WaterTower Music releases the soundtrack to James Gunn's new Superman movie, featuring music from composers John Murphy and David Fleming. Gunn turned to longtime collaborator Murphy, who introduced sweeping new themes for Lois and Clark and Lex Luthor, while reimagining John Williams' iconic Superman melody with a striking electric guitar arrangement. Fleming later joined the project, contributing bold new orchestral arrangements of the Williams theme alongside fresh, character-driven motifs for the Justice Gang, the Daily Planet, and Krypto...

While obviously not as iconic as John Williams' original soundtrack for the 1978 Superman movie, John Murphy and David Fleming deliver a score that is suitable for a more modern audience. Whilst I appreciate, and even smiled in appreciation, at the reworking of William's original theme on a few tracks, I couldn't help being disappointed that Murphy and Fleming didn't deliver a main theme of their own... Well, at least not one that felt like they'd tried to compose a strong focal piece for the movie. Whilst we do get interesting themes for Justice Gang, the Daily Planet and Krypto, there was no "main" theme to speak of.

Discussing the music, Murphy says: "From the start, James [Director James Gunn] and I knew we wanted to honour Superman’s legacy while creating something bold and new. There’s such purity in the character, and I wanted that reflected in the music - noble, orchestral, timeless, while still finding moments to experiment and push the boundaries."

Fleming adds: "There’s a deep emotional core to this Superman, and musically it was about tapping into that humanity. Reimagining the iconic theme while building new ones. From The Daily Planet to the Justice Gang, it was a chance to explore his world in a way that felt classic and completely fresh."

Pieces like 'Metropolis' offer a sweet, stripped back feel. Likewise, the subtle 'Walking on Air' adds a layer of sweet, reflective melancholy. Elsewhere, 'Intruders' and 'The Message' add a layer of suspense and mystery.

The score contains 33 tracks (1 hr, 16 min, 41 sec) and also includes the songs '5 Years Time' by Noah And The Whale; 'Punkrocker' by Teddybears and 'The Mighty Crabjoys Theme' by The Mighty Crabjoys.

Whilst an enjoyable listen, with some interesting themes, I couldn't help feeling this was something of a missed opportunity. It doesn't feel as rich and memorable as I was expecting from a Superman adventure.

7

Darren Rea