X2: X-Men United [Expanded]

John Ottman

2006 (2003) / La-La Land / 112 mins

I absolutely love the title theme, and the various other (albeit less effective or memorable) themes and motifs for the various mutants are also appreciated. It has an air of fantasy about it at points, but a lot of it is unexpectedly grounded and rather harsh sounding. The expanded album adds some really good pieces that were missing from the initial release, but it also adds a lot of redundant material.

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Highlight: Deathstrike Dies/Magneto's Old Tricks (5:52)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Nigel Godrich

2010 / ABKCO / 65 mins

On the surface, a mixture of chiptunes, electronics, indie rock and orchestra sounds like a recipe for something really unique and fun. In reality though, the cues are very short, don't really have a consistent sound, and are often broken up by voice clips from the film, making it a very disjointed and irritating album. There's a few moments where it combines to create something really interesting, but those are far too rare.

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Highlight: Boss Battle (2:46)

The Best of Godzilla, 1984-1995

Akira Ifukube & Various

1998 / GNP Crescendo / 78 mins

This is a wonderful compilation of some of the best music from the Heisei era of Godzilla films. There's good variety, with the tone varying from brooding and militaristic to absolutely gorgeous throughout the album. The cues contain some modern interpretations of classic Godzilla themes along with brand-new material. Overall, this is a great introduction to the music from this historic franchise.

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Highlight: Requiem (3:49)

Lady in the Water

James Newton Howard

2006 / Decca / 59 mins (Score 41 mins)

A beautifully textured, flowing score of strings and piano that manages to capture the sense of magic that the film strived for. Howard's occasional use of choir further helps to establish an otherworldly feel. All of this is held together by an absolutely wonderful main theme that plays a key role in the music, appearing throughout the score before its most majestic performance towards the end.

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Highlight: The Great Eatlon (4:42)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

John Williams

2004 (1977) / Sony / 105 mins

An extremely influential score that helped shape film music for years to come. It reflects the grand adventure scores of the Golden Age of Cinema at a time when such music was on the decline. It`s loaded with now classic themes, performed boldly and triumphantly throughout. Being the first, it's not as diverse and consistent as some of other Star Wars scores, but it's still a must have addition to your collection.

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Highlight: The Throne Room / End Title (5:37)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Jerry Goldsmith

1979 / Columbia / 40 mins

This score, especially the main theme, perfectly conveys the sense of optimism and the spirit of adventure synonymous with the series itself. It's a mixture of grand orchestra and a few electronic elements, including the Blaster Beam, used to represent the menacing cloud that approaches earth. Overall it's rich in themes and wonderfully captivating, and definitely one of Goldsmiths best.

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Highlight: Main Title/Klingon Battle (6:51)

The Door

Fabian Römer

2009 / Königskinder / 47 mins

The Door (or Die Tür in German), is a trippy science fiction score, with some rather unorthodox clicking and plucking to accompany the piano and strings that make up the majority of the sound. The music is fairly restrained and dark overall, as is the film it comes from. There are occasionally bursts of action or romanticism that work very well, making it an enjoyable, if unremarkable, listening experience.

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Highlight: Du Und Ich (5:26)

Reign of Fire

Edward Shearmur

2002 / Varèse Sarabande / 50 mins

Shearmur provides a violent, and harsh post-apocalyptic film score. Granted, there is some thematic structure, and the album does have its moments of heroism and hope. Overall though, the majority of the music is quite harsh, with screeching strings and clanging percussion. It's very well done and works good in the film, but as a stand-alone experience it might prove a little much for some people.

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Highlight: Magic Hour (5:24)

Space Battleship Yamato

Naoki Sato

2010 / Crown Tokuma / 65 mins

A very thematic, rousing action score that also has a strong dramatic core. Sato uses the themes from the original anime, but turns them into triumphant anthems of orchestra and choir. Weaving all these themes together, he manages to create exhilarating moments of action and peril. He also use them well when he shift to a slower, more dramatic mode, resulting in a captivating album that flows from start to finish.

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Highlight: 波動砲発射 ("Wave Motion Gun Fires") (4:39)

Schindler's List

John Williams

1993 / MCA / 65 mins

A wonderfully beautiful and yet terribly tragic score, relying heavily on violin to set the mood. There are some Jewish songs and choir incorporated, as well as the occasional solo woodwind adding some variety to the album. The only knock against it is that on a full listen it can prove a little oppressive in its sadness. Still, it's one of John William's best, and it's something everyone should hear at least once.

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Highlight: I Could Have Done More (5:52)