01 Main Title

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Expanded Score) by James Horner.
© GNP Crescendo Records 1982

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Star
• Trek
• soundtrack
• score

[billstpor]

Up until the 80's and early 90's most sci-fi/adventure and even action movies considered the soundtrack as an integral part of the movie, usually with orchestral soundtracks. For some reason, in many of today's scifi/adventure/action movies they prefer loud, electronic/hip-hop/rock music that make them look like you are watching an MTV video instead.. sad. I bet that in 20-30 years few if anyone will bother listening to the OST of "The Matrix" for example, or even link it to the movie.

[NINJA4569]

I just saw this movie yesterday for my first time. I thought it was pretty awesome. This opening title theme totally blew me away.

[danny21uk]

Best Star Trek Movie of them all. I never forget a face.....MR....CHEKOVVVVVVV.

[RichardKleiner]

@billstpor The Matrix is a bad example. Don Davis score is perhaps the only good thing that came out of the sequels.

[GuillermoSTD]

@selatik1 I think the latter is probably truer between those two. Considering the obscene amounts of money given to the main actors, the equally obscene amounts of money reserved for CGI, or the money spent on marketing and promotion for the picture, I'd say the cost of hiring a decent composer and an orchestra has to be relatively cheap by comparison. Much more so if we are talking about $100-150M productions...

[selatik1]

@R8erNation636 No, it's SEAAAAAAAAAAAN!! :-)

[selatik1]

I saw 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' in the theater in 1982. As soon as the Main Title started to play, I just knew that the movie was going to be a really, really good — and I was right!

[selatik1]

@billstpor The main reason for the modern electronic & rock soundtracks is likely budgetary; symphony orchestras and composers are very expensive. Another possible reason is that young people today seem to be generally dumber than they were 30 years ago, and perhaps can't comfortably process symphonic music as well as could previous generations.

[selatik1]

"Really, Doctor, you must learn to govern your passions; they will be your undoing."

[Wedsheport]

@billstpor Hitchhikers Guide, Star Trek (2009), The Dark Knight (does that count as sci-fi?^^) and The Golden Compass have a great score in my opinion. But you're basically right, the Tron Legacy OST sucks for example.

[Carmen1995ful]

@billstpor it´s too bad that there are those soundtracks like you´ve explained... the orchestral intros are much better, full of emotions and not only one beat... they are changing... aw, just wonderful :) I like these orchestral versions more because I hate hip hop and other types of music that sounds that way... it doesn´t belong in a film...

[alaurel81]

one of the best pieces ever made....Star Trek rulz :D