skyhighanimBy Michael Giacchino,

Intrada Special Collection 371

Intrada unleash a world premiere of Michael Giacchino’s lively superhero score to the 2005 Disney flick, Sky High. And while it’s unlikely that (Giacchino completists aside) no-one was really crying out for this release, it’s a fun collection of cues that give us a fair taste of what would later come.

We’d always suspected that Giacchino loves the soundtracks of John Williams, and this really became apparent last December when he delivered a Williams-esque score to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that showed just how well-versed he was in the maestro’s style. We shouldn’t have been surprised, as he’d been delivering big, rousing overtures for years, and he was clearly of that lineage from Korngold to Williams or Goldsmith.

Sky High was the composer’s first live-action score for a major studio and followed hot on the heels of his The Incredibles. Sky High actually boasts more of a superhero feel than The Incredibles, which had more of an UNCLE/Bond spy vibe to it. The Main Theme states the composer’s intent – it’s a curious hybrid of Superman the Movie, Star Wars and even Horner’s Battle Beyond the Stars. I’m not going to call it generic, as that would suggest it lacks in invention, which it doesn’t, but it does feel on first listen like it could have been composed by any one of a number of composers at that time. Subsequent listens reveal a greater depth.

Intrada have packed the 51-minute release with every complete cue as recorded. It’s a fine package with obligatory liner notes looking at both the creation of the film and the compilation of the disc. Four short alternate and additional cues close the release, which surely is the final word as this movie’s definitive soundtrack CD.

It’s interesting spotting the tremolo strings that Giacchino used to frequent effect as ‘danger’ music in Lost, and at times you’ll pick up bits of his Star Trek trilogy. But let’s not criticise a composer who was still establishing his sound before scoring A-list Hollywood movies; instead, kick back and let this fun set of cues brighten up your living room.

Verdict: Sky High is probably best remembered for its fun genre cast (Kurt Russell, Lynda Carter, Bruce Campbell) and riding the short-lived Spy Kids-inspired run of child wish-fulfilment movies. Now that we can listen to its glorious main theme and sparky underscore in isolation, there’s another reason to remember it. It might not be cut from the same cape cloth as Doctor Strange, but even as an example of superhero-lite, it’s a fun diversion. 7/10

Nick Joy