Godzilla 2 Composer Announced: Bear McCreary

[GuardianGhido]

I love the ominousness of Ghidorah's theme, The Classic Ifukube for Godzilla's theme, The sense of wonder and something that can only be described as "Mothra vibes" from Mothra's theme and heartwrenching feels at

Spoiler:

Key to Coexistance and Goodbye Old Friend.

Overall, this may be the one of the greatest soundtracks for a Godzilla movie I've heard.

[GojiDog]

Music has always been an important part of Godzilla's tradition and living up to that legacy can be tough. I actually really liked Desplat's score in 2014, and in most other movies, it would probably work great, but for many fans, it didn't live up to expectations for Godzilla.

Bear needed to hit a home run...

And he did more than hit a home run. He hit a grand slam!

BTW, did anybody else get an "Execute Order 66" vibe from the mass awakening track and even the scene in the film?

[GuardianGhido]

Music has always been an important part of Godzilla's tradition and living up to that legacy can be tough. I actually really liked Desplat's score in 2014, and in most other movies, it would probably work great, but for many fans, it didn't live up to expectations for Godzilla.

Bear needed to hit a home run...

And he did more than hit a home run. He hit a grand slam!

BTW, did anybody else get an "Execute Order 66" vibe from the mass awakening track and even the scene in the film?

For me, order 66 was started as soon as Ghidorah was free. Even if he didn't have an army of titans at his disposal, he alone would scour the earth of its life, truly what King Ghidorah is meant to be.

[MegaEvilSaurus666]

Music has always been an important part of Godzilla's tradition and living up to that legacy can be tough. I actually really liked Desplat's score in 2014, and in most other movies, it would probably work great, but for many fans, it didn't live up to expectations for Godzilla.

Bear needed to hit a home run...

And he did more than hit a home run. He hit a grand slam!

BTW, did anybody else get an "Execute Order 66" vibe from the mass awakening track and even the scene in the film?

He did a great job with the material. I like Rodan's theme here, as simple as it is when compared to Ghidorah's. There's an animalistic, chaotic feel to the track that fits very nicely with this version of Rodan.

Ghidorah's theme is great. I just wish we heard it more in the film.

The Godzilla Main Title track is fantastically put together, really adding excitement, but it's relegated to the end credits. It would have worked so well in a title sequence similar to what older Toho and MonsterVerse movies did. If there's one thing Dougherty could have paid homage to, it would have been that. I don't buy the reasoning that opening credits and titles are "outdated." So many films do it. If I recall correctly, that's why we didn't get one.

I think the Mothra theme is great, but wow, it's just assigned to the credits. So many people left before the credits started, or as they heard the Blue Oyster Cult cover. It's a shame that they missed this one.

I think the weakest in the soundtrack is the Blue Oyster Cult cover featuring Serj Tankian. Not a fan of his voice, and it would have been better left later in the credits, not immediately after the closing scene. The lyrics contradict this Godzilla's behavior, so I don't know. Felt too much fan service from it.

Now, I wouldn't disrespect Desplat's score. I honestly would have liked to hear his Godzilla theme in this movie. It just worked better with this Godzilla (along with the 2014 roar). I mean, those things were tailored for Legendary's Godzilla. For me, they're near synonymous with the design, like Michiru Oshima's compositions in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Tokyo SOS.

[Spuro]

A bit of Mothra's theme plays during the cocoon scene.

[GuardianGhido]

Did anyone pick up that a part of the theme for this Serizawa's sacrifice, The Key to Coexistance sounded a LOT like the theme for the 1954 Serizawa's sacrifice, Gojira Under the sea? Listen to This and this and tell me you can't see the similarities. Bear Mcreary, you have truly created a masterpiece of a soundtrack.

[MegaEvilSaurus666]

A bit of Mothra's theme plays during the cocoon scene.

Yes, I'm not ignoring that, but the full track is played during the credits. It's an amazing piece that many people who left didn't even hear.

[NateZilla10000]

I think the Mothra theme is great, but wow, it's just assigned to the credits. So many people left before the credits started, or as they heard the Blue Oyster Cult cover. It's a shame that they missed this one.

Not only is the full track in the end credits, but the full track plays during her awakening from the cocoon.

The end credits actually seems to be what it was for 2014 as well: an amalgamation of the director/composer's favorite tracks. They don't have a unique end credits recording.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

I like the more tribal feel to the Mothra theme here. Once again the score barely registered to me in the film. It was largely drowned out by everything else going on. To be honest the only time the score stood out to me was when the Ifukube pieces played. The MonsterVerse really needs to play up the music more.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I really loved the soundtrack, I think it did a great job of showing how many of the Godzilla theme`s are timeless. I liked the new music as well.

Also I wonder what would happen if you put Persecution of the Masses, or Black Angels over the Rodan scene.

[MegaEvilSaurus666]

I think the Mothra theme is great, but wow, it's just assigned to the credits. So many people left before the credits started, or as they heard the Blue Oyster Cult cover. It's a shame that they missed this one.

Not only is the full track in the end credits, but the full track plays during her awakening from the cocoon.

The end credits actually seems to be what it was for 2014 as well: an amalgamation of the director/composer's favorite tracks. They don't have a unique end credits recording.

Once again the score barely registered to me in the film. It was largely drowned out by everything else going on. To be honest the only time the score stood out to me was when the Ifukube pieces played. The MonsterVerse really needs to play up the music more.

I basically didn't need to say anything here. Tyrant_Lizard_King summed it up nicely. You can barely take time to hear and appreciate the tracks in this movie. They're so quite sometimes.

Also, I like how that's the only thing you commented on. Not the Main Title track part or anything.

[NateZilla10000]

I basically didn't need to say anything here. Tyrant_Lizard_King summed it up nicely. You can barely take time to hear and appreciate the tracks in this movie. They're so quite sometimes.

Also, I like how that's the only thing you commented on. Not the Main Title track part or anything.

I disagree completely. The soundtrack was very loud and booming in the theatre I went to. Ifukube's tracks were stand outs of course because we all know them by heart, but McCreary's original works like with Rodan and Ghidorah are also quite memorable.

Besides, the Mothra cocoon moment wasn't loud in its sound effects at all. The music took precedent in sound design for that scene it seemed; the choir overtook all the sound effects apart from Mothra's call at the very end.

And as for Godzilla's theme, though the main title track specifically was only played during the end credits, his theme appears all over the soundtrack and all over the movie. So I don't really see that as a loss.

[MegaEvilSaurus666]

I basically didn't need to say anything here. Tyrant_Lizard_King summed it up nicely. You can barely take time to hear and appreciate the tracks in this movie. They're so quite sometimes.

Also, I like how that's the only thing you commented on. Not the Main Title track part or anything.

I disagree completely. The soundtrack was very loud and booming in the theatre I went to. Ifukube's tracks were stand outs of course because we all know them by heart, but McCreary's original works like with Rodan and Ghidorah are also quite memorable.

Besides, the Mothra cocoon moment wasn't loud in its sound effects at all. The music took precedent in sound design for that scene it seemed; the choir overtook all the sound effects apart from Mothra's call at the very end.

And as for Godzilla's theme, though the main title track specifically was only played during the end credits, his theme appears all over the soundtrack and all over the movie. So I don't really see that as a loss.

Well, looks like we had different experiences. Sometimes, the tracks weren't as prominent. Either way, my point stands.

Now for Mothra, I'll rewatch it and see if I appreciate it more. It was sort of quick, as with the other scenes. Less memorable for some reason.

And, I'm not talking about Godzilla's theme in the soundtrack as a whole. The Main Title track should've been accompanied by a main title; for what it was intended to be played in. Why you should ever defend the decision they went with is beyond me.

[BlankAccount]

Soundtrack is arguably the best thing in this movie.

[NateZilla10000]

And, I'm not talking about Godzilla's theme in the soundtrack as a whole. The Main Title track should've been accompanied by a main title; for what it was intended to be played in. Why you should ever defend the decision they went with is beyond me.

What's wrong with the decision they went with?

I think you're getting bent up about the title of the track itself, really. "Godzilla Main Titles" isn't exclusive to this movie. In fact, in Ifukube's own orchestra compositions (where there is no main titles to refer to), he labels the same march and overall theme as "Godzilla Main Titles" on numerous occasion. If I were to guess, since Bear McCreary essentially just wrote his own version of Ifukube's work, he just called it the same thing? Like how "Mothra's Song" is still "Mothra's Song"?

[G2000]

Also I wonder what would happen if you put Persecution of the Masses, or Black Angels over the Rodan scene.

Persecution of the Masses seems a tad slow for Rodan, though I could easily see it playing during the Mass Awakening/“Long Live the King” scene. Black Angels might work for the chase scene.

[daveblackeye15]

I really liked that music when Ghidorah

Spoiler:

picked up and dropped Godzilla.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Also I wonder what would happen if you put Persecution of the Masses, or Black Angels over the Rodan scene.

Persecution of the Masses seems a tad slow for Rodan, though I could easily see it playing during the Mass Awakening/“Long Live the King” scene. Black Angels might work for the chase scene.

Persecution over the Volcano and people fleeing I meant.
Black Angels for the Chase scene, segue into Decesive Battle.

I had a clear idea in my head of how it would all work together, but It`s hard to explain.

[MegaEvilSaurus666]

And, I'm not talking about Godzilla's theme in the soundtrack as a whole. The Main Title track should've been accompanied by a main title; for what it was intended to be played in. Why you should ever defend the decision they went with is beyond me.

What's wrong with the decision they went with?

I think you're getting bent up about the title of the track itself, really. "Godzilla Main Titles" isn't exclusive to this movie. In fact, in Ifukube's own orchestra compositions (where there is no main titles to refer to), he labels the same march and overall theme as "Godzilla Main Titles" on numerous occasion. If I were to guess, since Bear McCreary essentially just wrote his own version of Ifukube's work, he just called it the same thing? Like how "Mothra's Song" is still "Mothra's Song"?

I get your reasoning, but that's not really why I'm mentioning this. It's the fact that the two movies before this had opening credits and main titles. Consistency between films in a series is appreciated, and Bear McCreary's rendition of the classic theme opening the film would've been fantastic. While it may seem like a minor change, it went a long way in telling me about the pacing of the movie. I remember hearing something about Dougherty removing such a thing from this movie because "we don't have the attention span" or something. That the ending sequence was supposed to be the opening credits, which contradicts what is presented in them, anyway.

And thank Toho for giving them access to more than Ifukube's tracks. The version of Mothra's Song used in this film wasn't written by Akira Ifukube, but Yuji Koseki. We would've had Mahara Mosura instead. I like that they used the original 1961 song for Mothra, fitting for her first appearance.

[NateZilla10000]

I remember hearing something about Dougherty removing such a thing from this movie because "we don't have the attention span" or something. That the ending sequence was supposed to be the opening credits, which contradicts what is presented in them, anyway.

Well those two statements directly contradict each other. It's not like opening sequences/end sequences like that are quick to make; they would have needed to plan what was going to be in them months in advance, not made a switch on a dime. Besides, it's not like it's the only franchise to shake up its formula for end credits and opening credits. At the end of the day, it's not a loss at all.

And thank Toho for giving them access to more than Ifukube's tracks. The version of Mothra's Song used in this film wasn't written by Akira Ifukube, but Yuji Koseki. We would've had Mahara Mosura instead. I like that they used the original 1961 song for Mothra, fitting for her first appearance

I'm well aware that Mothra's song was written by Yuji Koseki. But my point stands: the two tracks that heavily borrow from other artists are still called what they were originally called by those artists. This whole "main title" thing might not refer to the main titles of this movie at all and instead just refer to Akira Ifukube's track "Godzilla Main Titles"