MOVIE MUSIC UK

Original Review by Clark Douglas

Yikes, what on earth happened with this album? “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” may very well be the worst score that composer Hans Zimmer has ever been involved with (I hesitate to say “written”, as the score was created by the usual gang of Remote Control affiliates). The film is a sequel to the popular Dreamworks animated film “Madagascar”, which was also scored by Zimmer and co.

That disappointing album featured some pleasant yet insubstantial scoring alongside some dull pop songs and a nice performance of John Barry’s “Born Free”. That album was bliss compared to what Zimmer has produced this time around. Things actually start out well enough, with a typical little action piece called “Once Upon a Time in Africa”. The score never hits that level of satisfactory banality again.

Zimmer works together with hip-hop artist will.i.am to create some incredibly irritating pop songs. “Big and Chunky” is just about the most appalling thing I have heard all year, and I would lose no sleep if I never heard “I Like to Move It” ever again. Zimmer also supplies obnoxious versions of Ennio Morricone’s “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” theme and the old standard “New York, New York”. Things don’t improve when the original score cues actually do appear. Pieces such as “Volcano” and “Rescue Me” rely on uninspired orchestrations and tired dance beats.

The whole thing just reeks of laziness. After sitting through all of this, the last thing I need to hear is Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”, but that’s exactly what you get, along with Boston’s “More Than a Feeling”. What a wretched album of music. Unforgivably uninspired material, easily the worst soundtrack written for any major animated film of recent years.

Rating: *

Track Listing:

• Once Upon a Time in Africa (3:50)
• The Traveling Song (performed by will.i.am) (3:25)
• Party! Party! Party! (3:31)
• I Like To Move It (performed by will.i.am) (3:41)
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (0:52)
• Big and Chunky (performed by will.i.am) (3:21)
• Chums (2:16)
• New York, New York (1:30)
• Volcano (2:50)
• Rescue Me (3:36)
• More Than a Feeling (performed by Boston) (4:45)
• She Loves Me (1:43)
• Foofie (2:39)
• Copacabana (At The Copa) (performed by Barry Manilow) (4:06)
• Monochromatic Friends (2:59)
• Best Friends (performed by will.i.am) (2:25)
• Alex On The Spot (1:58)

Running Time: 49 minutes 27 seconds

Interscope B001226402 (2008)