Mania Grade: B+
Reviewed Format: CD
Composer: Danny Elfman
Distributor: Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax CK 86681
Retail Price: $18.98

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SPIDER-MAN

Danny Elfman's score is just about the only thing that hasn't been unanimously praised about Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN movie. Early reviews on the Internet slammed it as "tuneless" with one reviewer going so far as to state, "There is literally NO THEME!" Well, aside from being a rather reckless use of the word "literal," that statement is incorrect. Yes, there IS a Spider-Man theme put out in the open for all to hear right at the beginning of the film, moving from an eerie, hinted-at four-note melody played by high strings to an accompanying seven note fanfare played by low brass before being picked up by the full orchestra. Hell, there's even a follow-up, ten note melody wrapping up the main title music that acts as a theme for Peter Parker's relationship with his Uncle Ben and the whole idea of "with great power comes great responsibility."

What some moviegoers seem to be reacting to is not the fact that there isn't a theme, but that it's not as catchy and in-your-face as one might prefer. In other words, something halfway between John Williams' SUPERMAN theme and Elfman's own BATMAN fanfare was required. The problem is, neither of those approaches would have worked for Spider-Man, who is neither an omnipotent being from another planet nor a mysterious multimillionaire playboyhe's just a kid from Queens who happens to be turned into a superhero by the bite of an unusual spider.

Elfman's theme emerges subtly, growing and swelling right in step with Peter Parker's growth both as a superhero and as a man. Elfman's approach is more psychological than declamatory, but it also captures the strange, hip vibe that makes Spider-Man unique among comic book heroes. Unlike the SUPERMAN or BATMAN themes, Elfman's SPIDER-MAN melody can play in a cool, urban mode that binds the webslinger to his environmenta very real New York City. Counterbalancing the Spider-Man material is Elfman's slithering, unpredictable Green Goblin theme, a dark waltz of pure madness that creeps underneath Norman Osborne's initial scenes of schizophrenic behavior and finally explodes in full, malevolent glory as the Goblin launches his final attack on Spider-Man on a New York City landmark bridge.

Elfman's score was sampled in an initial SPIDER-MAN "soundtrack" album that was loaded with songs; this score album condenses an 80-minute score to 45 minutes, truncating some of the action cues frustratingly. In particular, the Times Square showdown between Spidey and the Goblin ("Parade Attack") cuts out some of the tough fisticuffs music and "Final Confrontation" (a pet title Elfman always uses on his comic book style scores) likewise leaves out much of the climactic slugfest music for the wallcrawler's violent final face-off with the Goblin in an abandoned church. Elfman takes care to include at least a part of all the major action sequences, but one of the score's pivotal cues is MIAthe moment when an exultant Peter Parker climbs a wall for the first time and goes sprinting across the rooftops in full Steve Austin mode.

With current reuse fees being what they are, even a 45 minute orchestral album strains the budget of most record companies, so it's hard to complain about this albumwe got more score than we might have (and with a song album out, we're lucky to get a score album at all). But since Spidey is now one of the most successful box office movies ever, maybe it's not too much to hope that we'll get a complete version of Elfman's music some day.