Welcome to a new feature at ComicsOnTheBrain.com,
wherein I take a look at the best soundtracks to use as background
music for your games — whether they’re video games or role-playing
games like Dungeons & Dragons, these selections will help you pick
and choose the best songs for your big battles and tense moments.
Why am I starting with this movie? I’ve long felt it was
underappreciated and perfect for gaming. I guess I just wanted to say
“Hey, check this one out!”
“THE SUM OF ALL FEARS”
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
This 2002 movie starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman pretty
much sealed the fate of the Jack Ryan flicks. “The Sum of All Fears”
drops a young Jack Ryan into a tense situation here on American soil.
His mission: Thwart a terrorist attack on a stadium.
The soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith mixes typical dramatic sounds with a tinge of patriotism.
Tracks 3 through 5 (“The Bomb”, “That Went Well” and
“Clear the Stadium”) are a great package with pounding drums and by the
end of the sequence settle into a nice “whew!” moment.
Track 7 (“The Deal”) has a great middle-eastern flavor.
Track 8 (“Changes”) has a bit of a haunting melody. Not “ghost haunting,” but perfect just a bit creepy.
Track 9 (“Snap Count”) fairly generic track here
with a slight bit of patriotic rumblings. Not that it’s bad, but
nothing terribly remarkable.
Track 10 (“His Name is Olsen”) nothing too special here either. A slight attempt at a creepy spurt of music, but it isn’t well defined.
Track 13 (“The Deserted Lab”) features a recurring noise that adds real tension along with throbbing horns.
Track 13 (“Real Time”) is the sequence that
fuels the film to its climax. “Real Time” has a vibe that reminds me of
horses dashing across a field.
Track 14 (“How Close?”) is quite lengthy and conveys a close shave with a hint of lingering danger.
Track 15 (“The Same Air”) reprises some of the themes
in the vocal features on the track. It’s meant to release some tension
that has built up.
Soundtrack recognizability: Very Low
Tracks to skip: 1, 2, 6, 11 and 16
Exterior review: http://www.soundtrack.net/soundtracks/database/?id=3194
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