TURBULENCE 2: FEAR OF FLYING

DON DAVIS

Rating:

Original Review: Sometimes you sit and listen to a score and wonder just what on earth made them put it on CD. Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying is like that - over an hour's worth of synthesised action music which, without wanting to sound unkind to any of the parties involved in the film, has quite obviously only seen the light of day as a result of Don Davis's status as a soundtrack hot properly post-Matrix.

Don Davis is one of the most talented new composers in film music today. After wowing audiences with scores such as Warriors of Virtue, The Matrix and House on Haunted Hill, the fact that his work on this score is completely electronic might come as a surprise. However, we need to remember that Davis's roots are in the TV movie and straight-to-video markets (he didn't score his first major cinema feature until 1997), and he still has friends and colleagues in the lower reaches of Hollywood's pecking order. As sequel to the 1997 action thriller Turbulence which starred Ray Liotta, Turbulence 2 is fairly run of the mill action fare, featuring a plane load of people trying to cure their aerophobia (?) but who end up being hijacked by a gang of Czech terrorists instead. The film is directed by David Mackay, with whom Davis has worked twice before, and to whom he obviously owed a favour, and stars Tom Berenger, Craig Sheffer and Jennifer Beals.

So what can I say about the music? Well, it's a completely synthesised action score that sounds exactly how you imagine it would. To give him his due, Davis has managed to do a lot with his budget: the electronics are big and beefy, the depth and complexity of the arrangements is good, his gift for melody and pacing is as well developed as usual, and some of the rhythm kicks are pretty potent. The opening of the 'Main Title' actually sounds like something of a variation on Total Recall, especially in the use of the underlying ostinato. Later in the score, especially during '1st Turbulence' and others, Davis goes back into Goldsmith territory again, not so much mimicking scores like Executive Decision and Air Force one, but certainly capturing their tone and mood.

And then there are the "big" cues - especially 'Passengers Passed Out', 'Poker Kill & #2 Czech', 'Cockpit Fight & Phones', 'Board, 1st Chance', 'Flying Barrister' and the massive 8-minute 'Tarmac Showdown' - which increase in both volume and tempo, adding a touch of life and sparkle to the score. A couple of slower cues, notably 'Martin & Son', 'Mile High Jinx' and the conclusive 'Hug Wrap Up' see Davis at his most relaxed and lyrical, introducing an attractive "tender" theme for synth pianos. In both cases, I would love to have heard the net result had Davis had the time and budget to record these with live musicians.

Pacific Time Entertainment have obviously invested a lot of time and money in this project. It's their first release of an American score, having concentrated on European imports up until now. I just hope that, in future, they put together this kind of package for a score that deserves it. 72 minutes of fairly blah electronic action material is more than I can take in one go, although fans of the style are likely to be singing from the rafters. If their next release is a full-blown orchestral epic, I'll be singing a different tune entirely myself.

Track Listing: Running Time: 72 minutes 56 seconds

Pacific Time Entertainment PTE-8526 (2000)

Music composed, arranged and performed by Don Davis. Recorded and mixed by Larry Mah. Edited by Christine Luethje. Album produced by Don Davis.

Cinemusic Online
Filmtracks: Review by Christian Clemmenson (**)
Movie Wave
Score!
Scorelogue


Home Page | Reviews A-M | Reviews N-Z | Composers | Links

Movie Music U.K is designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton (c) 2000. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of the University of Sheffield. All photos and album artwork used on Movie Music U.K. are only for the non-profit making promotional purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.