June 3, 2011

Just watched Gnomeo & Juliet for our family pizza-movie-night. Dug the way James Newton Howard infused SUBTLE elements from Bernstein & the old Romeo & Juliet love theme into the Elton John driven score. The little bits of musical intelligence were like the many Shakespeare references strewn about (like the pelican named Featherstone coming out of the old shed with the "As You Like It" ticket tacked to the wall. Get it? Touchstone? Featherstone?) But hey, Elton John, how about a NEW tune in there? Did we really need the whole thing built around Crocodile Rock?  Maybe it helped to build the score around something so damned recognizeable.