Hollywood Records, out now

Christophe Beck continues his soundtrack duties for Ant-Man, who this time gets joint billing with the Wasp in a fun if non-essential release.

Take a look at the track listing for the Frozen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer composer’s new Marvel Universe soundtrack and you might get the sense that he’s suffering from a dose of the Giacchinos, namely some very pun-tastic cues. Blasting off with It Ain’t Over Till the Wasp Lady Stings, this is the movie’s main theme, and the Giacchino connection continues with the funky accompaniment that is reminiscent of his The Incredibles theme. This theme reappears in the big action sequences like Wings and Blasters and I Shrink, Therefore I Am, which also benefits from some drum ‘n’ bass activity.

Ghost in the Machine and Ava’s Story establishes and develops a melancholic theme for the movie’s villain (though she isn’t really) and this sadness is offset by fun cues like World’s Greatest Grandma, a playful caper with fun electronic flourishes and brassy outbursts. A further theme is established in A Little Nudge, which Is used to underline moments of wonder and quantum exploration, especially in Quantum Leap.

Elsewhere, Feds is a fairly generic action/chase motif and things go very gentle in Partners, a soft theme for moments between Scott and his adoring daughter. And for a bit of fun, the 25-track 56-minute release signs off with the Baba Yaga Lullaby by David Dastmalchian’s Kurt.

Verdict: Much like the movie itself, which doesn’t have the high stakes of this year’s previous Marvel movies Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther, this is a fairly low-key score which ups the ant-e when required, with a great main theme and punchy action cues, but no real zingers (or stingers!) 7/10

Nick Joy