Category Archives: Films

Danny Elfman talks Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

Oh dear…I actually had some hope for this sequel at first. When Alice Through the Looking Glass was announced, I felt excited because I’d enjoyed Alice in Wonderland and I was initially up for a return to this crazy world. And then the previews started and things got…weird (and I don’t mean weird in a good way).

The more I watched and learned, the more this felt like a re-hash of the first film (with Sasha Baron Cohen thrown into the mix). I’m not ALWAYS opposed to sequels, but if the best they can do is remix the original plot…then forget it!!

The basic plot is as follows: Alice has spent the last three years sailing on the high seas (as she said she would do at the end of the first film) but finds upon returning home that her ex-fiance has bought her father’s company and wants her ship in exchange for the family home. The Butterfly leads Alice back into Underland where things are in a right mess: the Mad Hatter is “madder” than usual, convinced his family is still alive. The White Queen asks Alice to visit Time to see if he can save the Hatter’s family in the past and from there…things get slightly screwy (okay things get royally screwy).

There are several trips back into time; we learn why the Red Queen has an abnormally shaped head (because apparently she wasn’t always like that); we learn why the White Queen is the rightful ruler and we also learn why the two sisters hate each other so much. At the end of it all, time is restored, the Hatter is reunited with his family and the White Queen and the Red Queen are friends again while Alice returns home and now sails on the high seas with her mother (somehow retaining the company? or the ship? It’s confusing…)

That being said, Danny Elfman DID return to score the film, so that is one positive in a film that largely disappointed. I hope you enjoy this brief interview with the composer.

See also:

Film Composer Interviews A-H

Film Composer Interviews K-Z

Danny Elfman talks Batman (1989)

Danny Elfman talks Batman Returns (1992)

Danny Elfman “Planet of the Apes” scoring session (2001)

Danny Elfman talks Spider-Man (2002)

Danny Elfman talks Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Danny Elfman talks Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Danny Elfman talks Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

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Danny Elfman talks Alice in Wonderland (2010)

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Danny Elfman talks Alice in Wonderland (2010)

If I’m perfectly honest, Alice in Wonderland (2010) should be included in my “Didn’t Think I’d Like it (But I did!)” series because, well, I really didn’t think I would like it when the previews arrived. But during my spring break that year I went to see the film because a friend of mine wanted to see it and I actually enjoyed it.

This film is actually something of a sequel to the first Alice in Wonderland (1951) because Alice is now grown up and has all but forgotten her childhood adventure in Wonderland (renamed here as “Underland”), believing it all to be just some fanciful dream she had. Finding herself on the cusp of being forcefully pushed into a marriage she doesn’t want, Alice unexpectedly returns to Wonderland/Underland, where, as it turns out, she must slay the Jabberwocky, defeat the Red Queen and return the White Queen to power. Mayhem and insanity ensues, including a hilarious sub-plot where Alice accidentally grows into a larger person and briefly joins the Red Queen’s court as a woman named “Um” (due to a misunderstanding when the Queen asked her name and she was fidgeting on how to answer).

One of the highlights of this film is the musical score by Danny Elfman. The composer is well known for his collaborations with Tim Burton, and this effort is one of their more memorable efforts in recent years. The film is also notable for using the voice of Alan Rickman (RIP) as the voice of the Caterpillar.

In the brief interview I found, Elfman briefly talks about his work on the film’s score (I always love watching interviews like this one, I just wish they could be longer!). I hope you enjoy this interview clip.

See also:

Danny Elfman talks Batman (1989)

Danny Elfman talks Batman Returns (1992)

Danny Elfman “Planet of the Apes” scoring session (2001)

Danny Elfman talks Spider-Man (2002)

Danny Elfman talks Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Danny Elfman talks Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

Danny Elfman talks Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

Film Composer Interviews A-H

Film Composer Interviews K-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂

My Thoughts on: Justice League Dark (2017)

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Wow!! Wow, wow and WOW!!! More please!!!

Those were the first thoughts I had as the end credits of Justice League Dark began to roll. For weeks I’d been looking forward to picking this up the day it came to DVD/BluRay, largely because this film features Matt Ryan reprising his role as John Constantine (granted it’s animation and not live-action, but I’ll take what I can get).

I actually haven’t seen that many of the DC animated films, the last one I recall seeing is Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, so it’s hard for me to say where this one ranks in terms of animation quality and etc. But I can say that what I saw, I liked. Some of my favorite parts involved the casting of magic spells, which did look a little reminiscent of the spell-casting in Doctor Strange, but that’s another story. Let’s get down to details!!

The titular Justice League Dark (for this film) consists of:

John Constantine: The extremely reluctant leader, a smartass magician and conjurer, owner of the House of Mystery, lives dangerously by conning demons out of their riches, and has a penchant for getting punched in the face by people he’s pissed off. To be brief, he doesn’t play well with others (watching him interact with Batman is a riot!!)

Zatanna Zatara: A popular stage magician who also possesses very real and powerful magic. She’s the only person Constantine is actually willing to work with (as it is implied they not only worked together previously, but that they also had a relationship of some kind). She’s resisted using her powers to fight evil (as Constantine does), citing that she prefers using her abilities to bring joy to others.

Jason Blood/Etrigan: Jason is a 500 year old immortal and formerly a knight of Camelot. He’s an unwilling immortal because, after being mortally wounded by an insane wizard named “Destiny” (no, really, that’s his name), Merlin bound the dying knight to the demon Etrigan to save his life. To summon Etrigan, Jason must recite a rhyme, and his body is replaced with Etrigan’s. Etrigan is a Hell demon who only speaks in rhyme (and even though he’s a demon, he seems less evil than most). Jason has spent centuries trying to find a way to separate Etrigan from himself.

Deadman: This is one I’d never heard of before now. Formerly a trapeze artist named Boston Brand, Deadman was assassinated during a performance, but his spirit was given power by a Hindu god named Rama Kushna, giving him the ability to possess the living in order to bring his killer to justice. Deadman is a wisecracking smartass, but he started to grow on me as the story went on.

And there’s also…

Swamp Thing (!!!!!!!!): Unbelievably (to me) this is the first time Swamp Thing has ever appeared in a DC Animated film (which is crazy because he’s an awesome character!!!) He doesn’t appear for that long in the story, but when he does appear, he practically steals the show. Swamp Thing is the protector of “the Green” (basically all plant life), and was formerly a human named Alec Holland. Alec was murdered, and his body used as the basis to create Swamp Thing. He really doesn’t like Constantine.

There’s also Batman, yes, I said Batman. I reluctantly understand why they put the Dark Knight in this story, but I hate that they had to do it. Basically, Warner Bros. wanted to ensure that as many people saw this film as possible, and they knew that if Batman was advertised as being in the story, more people would check it out on impulse. But truly, Batman doesn’t do THAT much, he’s more of an observer than anything else (especially when magical things are going on).

The story of Justice League Dark is actually really dark!! The opening sequence became more disturbing as it went on. Here’s the gist: some unknown force is causing ordinary citizens to believe they’re surrounded by demons and monsters that they have to attack/kill to get away from. This results in unspeakable tragedies: a woman mowing down dozens of bystanders with her car; a man who nearly kills his wife and children because he believes “monsters” killed them (in a gruesome twist, it’s revealed he’s already killed several neighbors and their families); and, most heartbreaking of all, a woman throws her newborn from the roof of a cathedral because she believes she’s given birth to the devil. Batman is able to save the baby, but the mother jumps to her death.

MASSIVE STORY SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT!!!

The dark Justice League are led to believe that this is the work of wizard Felix Faust (someone the regular Justice League has encountered in the past). Richie, an old friend of Constantine’s, who is also dying from a magical cancer, also points the finger at Faust, claiming the wizard attacked him. Richie also states that a magical ring seen in the memories of one of the victims belongs to Faust as well. The team goes to confront Faust in his magical observatory, leading to a magical battle for the ages. There is an especially epic sequence when Zatanna goes into total badass mode, unleashing her full magic on the wizard, nearly killing him until Constantine stops her. Then comes a wrinkle: Batman confirms that Faust is NOT the culprit in this attack. But Richie, a dying man, wouldn’t lie to Constantine…or WOULD he?

In a plot twist I did NOT see coming, it’s revealed that Richie is actually possessed by a fragment of the wizard Destiny’s soul (portions of which were bound in a huge gem that partially shattered when Merlin defeated him 500 years ago). Destiny has conned Richie into thinking that if he acquires the rest of the gem (currently sitting in the House of Mystery after Constantine acquired it in a card game from some demons), he (Richie) will become immortal and very powerful. The attack was staged, with blame falsely assigned to Faust so that the team would leave him alone in the House. But Richie has been tricked: the only thing reassembling the gem will do is give Destiny the means of re-entering the physical world, using Richie’s body as a base for his own.

Now the world is in real danger: Destiny is so powerful that he could conquer the world in a matter of days. The trouble is, the wizard is protected by a super-powerful magical shield, and he also wields the power to drive any potential attackers mad, making them think they’re surrounded by monsters. In fact, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern all become infected by this madness, and the team is barely able to hold them off for a time. Also, Destiny is able to 1) forcibly separate Jason Blood from Etrigan and 2) seemingly disintegrate Swamp Thing by pulling Alec Holland’s aged remains from his plant body (whether this is permanent or not is not explained). It comes down to Constantine and Deadman to provide an opening to defeat the wizard. Constantine allows Deadman to possess him and tricks Destiny into taking him inside the magical shield. Once inside, Deadman launches into the wizard, distracting him long enough to bring the magical shield down, giving Jason Blood the chance to stab the wizard in the back, mortally wounding him. The wizard is destroyed, but Richie remains…for a moment. Throughout the film, Constantine has noted Death Shrouds hanging around Richie’s house (spirits that take souls to Hell). They’ve been waiting for Richie to die, and after everything he’s been through, Richie’s soul is ripe for the taking. He begs Constantine to do something, but after being betrayed, Constantine can’t take the risk that Destiny isn’t manipulating Richie still. The result? Richie’s soul is literally dragged screaming into Hell.

The Earth is saved, but not everyone on the team survives (I won’t say who, but it made me sad when a certain character died). Zatanna has been invited to join the Justice League, and apparently so has Constantine (he laughs at the idea).

I really enjoyed this movie a lot. Seeing Constantine was just amazing (I could literally watch him all day long and not get bored), and as I said before, watching him interact with Batman was downright hilarious! I also (no surprise) loved the music; the main theme was fantastic. I sincerely hope there are Justice League Dark sequels down the road. I will also take a stand alone Constantine film, a stand alone Swamp Thing film, even a stand alone Zatanna film (but I really just want more Constantine).

I highly recommend this film, even if you’ve never read anything about Justice League Dark or Constantine before, this is a great jumping in point, because we get backstory on practically everyone. The film is available on DVD/BluRay as of yesterday (February 7th).

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Thoughts on Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993)

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On Saturday night I got to do something I never thought I’d get to do: see a Sailor Moon film in the theater!!!! Just last month, a brand new English dub of Sailor Moon R: The Movie was released for the very first time in North America. It was a LONG time coming (considering the film premiered in Japan in 1993) but for me, it was worth the wait.

The film is set after the initial adventures of Usagi and her friends (after we meet Chibiusa, but as far as I can tell, BEFORE we meet Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. At the very least, they don’t show up in the story). Usagi, Mamoru (her boyfriend), and the other Sailor Senshi are spending the day at the botanical garden when a strange man named Fiore arrives. He appears to know Mamoru, and says that he has come to fulfill a promise he made to bring him flowers.

Fiore has a pretty intense entrance at the garden

It takes some time, but Mamoru eventually remembers that Fiore was a strange boy who showed up at the hospital shortly after his parents were killed in a car accident. They became friends very quickly, but Fiore was actually an alien being who couldn’t survive in Earth’s atmosphere for very long, so he had to leave. But before he left, he promised Mamoru that he would return with flowers for him (as Mamoru gave him a rose just before he left).

Fiore

But (naturally) something is wrong: the flower Fiore has found is a Xenian flower, one of the most dangerous plants in the universe!! The bottom looks like a normal plant, but the middle of the bloom has the upper body of a woman!! The flower is dangerous because it latches onto weak-minded hosts (preferably humans) and feed off their energy, turning any fears into implacable paranoia and hatred. Wherever a Xenian flower goes, civilization inevitably collapses, with the destruction of the planet following shortly thereafter. Fiore is now firmly controlled by the Xenian, and is bringing an enormous asteroid containing THOUSANDS of Xenians towards Earth: if they successfully arrive, the human race will be annihilated, no matter what Sailor Moon or her allies tried.

To complicate matters, in an early battle, Mamoru (fighting as Tuxedo Mask) is critically wounded when he dives in front of Sailor Moon to save her from a killing blow launched by Fiore. The alien takes Mamoru back to the asteroid to heal him, and after deducing its location, the Sailor Senshi teleport there in pursuit.

Fiore under control of the Xenian

Fiore, under the Xenian’s influence, cannot see why the Sailor Senshi are fighting so hard, as he believes (falsely) that they do not care about Mamoru, or anyone else for that matter. He spent so much of his life alone, that he believes no one can understand his loneliness, or why he needs a friend so badly. But a series of flashbacks reveal that the Sailor Senshi know exactly how Fiore feels, because they’ve all gone through it themselves. And the reason they fight so hard now is because Sailor Moon is the glue that holds them all together.

But despite this outpouring of love, Fiore won’t give up. Goaded on by the Xenian, he alters the asteroid’s course so that it will hit the Earth!! Assuming the planet isn’t completely destroyed in the process, the Xenian will take over whatever is left. Sailor Moon cannot allow this to happen, and she only has one course of action left: she activates the full power of the Silver Crystal (despite her friends begging her not to).

Serenity using the Silver Crystal

Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity and unleashes the Silver Crystal, which begins to break down the asteroid as it enters the atmosphere. Mamoru and the others lend their support, and it works….but the Crystal shatters as a result, and Sailor Moon is dead…or IS she? Just before he leaves, now free of the Xenian’s control (the Silver Crystal annihilated it), Fiore gives Mamoru the flower he promised: it holds the power of life inside it. This is used to revive Sailor Moon as Fiore flies back into space.

For the whole movie, I was sitting in my seat wide-eyed like a little kid. Sailor Moon is the very first anime I was ever exposed to, and so it has always held a special place in my heart. Sailor Moon R: The Movie is a great story, there are so many flashback clips that, even if you haven’t seen any of the regular episodes, I don’t think you would be lost if you just jumped into this film. The only part that bugs me is the ending: where is Fiore going? Will we ever see him again? It just feels so abrupt, that I wish the ending played out a little differently.

I can’t praise the new English dub enough, everyone captured their characters perfectly. And I totally geeked out for the transformation sequences (those were my favorite parts when I was a kid).

If this film is playing near you, I highly recommend going to see it. It’s playing for a very limited engagement (it only played two nights where I live) and I’m not sure how long it will last. Hopefully this means we’ll see the other Sailor Moon films (S and Super S) in theaters too someday 🙂

My Thoughts on: Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie (1995)

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Film 101: Archetypes

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Hollywood has been increasingly bashed as of late for its failure to come up with anything remotely original (or if they do it’s executed badly or simply stupid). At the same time, it’s also true that there are only so many ways to tell a story. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not excusing Hollywood’s obsession with sequels or reboots in the slightest, I know perfectly well they could come up with more original films if they really put their brains to work. I’m just saying that all stories are based on a limited number of elements. If you make enough stories (or movies, in this case) similarities are going to be inevitable.

In terms of characters, the common types seen in every film are known as archetypes, or what you get when you boil a film down to its basic elements. For instance, at their core, most films are a fight between ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ (but that’s a discussion for another day). For characters, there are multiple archetypes to choose from (I would like to note that this is not an exhaustive list, I’m just covering the basics):

The (usually naive) hero/heroine: Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins (in the Hobbit trilogy), Aladdin, Elsa, Belle, I could go on for a while. One of the most common archetypes is of the young hero/heroine who must go on a journey of some kind and come into their destiny, whatever that may be. 99% of the time the hero archetype is also the protagonist (unless they flip the script and use a plot twist to make the ‘hero’ the villain).
The wise old mentor: Gandalf, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Spock Prime (in the rebooted Star Trek series), Grandmother Willow, and so on. Another common archetype is the wise old mentor who usually appears just as the hero/heroine needs advice and/or a guide for the journey that leads to their destiny.
The (all-powerful, usually scary) villain: Literally every bad guy in every film! But to name a few: Darth Vader, Sauron, The Horned King, Jafar, Scar, Ursula, Smaug, Gaston, Maleficent (animated version), and so on. If you look at the villains of a story, they all have some traits in common: traditionally they wear some shade of black; they’re either disfigured in some way, creepy OR handsome to a fault (if they’re human). They can also possess black magic or invoke dark forces on some level and with the exception of Darth Vader are generally irredeemable. It is the villain that the young hero/heroine must eventually confront/defeat in some way for their destiny to be achieved.
The sidekick/minion: What is a hero/villain without his sidekick/minion? Or multiple sidekicks as the case may be? Aladdin had Abu, Pocahontas had Meeko and Flit, Ratcliffe had Percy; Gaston/Le Fou, Mulan/Mushu, etc.
The romantic love interest/damsel in distress: I hate to say it, but 9 times out of 10 the romantic love interest is also (at some point) the damsel in distress. Look at classic Hollywood cinema if you don’t believe me (the original King Kong is a great example).

These five archetypes cover a large number of characters!! This idea has been rattling around in my head for a while, so this might be the start of a new series where I talk about different parts of film, like genre, and talking about what a McGuffin is.

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“Jyn Erso and Hope” from Rogue One, my thoughts…

See also:

Film Soundtracks A-W

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Thoughts on Suicide Squad (2016)

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It finally happened: I actually caved and watched Suicide Squad, and boy oh boy do I have some thoughts on the subject.

It happened towards the end of my little vacation trip; there was a screening of Suicide Squad that evening and I thought to myself “Well I don’t have anything better to do, why not?” The next thing I know, I’m over an hour in to the story and I’m HOOKED!

Yes, despite the flaws (and they were many), I found myself enjoying the story I was being fed, so I’ll start off by listing the positives:

Margot Robbie absolutely KILLED it as Harley Quinn. I could watch her all day long, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the full-length Harley Quinn film.
Will Smith was fantastic as Deadshot, I loved the prologue part where he’s demanding his money over the phone before he’ll do the hit. And based entirely on the scene with Deadshot and his daughter (when Batman arrests him), I want/need to see a full-length Deadshot film, and it must have Will Smith in it.
The visuals are out of this world! This is important for me, as I’m a visual-based person.
I like the look of Enchantress, both her initial look and her secondary look when her brother gives her some of his power so she’s not dependent on her heart.
And then there’s the Joker…I admit, I DID enjoy Jared Leto’s performance, what little of it we got to see anyway. I can’t pass a complete judgement on whether it was good or bad because he’s barely there as a character, but it definitely has the potential to be amazing (and definitely a unique spin on the legendary villain).

Those are the big good points for me, now for the not so good.

Here’s the thing with Suicide Squad: if you don’t THINK about what you’re seeing, it’s a great story. The problem comes when you think about the sequence of events, where these people come from, etc. and then issues start coming out of the woodwork. Everyone who says they should’ve done some standalone films before launching Suicide Squad are absolutely right. In fact, those “prologue” segments for most of the main characters look like they came from 5-6 separate films, and I desperately want to see more, because aside from the bigger characters like Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Killer Croc, I don’t really know who Captain Boomerang or Diablo are.

And then there’s the fact that not all of the characters get a backstory. Slipknot is literally introduced out of nowhere, and we don’t even get to know him before he (spoiler alert) dies in a rather gruesome fashion. And THEN there’s Katana, who is also brought in with ZERO explanation, which stinks because she looks really awesome!!

And speaking of explanations, I feel like they could’ve made a full-length Enchantress movie explaining how she and her brother came to our dimension, ruled the humans, were betrayed, etc. and such a film would’ve been really helpful in establishing her motives in this film. I mean we do get plenty of hints that the pair were worshipped as gods, that they’re very ancient, but in the end they were betrayed and trapped away, and now they want vengeance.

It really was a mistake to put the Joker in this film and NOT have him as the main villain. I know that was the biggest reason (among many others) that this film failed to impress. Because, let’s face it, the previews essentially promised a film where the main villain was the Joker!! And who doesn’t want to see that? Then we actually GET to the film and, even in the extended cut, the Joker has maybe ten minutes of screen time. Talk about a bait and switch!! It should’ve either been Joker as the main villain, or Enchantress as the main villain, but using both was a mistake (though I would’ve been okay if they had done the following: have Harley receive messages from the Joker periodically, but don’t actually show him. THEN, at the very end of the film, have the “Joker breaks Harley out of prison” scene play as normal and show the Joker as a teaser/hook for the inevitable sequel. You know, something to whet the appetite of the audience.

Suicide Squad is definitely not the worst film I’ve ever seen, but it does not meet its full potential either. That being said, it does solidly rank as a good popcorn film with me (that’s why I ran out and bought a DVD copy as soon as I got home from my trip). Hopefully Jared Leto gets to reprise his Joker role in the future so I can form a better opinion of his performance.

See also:

Film/TV Reviews

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All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 “It Feels so Good to be Bad!” (1996)

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There are a few things that have always bothered me about a number of animated sequels. Most of the time, the voice cast is completely different, the animation is inferior, and the music…well, is not the best. MOST of the time, all of the above is true, and certainly this is the case with All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996, I cannot believe this film is 21 years old).

This completely unnecessary sequel to the charming (and very scary) All Dogs Go To Heaven features an all new adventure with Charlie (now voiced by Charlie Sheen), Itchy (Dom DeLuise), and their eternal nemesis Carface (now voiced by Ernest Borgnine), who has literally made a deal with a devil cat named Red (George Hearn). To summarize: Charlie is bored stiff in Heaven, he longs for some kind of adventure or excitement. Well, he gets it when Carface steals Gabriel’s Horn (on Red’s orders), and attempts to bring it to him. Without the Horn, the gates of Heaven cannot open and no new dogs can enter. Learning the horn is somewhere in San Francisco, Charlie successfully convinces Annabelle (head angel/dog in Heaven) to let him and Itchy go to retrieve the horn. Meanwhile, Carface ends up working more closely with Red, there’s a runaway human boy named David in the mix, etc. and so on (sorry I’m not good with brief summaries).

There is ONE bright spot in this piece of mediocrity though, and that’s the villain’s song “It Feels so Good to be Bad!” Red (strongly implied to be the very pet of the devil himself) is performed by George Hearn, a legendary performer on the Broadway stage. He won acclaim as Sweeney Todd, starred as Max in the original Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard, and he also performed as the Wizard in Wicked from 2004 to 2005.

You can hear his Broadway experience in “It Feels So Good to Be Bad!” In fact, the whole song feels like it was created with Broadway in mind. At the start, Carface is jabbering on about how he and Red can use the horn to open any bank or safe they please, but Red has much grander things in mind (up until this point he has been masquerding as an elderly dog). He wants Carface to think of the big picture, and drags him into a corner of Hell (that’s what it looks like anyways) to explain. Hearn’s vocal range is impressive, and I love the way he banters with and torments Carface for bungling the theft in the first place. There is a nice allusion to Hearn’s time as Sweeney Todd when Red grabs a straight razor blade and gives Carface a “shave” (taking off all his fur in the process).

Oh Carface…he’s so stupid, and that’s one of the details that bug a lot of people who watched the original. In THAT version, Carface was ruthless, conniving, downright bloodthirsty!! Here, he’s noticeably downgraded to slightly better than an imbecile. One could make the argument that spending time in Heaven erased at least some of his viciousness (despite any arguments he might make to the contrary). Another factor could be that, in finding himself confronted with TRUE evil, something snaps in Carface’s brain.

I just love listening to this song. The rest of the film is meh, not so good, but for this scene at least, Red is a villain par excellence.

I hope you enjoy this great song (it really is the best part of the film).

All Dogs Go to Heaven “Let Me Be Surprised” (1989)

For more animated songs, check out the main page here: Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/Etc. Soundtracks A-Z

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Pocahontas “Savages, Part II” (1995)

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At the conclusion of “Savages, Part I”, the English settlers and the warriors led by Powhatan were preparing for battle (with the latter planning to execute John Smith first thing in the morning). Meanwhile, Pocahontas has fled to Grandmother Willow, upset and depressed that everything is falling apart and the man she’s so recently fallen in love with is going to be executed and there’s nothing she can do to stop it.

Pocahontas “Savages, Part II” (1995)

Grandmother Willow tries to give some advice, reminding Pocahontas of her dream, but she isn’t in the mood to hear it. Meeko, however, is inspired to dig inside his hole in the tree for something.

This “something” turns out to be John Smith’s compass, which contains a large arrow shaped needle inside (Meeko had swiped it during an earlier meeting and Smith had let the raccoon keep it). Pocahontas watches the compass and realizes that as she turns it in her hands, the arrow/needle spins, just like the arrow in her dream!!

From the moment Pocahontas picked the compass up, the music has begun to pick up in intensity (clearly signalling that something big is about to happen). When she makes the connection between the compass needle and her dream, it picks up a little more. At the peak, there is a short, instrumental refrain of “Listen With Your Heart” as several things happen at once: the sun rises (it’s time for the execution) and the compass needle comes to a stop pointing directly east. The meaning is clear: Pocahontas needs to stop the execution.

With this decision made, the song resumes with an abrupt cut to Ratcliffe literally walking out of the sunrise, cutting a villainous figure in his black armor. At the same time, Powhatan and his warriors begin the march to the execution site (with Smith in tow) while, in a THIRD musical thread, Pocahontas begins her run to stop an all-out war!

And, according to the song, Pocahontas truthfully doesn’t know if she can stop this war from happening, but with the power of the spirits (which she invokes along the way), she’s certainly going to try. This semi-hopeful verse is sharply contrasted with the two warring sides who are basically singing the same words (so I’m copying the verse in full):

(Them:)This will be the day/This will be the morning/We will see them dying in the dust

(Pocahontas): I don’t know what I can do/still I know I have to try

(Them):Now we make them pay!

(Pocahontas): Eagle help my feet fly!/(Them): Now without a warning

(Pocahontas): Mountain help my heart be great/(Them): Now we leave ’em blood and bone and dust

(Pocahontas):Spirits of the Earth and Sky/(Them): It’s them, or us

(Pocahontas): Please don’t let it be too late!!/Them: They’re just a bunch of filthy, stinking…

(Them): Savages, savages/demons, devils (kill them!)/savages, savages, what are we waiting for? Destroy their evil race, until there’s no a trace left!

(Pocahontas): How loud are the drums of war!!/Them: Now we see what comes, of trying to be chums/ Pocahontas: Is this the death of all I love, carried in the drumming of…

(All): WAR!!!

Towards the end, all three groups converge at a cliff where the tribe has assembled to execute Smith as revenge for Kocuom’s death. While the approaching settlers watch in horror, Powhatan prepares to crush Smith’s skull with a war hammer (a club with a large stone set in it). At the last moment, Pocahontas darts forward and throws herself over Smith before the hammer can fall.

Saved!!! For now anyway. Pocahontas has an ultimatum: if Powhatan wants to kill John Smith, he has to kill her too, and also she loves him (to the surprise of her father). All of this, Pocahontas says, is the result of walking a path of anger. She, meanwhile, will choose love.

Moved by what his daughter has said, and seeing the slaughter that will come if they continue, Powhatan swears that if there will be any more killing “it will not start with me” and he orders Smith to be released. Everyone begins to lower their weapons, and war seems to have been averted…which is great…right?

Ratcliffe doesn’t think so. This was his big chance to take the Indians out and now the battle isn’t happening at all!. He tries to take advantage by shouting for his men to fire, but the settlers aren’t having it. The whole point of attacking was to rescue Smith, but the tribe has let him go so clearly they don’t want to fight (and therefore neither should they). Seeing his control slip away, Ratcliffe decides to force the issue, grabbing a musket and taking aim at Powhatan. Smith sees this and shoves the chief out of the way just as Ratcliffe fires, taking the bullet instead. Instead of sparking a new conflict, this backfires horribly and Ratcliffe finds him at the receiving end of the settlers’ wrath (a great comeuppance for Ratcliffe by the way, since he ends up being hog-tied by the end).

So on the one hand, the day is saved, but on the other, John is badly injured. This is one Disney film that won’t have the typical ending. How do I mean? Well, you’ll have to check out the finale to find out 🙂

It nearly goes without saying that “Savages, Parts I and II” are one of my favorite Disney songs and I hope you enjoyed reading about it and listening to it.

You can become a patron of the blog at: patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

For more Pocahontas, see also:

Pocahontas “The Virginia Company” (1995)

Pocahontas “Steady as the Beating Drum” (1995)

Pocahontas “Just Around the Riverbend” (1995)

Pocahontas “Listen With Your Heart” (1995)

Pocahontas “Mine, Mine, Mine!” (1995)

Pocahontas “Savages, Part I” (1995)

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Pocahontas “Savages, Part I” (1995)

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I wanted to save this song for last, but I couldn’t hold out any longer!!!

With practically every Disney film ever made, there comes a point where events spiral out of control and everything is on the verge of disaster!! “Savages, Part I” begins at such a moment: Kocuom is dead at the hands of Thomas, but only Pocahontas and John Smith know that. The warriors who capture Smith assume that, as the only white man present, that HE fired the shot, and even if Pocahontas told them the truth, they wouldn’t believe her. Chief Powhatan is beyond disappointed in his daughter and he also blames her for Kocuom’s death (“because of YOUR foolishness, Kocuom is dead!”)

Pocahontas “Savages Part I” (1995)

But the turmoil in the village is nothing compared to what’s brewing in the English camp. Thomas has gone racing back to report Smith’s capture, rousing everyone in the process. Ratcliffe is secretly delighted by this turn of events; he’s been itching for any excuse for an all out attack on the “savages” and this provides the perfect opportunity.

“Savages” begins with Ratcliffe stirring the settlers into a frenzy, reminding them that these “savages” are no good, they deserve to die because they’re different, etc.For example:

What can you expect/from filthy little heathens/here’s what you get when races are diverse!

Their skin’s a hellish red/they’re only good when dead/they’re vermin as I’ve said and worse!!

Actually, the soundtrack version of the song is much nastier, the opening line goes: …from filthy little heathens/their whole disgusting race is like a curse! (I think they realized when they developed this song, that they were going a step too far and they adjusted the line for the home video release of the film.)

Theses opening verses are so openly racist that in the years since its release, this song in particular has gotten a lot of flak, with critics saying the song’s sentiments are completely inappropriate.While is is true that “Savages” expresses racist sentiments, that’s also the point of the entire song!! This song is fully exposing Ratcliffe as the evil, racist villain he’s always been, and the settlers are fully caught up in the wake of his ranting (except for Thomas, who has his own doubts).

They’re savages!
Savages! Barely even human!

Savages! Savages! Drive them from our shore!
They’re not like you and me, which means they must be evil
We must sound the drums of war!

They’re savages!
Savages!
Dirty shrieking devils!

Now we sound the drums of war!

With the English settlers ramped up to go to war, the song switches to Powhatan’s village, where the villagers are making preparations of their own. While the English consider the Indians to be “savages”, the natives consider the white men to be “demons” who must be wiped out before anyone else can die.

This is what we feared/the pale-face is a demon/the only thing they feel at all is greed.

Beneath that milky hide/there’s emptiness inside/I wonder if they even bleed??

They’re savages! Savages!

Barely even human! Savages! Savages!

Killers at the core…

They’re different from us,
which means they can’t be trusted…

We must sound the drums of war!

They’re savages!
Savages!
First we deal with this one
Then we sound the drums of war!

John Smith can only watch as the war preparations continue, with the Indians planning to execute him before the battle. The camera cuts back and forth to show how alike the two sides really are: both are arming for war, both are really angry and both are beating “the drums of war” (no matter how different they look, a drum is a drum.)

The truth is, both sides are blinded by hatred. Neither can see that they are equally human because one looks different from the other. It’s interesting how, in the song, each side is color-coded and made to look increasingly not-human (the English are colored orange/crimson and the Indians are colored indigo with war paint added on top of it).

Things are definitely out of control, and if the two sides meet, it’s going to be bad (mostly for the Indians, because the English settlers have a lot of muskets and cannons and arrows and spears will have practically zero effect on that kind of firepower.) What’s going to happen? Will John Smith die at sunrise? We’ll find out in “Savages, Part II” !!!!

You can become a patron of the blog at: patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

For more Pocahontas, see also:

Pocahontas “The Virginia Company” (1995)

Pocahontas “Steady as the Beating Drum” (1995)

Pocahontas “Just Around the Riverbend” (1995)

Pocahontas “Listen With Your Heart” (1995)

Pocahontas “Mine, Mine, Mine!” (1995)

Pocahontas “Savages, Part II” (1995)

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂