Soundtrack Review: Paul (2011)
| Reviewer: JØrn Tillnes |
Paul Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the motion picture score Paul by David Arnold.
"Paul is way too short, it's like Rango without the annoying bits."
Simon Pegg and David Arnold teams up for a comedy called Paul. Two british comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51. Silly movie = silly score? Greg Mottola, the director has used different composer every time, but perhaps, veteran David Arnold get ready to show musical skills of alien proportions. As Arnold is getting ready for Bond 23, he finds time to fit Paul into his busy schedule.
Track List
| 1. Paul Opening Sequence | **** |
| 3. Road Trip Number 1 | *** |
| 5. Passport | *** |
| 6. Road Trip Number 2 | **** |
| 8. Window Shopping | *** |
| 10. End of the Road Trip | *** |
| 12. Campfire Confessions | **** |
| 14. A Little Talk With Paul | **** |
| 16. Chase | **** |
| 18. You Gotta Try | **** |
| 19. 1st Contact | ***** |
| 21. Goodbye (It's a Little Awkward | ***** |
Arnold & Pegg
He knows how to pick them, David Arnold. He is one of those composers who can score just about anything. In the adventure / comedy / sci-fi movie Paul he re-joins Simon Pegg for another quirky comedy.
Arnold has been doing his fair share of comedy scores, but it's fair to say that it is his adventurous sci-fi scores that gets all the attention. If you add comedy into the mix the end result might be unexpected.
David Arnold's contributions on this soundtrack is about 21 minutes with the bulk going to artists like ELO, B-52's and Todd Rundgren. Still, 21 minutes is probably a good length for a short, but interesting score.
Road Trip
David Arnold keeps it pretty safe for the most part, but he doesn't let that ruin his fun in some tracks. In 'Paul Opening Title' he has a little fun with the classic sci-fi scores while in the campy 'Road Trip Number 1' he goes all Americana on us that continues into 'Road Trip Number 2' but adds some sci-fi into the mix.
The best cues are '1st Contact' and 'Goodbye (It's a Little Awkward)' that shows what a melodic composer Arnold can be. Specially 'Goodbye (It's a Little Awkward) has some wonderful teary moments as he goes all orchestral on us with this piece that sounds like it could be in the Oscar ceremony itself.
What I would have loved to hear is more like 'Paul Opening Title' that pokes fun at the old sci-fi scores. That would set this score apart, especially if you mix it with a great melody or two. And please, more of the road trip sound. Even though it wasn't my favorite cue (I went traditional), I still think it's pretty good and unique. The best cues '1st Contact and 'Goodbye (It's a Little Awkward)' are much more traditional and they are definitely a crowd pleaser.
Conclusion
Paul is way too short, it's like Rango without the annoying bits. It has way too much potential to be just 21 minutes of score. Still it's a somewhat entertaining 21 minutes of Americana mixed with a fun dash of sci-fi. It's probably not going to end up on people's greatest score list, but as an David Arnold fan, I'll definitely add it to my collection and so should you.
CUE RATING: 78.3
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Listen to the Paul soundtrack by David Arnold below:
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