Is Khan really Kirk's greatest adversary?

The Star Trek IV score sounds too upbeat for Star Trek IV, at least the main title does. It's so bouncy and cheerful, it's impossible to take the threat seriously when the "kiddie Christmas" like titles dissolve into an alien ship menacing the earth. We know from the music there's nothing to worry about, it's all going to be a breeze. It's just so wrong for the film.

Same problem, to some extent, for the scene where Chekov is fleeing from the Navy guys. It was appropriate only if this is just a lighthearted comedy film. Which once again undermines the stakes Kirk is supposedly facing.

The music makes ST-4 seem "all over the place," like it doesn't know what it wants to be. And of course the real blame traces back to Nimoy. If he wanted to make a light comedy, then why put in all this sh-- about destroying the Earth?

 

I still think Kang did more against Kirk in the series than Khan. Kirk couldn't eve beat him man to man with identical weapons. Khan was a breeze by comparison, cracking him in the gut with a used paper towel roll.

I jest, naturally. If you want to talk personal losses, Kruge wins because David was killed on his order and the Enterprise was sacrificed to gain the upper hand. And then Kirk got to beat him hand to hand. Spock may have been lost in TWOK but Kirk got him back.

 

Try these for a less light Rosenman score.

 

I can't believe no one has mentioned this.

Captain Kirk's greatest adversary?

Kids.

As in Miri and Children Shall Lead.


Admiral Payne N. Butte on viewscreen:

You got beat up by what?!?

Kirk:

A bunch of kids. Sir.

Star Trek II: The wrath Of The Kids

Pamelyn Ferdin on viewscreen:

I wanted you to know who had beaten you before I finish you off.

Kirk:

Come on pumpkin, let's talk this over.

Robert

 

RoboCop 2 is a very good score, one that doesn't get much appreciation sandwiched between to really fine Poledouris entries. The Overture, with the "Robocop!" chorus gets some negative attention, but I think this is one of my favorites Rosenman scores.

 

Well, ghost stories are fun...

?? Star Trek IV is quite upbeat.

 

I'd never heard the Robocop 2 score before, and it's been years since I saw Fantastic Voyage. There are clear melodic similarities between parts of both those scores as well and Voyage Home. So much so that if I'd heard those bits out of context I'd swear they were from STIV.

 

To Kill a Mockingbird is a very famous film score by Elmer Bernstein. It gets performed by symphonies to this day.

 

I'm not sure how I could have been oblivious to that Battle Beyond the Stars movie (I was a senior in HS, and a big nerd). I am watching it right now, and the cheese-level is strong with this one. Maybe it got so badly review-bombed back then I just didn't go to see it? And yes, we had movie reviews back in prehistoric times - they were just on 'The News' back then. I do recall 'John-Boy Walton' being in a Scify movie, so that must have been it, but other than that vague recollection I don't recall this existing at all.

I'm like five minutes in and DAMN is it bad. LOL

 

Still one of the better Star Wars knockoffs from 1978-85 (have you seen Galaxina, Starcrash or Space Raiders?).

 

I am seriously looking forward to a lot of cheese on Galactic Journey in a decade...

 

Starcrash is awful, but boasts a pretty good John Barry score. Space Raiders just tracked Horner's music from BBTS. Galaxina is something I remember from cable in the 80's. It was godawful. Avery Schreiber was an odd duck and an acquired taste that I never acquired.

 

Starcrash also has the gravitas of the one and only Christopher Plummer as the Emperor of the whole universe, or something. Somebody mentioned that his main reason for being in this ridiculous movie at all was the free trip to Rome.

Kor

 

Star Wars knockoff? Bite your tongue! That's a The Magnificent Seven knockoff if there ever was one -- heck, Robert Vaughn even played the same role in both!

 

Writer: "Let's see, I'm doing Star Wars. Who else can I rob?"

 

Yikes! Bullet dodged.

 

Yeah, that would have been...unfortunate. TWOK and TSFS really needed musical continuity probably more than any other installments in the franchise.

 

I know a lot of folks say Star Wars owes a lot to Kurosawa, but having watched the films in question, I really don't see the resemblance.

 

Battle Beyond the Stars is the Magnificent Seven knockoff. And Robert Vaughn's Battle character, burned-out mercenary Gelt, is just an sf version of his Mag7 character, Lee.

 

Less variety is an accurate analysis of his work, but its sort of ironic you mention the 1979 Dracula score, the complete version is one of his more original compositions (of that or any era of his career) and a personal favorite.