By Mark Sung Feb 24, 2005, 0:09 GMT
The score begins rather surprisingly, as in the movie, with 'The Littlest Elf' theme. With its introductory giggle and over-cheerful singing, the track gives the listener a false sense of what kind of score they can expect. The theme, which isn't heard again in full until the track 'Loverly Spring,' abruptly switches to a darker theme which better fits the name of the track 'The Bad Beginning.'
Whilst the themes used are lively and generally fun to listen to, there isn't a particularly strong main signature theme which really represents the movie. Apart from the theme used for the children, which is introduced in the tracks 'The Baudelaire Orphans' and 'Resilience,' there aren't many themes that are carried throughout the score.
Each theme that Thomas Newman creates has its own unique character, which helps to mirror the different people that the Baudelaire children meet during the movie. The second track 'Chez Olaf' reflects the evil scheming character of Count Olaf. With its unsteady rhythm and creepy sounding melodies the track conveys the strange and unpleasant nature of the character.
In contrast, the busy track 'The Reptile Room' is warm and exotic, whereas the 'Concerning Aunt Josephine' theme is very steady and controlled. Moments of suspense and action are tackled in tracks such as 'An Unpleasant Incident Involving A Train' and 'Hurricane Herman.'
The theme introduced in 'Resilience' is concluded in the track 'The Letter That Never Came' which features an emotional theme performed by a piano solo and an accompaniment of strings.
The score comes to an end with the upbeat track 'Drive Away' which sounds interesting at first but eventually seems a little repetitious after five minutes.
Although there are a few moments in the score where the tracks are a little quiet, overall the score is well balanced and has enough good material in it to hold your attention until the end. There are a few times when the themes remind you of Thomas Newman's previous work on Six Feet Under and the score to Finding Nemo.
Although some people may find the score's running time a little long, with 29 tracks covering the scenes from the movie, there's definitely enough material in the score to keep fans of the movie satisfied. Overall, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a fun score with themes that have enough mystery and character to keep you interested.
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