of the opening credits, The Suit, and Finale/End credits, the theme barely appears throughout the rest of the score. Inserting that theme anywhere should be a cakewalk. The rhythm matches any movement imaginable, be it walking, running, discharging a weapon, fighting, driving, ect. Yet, like Mars Attacks, another brilliant theme goes to waste and is replaced by nonlinear action cues.

Yes, there were great action cues in MiB, but they seemed to be hidden. Noisy Cricket is the best single action track on the CD, and uses sci-fi sounds and other synthesized sources very well. There is another great action cue in the middle of Sexy Morgue Babe/Icon, yet the listener has to sift through dull bug music to find it. This problem could of been corrected had various cues been split up instead of sown together. Sexy Morgue Babe/Icon could of been split into three separate tracks which would bypass having to sift through the loud bug music. And alas, the climax was disappointing. It was fantastic in the theater, but loud percussion, constant clanging, uneven rhythm, infrequent silences, and slow stings did not have quite as an exciting as Mission: Impossible did. There is one exception: a fantastic segment in which an electric piano accompanies agent J's courageous attempt to anger the bug. I enjoyed that little segment because I feel Elfman doesn't use nearly enough piano as he used to(and it sounded great!).

These problems were not as pronounced or frequent as Mars Attacks, which is why I liked this score better. Elfman seems to have reasserted himself as a comic composer especially with this movie. I sense the experimentation is drawing to a close and he is finally comfortable styling comedies again. In addition, this one raked in an Academy Award Nomination - not that an award from those aristocratic moguls actually means anything (we all know why Elfman was nominated, and I still consider him to be the people's composer).

If only the action music was better, I would have rated this score as an Elfman classic. Unfortunately there are too many problems to give this one a perfect rating. I feel that Mars Attacks and MiB have great moments and should be listened too by anyone who enjoys classic or modern sci-fi music. That is why I feel there should be a Mars Attacks and Mib compilation CD, which includes the best tracks of both scores. Alas, I can only dream though. . .(Let's hope there will be a Music for a Darkened Theater III)

This is a solid score which has a lot to offer Elfman fans and sci-fi fans alike. Unfortunately some maybe turned off by the pointless action music and the annoying bug theme, which worked well in the film, but not the CD. Yet these problems do not outweigh the pure fun and groovy tone that the score delivers. Overall, a worthy score that is less satirical then Mars Attacks, but certainly much more entertaining!