Tim Babb’s April Foolishness
Day 19

I may have mentioned once or twice that I am a fan of the John Williams Superman theme. I may also have pointed out my dismay with Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel theme. That may lead you to think that I’m not a fan of any superhero themes besides Mr. Williams’. Not true. There are some other great themes out there. Here are my five favorites…

Captain America by Alan Silvestri

Spoiler alert: this will not be the only time that Alan Silvestri makes this list. But this theme sounds more like Jerry Goldsmith (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Air Force One, Soarin’ Over California) to me. Since the Captain’s roots are in the army, it makes sense that the theme has a very military feel to it. Very nice feel to it. I was happy to hear it in part 2.

The Dark Knight by Hans Zimmer

“What? Hans Zimmer made this list?!” Yes, I’m not a Zimmer hater. I like Crimson Tide, Pirates of the Caribbean, and probably other movies I didn’t even know he scored. I also liked the Dark Knight trilogy theme. It’s the perfect theme for a dark, brooding hero of the night. See? I don’t hate Hans Zimmer…unless he’s scoring a Superman movie.

Marvel’s The Avengers by Alan Silvestri

Silvestri is back! I love this score. It kind of has a Superman vibe to it. The string build up, the big brass fan fare…god stuff. I like the added addition of the drums with the rock beat putting a little more spice in the mix. Assemble!!!

The Incredibles by Michael Giacchino

When I was making this list, I was struck by how similar this theme was to the Avengers theme. Since it was first on the scene, I give it the edge. I like this one because it’s got a hummable, superhero sounding melody but with a style that’s reminiscent of James Bond.

Batman (1989) by Danny Elfman

This is the score. It’s so well suited to the character. Perfect mix of action, mood, and a little bit of fun to remind you this is a comic book movie.
Once again, Zimmer can’t top the original. Though technically, you could say that the 1966 Batman was the “original” Batman music. And in fact, people gave Elfman crap for not using the Adam West Batman theme. But the Tim Burton Batman was so different that it made no sense to keep the campy score from…the original…movie…

…wait a minute this argument sounds familiar. Suddenly I hate this argument!!!

#JohnWilliams4Life