Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Well, I saw this film several times already and really liked the score the second and third times round. I bought it yesterday and have been listening to it all day. I think it is easily the best Elfman score I've heard in years. It's really fun and playful but also a bit odd and strange, befitting the film quite well. After all, Depp's Wonka is the perfect blend of childlike innocence and strange creepiness... he is delightfully creepy and so is the score.

Stand out tracks for me right now are, of course, the Main Titles, Wheels In Motion, the boat music tracks and the credits which consist of largely instrumental versions of the Oompa Loompa songs for each child. Brilliant work by Elfman!

Thoughts?

Please don't spam.

Nice spam. I've been meaning to check out the new Charlie score, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I cannot believe you barbarians have not listened to this score. The film is brilliant and so is Elfman's score. Honestly, when did I last get this excited for an Elfman score?

Anyone? Please tell me I am not the only one who loves this score...

I never posted here?

I love how it sounds not entirely typical for Elfman (unlike Spiderman ). Not having seen the movie, it lacks the connection for me, but the score is good enough that I want to see it just to see how it works with the pictures. But it already creates some ... magic. Elfmanish creepy magic but magic nonetheless!

Elfmanish creepy magic but magic nonetheless!

Trust me... that goes with the Burton creepy magic REALLY well!

Loved the movie (leaves the 1971 version for dead IMO) and enjoyed the music even more. Can't wait to get my hands on the score, maybe they will never release it in New Zealand... Too bad 'cause it sounds awesome!

I've got it. Don't care for it much. Technically it's all right, but it seems to me somehow more mean and heartless than similar Elfman work.

Mean and heartless??? It's the first Elfman score with any magic and heart in like 10 years!

I think it is the best danny elfman score i've heard since 'nightmare before christmas' and 'big fish.'

I think it's the best Elfman score since Batman.

I like the CTTCF score. The opening credits just does it for me. Giving that eerie and adventurous feel.

Yah that track has the most plays by me in iTunes.

I was surprised about this movie, actually. I hated the original, and was only taken to this one as part of a compromise I made with someone... buit that soundtrack really hooked me.

Right now, I'm actually scoring a short film with this as the main/villains theme- it has that wonderfully demented "Spider-man Theme Gone Wrong" sound to it.

I also like "Main Titles" as well as "Oompa-Loompa land" and "Wheels in Motion." For the songs, my favorite would be "Agustus Gloop," with a beat and style that I really love... from that, it's pretty much a descending order, and the Mike Teevee song doesn't do much for me.

All in all, a great score.

I've found this score the most difficult Elfman score I've had to get into. Calling it the best since Batman is quite an overstatement.

I find it hard to get into scores like Spiderman or Planet of the Apes that have no themes. Those scores suck. Charlie is a fantastic score. I find it magical and listenable.

Spiderman has no theme?

I left the theatre humming the Batman theme. I'd say Elfman failed to write anything memorable for Spiderman.

Not every movie has to have a whistle-able theme. I'd take a Herrman score anyday above most others, and he couldn't write a melody to save himself. And some themes can over do it. See Lara's theme from Dr. Zhivago.

Spiderman should. The score was boring. Not worth owning in the least.

Planet of the Apes and Spider-Man do have themes, they're just subtle.

Well then I guess I like Charlie's score because the themes are not subtle.

I found it to be too much of a rehash of Big Fish, and I heard that The Corpse Bride may as well be a compilation of everything we've heard before from Elfman. I deeply admire Elfman, but I think he's suffering a burnout. He should take a short break because his latest output is just getting really "samey".

I haven't heard Big Fish but I feel like Charlie is the first Elfman score in at least a decade (except Good Will Hunting) that isn't tired and boring.