Everybody here knows James' string of Disney films he did from 2000-2003: Dinosaur, Atlantis and Treasure Planet. Dinosaur hit like a bomb and Atlantis was also received very well in general. But strangely Treasure Planet was not received very well, only 3 stars with reviews wasn't an exception.

I think it's very very strange, Treasure Planet has a very good grand heroic theme (that shines especially in the first few tracks). Maybe one of his best heroic themes after Waterworld. It also has a lot of strong emotional moments and grand climaxes. I must admit that it took a while to grow on me because of its complexity, but now I think it's at least on par with Dinosaur and Atlantis and that it has even better action music. It's really a superb score and I just can't stop playing it! :D

I say it's WAY underrated!! :what:

:music: - Treasure Planet

I totally agree, the sheer energy of Treasure Planet is incredible. It's so exciting! :yahoo: I would also put the theme up there with JNH's best. All together a great score!

Treasure Planet is such a great score :) . It is underrated in my opinion but I have to admit that Dinosaur and Atlantis The Lost Empire are better. Still Treasure Planet has a lot to offer: great action music and some emotional moments. Silver Leaves is my favorite track. I think is one of best cue Howard ever wrote. What I don't like in Teasure Planet is that music changes direction too often (but this is because of what happens in the movie, after all this is an animated movie). This is a score that requires multiple listenings. Maybe this score doesn't reach the beauty of Atlantis The Lost Empire, but it is so entertaining. My rating is ****/*****.

Treasure Planet is simply my favorite JNH ! I was immediately touched by its grandeur (Jim's theme), softness (Silver/Jim relationship melody), and the furious action (the fight with Srubs, wow !). The mix of traditional celtic instruments with the Korngoldesque "pirate" orchestral music is truly a magical idea !
Since the CD was released, TP has become one of the few CDs that I can't stop playing again and again ! And the 2 songs are also great, from two rock bands I love (Goo Goo Dolls and BBMak).

BTW, here's for the fans the movie version of 12 years later (right click and save as) that contains stronger electric guitars (I love the use of guitars in Treasure Planet !!)

That's one of the things what's so good about TP. The constant shifting is what it makes it extra complex. There is so much going on. I love that. Good for the brains! :D A result is also that it never gets boring. You can play it again and again.

Junior is also such a score. With Dave before that I found it a bit disappointing at that time, but now I love it even more than Dave. Junior is really EXTREMELY underrated. You should listen to it often to see its beauty.

Like I said, it was my first JNH score I bought in CD and the reason why I rented the DVD.
The Elctric Guitars is the only thing I don't "agree" with. They simply don't belong in a movie about Pirates in Space. :/
But apart from that I think the main theme is fantasic.
As is the entire score. You jsut can't stop smiling and jumping for joy.
But that might have to do with the fact, that I love pirates/swashbuckling/adventure/seafaring/ect. filmmusic above all other genres.

And by the way: I think it's fair to compare this score to Sinbad.
I like it much better then Sinbad, wich is kind of overrated, since once the -magnificent but not half as sophisticated as TP's- Main Theme get's annoying (which happens about the 3rd time you listen to the album), you can basically through away the score since it has no other basis than that.

EDIT:

I forgot to mention that it's really difficult to listn to Treasure Planet because of all the spray of the sea that flys into your face.... ;)

I don't agree, the guitars correspond to the teenage/rebel aspect of Jim. Electric guitar is an ideal cool sound to underline the solar surfing and it is an echo to the central song by John Rzeznick which is just awsome ! As TP is not a period movie, guitar is allowed anyway...

I also don't have a problem at all with the guitars. James blended it perfectly with the symphonic music and it suits the rebellious nature of Jim.

Out of JNH's Disney animated/CGI pics Treasure Planet is nestled right in the center.

Dinosaur
Treasure Planet
Atlantis - The Lost Empire

Great stuff. I just wish there wasn't so much campy kids crap on it.

Justin - Who thinks that's the weakness of the Atlantis album and the strength of the Dinosaur album.

I agree that the use of the guitar is fine. Someone said it did not fit a movie about space. Come on it's a cartoon. When was the last time you saw a boat flying in space and people surfing in space, etc. I think Dinasour is the best of the three animated films (as it goes for music), but I do like the music of Atlantis as well. :music:

I think "Treasure Planet" is WAY underrated. I love that score! Especially track 16: "Jim Saves The Crew"; awesome JNH action music. I'd rate it 4 out of 5 stars and I think it's just a little better than "Atlantis: The Lost Empire", but that's just my opinion of course.

Dennis

Treasure Planet is the only one of JNH's Disney scores I have, and I really enjoy it. I do think that it languishes occasionally in the middle, getting caught up in mickey mousing and "silly" music. I love the main theme and some of the more tender moments though, but I haven't delved into as much as I should. It's interesting to read how people rate the Disney scores.

Ray Barnsbury

There's a new review for Treasure Planet for anyone interested, here

http://www.soundtrack.net/soundtracks/database/?id=3291

I like this score too...But I prefer Dinosaur and Atlantis The Lost Empire because:
1. There are spome Pop-songs and I think There should be a promo of the score...
2. I cannot enjoy this score a long time, because I missed some pieces used in the film.

It's really underrated but in my opinion it shouldn't be too overrated then Dinosaur - my ranking looks like this:
1.Dinosaur
2.Treasure Planet
3.Atlantis The Lost Empire

I also like Track 16 Jim saves the Crew and the "Perfect Storm"-temp-track 12 Years Later.....

Mine would be exactly the same ;)

Dennis

Dinosaurs ROCKS!!!!

I listen to Across The Desert 1000 times since 3 days..
I love this score!!!

I have too much question about this to ask James :music:

Here's my opinion: Treasure's theme is more POWERFUL than Atlantis.

Hmm... I don't know it's hard to beat The Crystal Chamber from Atlantis.

Well, Crystal Chamber is the most dramatic track from Atalantis. We can feel a spiritual thing while you listen to tha track.

Just thought I should bump this one up because i heard it for the first time today.

A really nice adventure score with a cool theme. Oddly, I have been listening to Cutthroat Island before and noticed some nods to that in James score. But the orchestration was the real highlight. I liked the use of fiddle and e-guitar and the swashbuckling yet futuristic sound of it.

That one is definitely a keeper.

What is your favorite cue?

Cool to see you like it MacG. But I assure you, this complex score will grow even more on you in time.

"Jim Saves The Crew" is probably my favorite track.

"Silver Leaves" is my favorite cue.

"12 Years Later" was nice but "Silver Leaves", too. Actually everything with the main theme. There was even one cue which reminded me of Kong but overall i find this score has a very unique sound compared to Jame's other adventure scores.

This is one of the best animation scores ever. Exciting action and some beatuiful string and whistle writing in the 'Silver' tracks. My favourite cues are the last two, 'Jim Saves The Crew' and 'Silver Leaves'. I have to give this another listen... right now.

Great idea to revisit this score! It's still one of my absolute favorites!

I love the action wirting, like in the second part of Billy Bones, and in regards to recent discussions on the King Kong score, I think this is the perfect example of what I miss in Kong. You can hear several themes and motifs counterplaying and it's wonderful orchestrated and doesn't resort to pure power in terms of sc

My favorite track is still "The Launch". From the first notes, you just feel like you're out on the seas and the wind is blowing in your face! :) The heroic theme is so wonderful orchestrated, it's got to be one of my favorite cues of all times.
The last two tracks are also absolute highlights and wonderful to listen to.

NP: Treasure Planet

I'm listening to it right now and I just love that touch of celtic JNH gave this score. Brilliant :up:

After reading this thread I decided that I needed to read the reviews on www.amazon.com

Most of the reviews are good,but one person gave it a 3/5 and said this,

"It's not a bad score, it's an average score, and that's something I never want to hear from John Newton Howard again."

Something tells me he will never hear an average score from "John" Newton Howard again.

By the way, I'm going to get the King Kong soundtrack really soon, but I need to get one more soundtack if I want the free super shipper saving. Any suggestions?

mission impossible 3 - the very newest score i think
planet of the apes! - you can chose between original goldsmith or remake elfman. though the scores seem to be very different. i dont have elfmans pota but i saw the film. very dark music indeed and goldsmiths is very creative
the wild - the newest silvestri cd
enemy at the gates - my favourite horner score
merlin - great trevor jones score, just "age of magic" makes the money worth it ;)

Though I like both Atlantis and Dinosaur, Treasure Planet stands higher than those two not only because it's the VERY first score I bought from James Newton Howard, but also, surprising as it might sound, it was first the movie that I watched on DVD. :D

The score is amazing but there is nothing like the track 'Silver Leaves'. James is the master of emotional cues. :music:

Yes, this is what I love the most, emotional music. For me James is the best when it comes to emotional music.

Dude, Treasure Planet is an awesome score. I listen to that one a lot too. I love the movie, too, although it pretty much failed.

I was browsing Soundtrack Collector's database and I came across a "Walt Disney Records PRO-CD #03MS50100" listed for Treasure Planet. No tracklisting or cover so far and judging what I've seen from Disney it's very hard to predict what it has. I mean, Dinosaur had a rather short promo whereas Atlantis got the full score on the FYC CD. Now does anyone know anything about this Treasure Planet FYC album, like tracklisting or that whether or not its contents differ from the scores that were released on the mass-market Disney album?

If it was some sort of expanded album, i am sure emile would be aware of it and would have included it in his discography section. At least i am sure that it cant contain any additional material because that would have already made the round among fans. So I dont think this is any different to the official release.

Yeah... I think you're right about that. I asked the same question on Soundtrack Collector and someone replied back, saying pretty much the same thing. Ah well...

Yes, I think so too.

I found what was claimed to be the complete score to JW's The Patriot, but I knew it couldn't be real because even though it's not his most popular score, it would be around and known by now if it was.