This week's Criticwire survey was a fun one: "Lousy Film, Great Soundtrack." The correct answer, of course, is Tron: Legacy, which has a transcendent score composed by Daft Punk and a decidedly underwhelming film. Several of the critics answered thusly. But you could also have answered "Anything by Joseph Kosinski," as the director of Tron: Legacy's other film, Oblivion, fits neatly into this rubric as well.
The soundtrack for Oblivion by M83 is pretty amazing: Opening with a few somber piano notes, strings rising in the background, we are prepped for a story of loss and solitude. The next track, "Waking Up," feels something like a mixture of Hans Zimmer's theme for Dark Knight through the lens of Vangelis' Blade Runner score: synth and strings swell to provide a sensation of epic intensity.
We even get an Inception BRAHHHM at the three-minute mark. I like it. I like it a lot.
The whole thing is worth listening to. What makes it kind of frustrating is that there are no visual elements that are anywhere near as satisfying. In many ways, Oblivion is an even less satisfying film than Tron: Legacy. At least with that film there were a few solid, memorable set pieces. All I can really remember from Oblivion is Tom Cruise standing around looking at stuff and being lectured at by Morpheus* Morgan Freeman.
Ah well. Maybe he'll get it right with the next Tron flick. And even if he doesn't, hopefully Disney ponies up whatever Daft Punk asks for to get them to come back. Because Tron 3: The Tronnening without Daft Punk sounds truly dreadful.
*Are we allowed to talk about how this is essentially a beat-for-beat ripoff of The Matrix yet? No? Okay, maybe later.