Hans Zimmer's Soundtracks: Man of Steel or Batman Trilogy?

Which Superhero Got the Better Musical Treatment?

Hans Zimmer is a true virtuoso. He has been a composer on over a 150 film and other titles, won four Grammy Awards, 2 Golden Globes and an Oscar. His signature is the

integration of electronica with traditional orchestral music and this aspect of his style is epitomized in the Dark Knight Trilogy. He has scores in the Lion King, Crimson Tide, The Batman Trilogy, The Thin Red Line, The Last Samurai, Inception and Gladiator. A look at that line up and you realize that he’s the go-to guy for Christopher Nolan, as he’ll be scoring Interstellar as well.

I wanted to ascertain his best work of sorts, but it was only the soundtracks in the recent past that stuck in my mind. I began to compare his work on Batman and Man of Steel., a superhero showdown if you will. The Batman trilogy showcased some of his greatest work. The introductory music for each of the villains was exemplary, striking a strong resemblance with that villain’s strength. The Joker’s theme song was one long electronic tune that reeked of insanity, hysteria and all things crazy. Bane’s theme was more robust and grittier, as if the music was modeled out of his very intimidating physique. His piano work as well was brilliant, especially for Catwoman and in those emotionally dark moments where Bruce Wayne laments his solitude and isolation.

Man of Steel struck a different chord, though. It was brimming with hope and expanded in terms of the orchestral use. It was, largely grand. When you listen closely to both soundtracks it becomes clear that there’s a significant amount of repetition in the album, with bits and pieces from previous songs placed in others. In Man of Steel, this cutting and pasting is well synchronized and feels seamless. In the Batman trilogy, it feels fragmented at times when the electronica attempts to meld with the orchestral music, creating an almost cacophonous effect. Zimmer does bring sweeping moments in the album but that work is undone at times by the lack of synergy. That’s not to say that it was horrible. The movie chose all the right bits from here and there, the best example of sound editing which is why it won an Oscar for that task. But Man of Steel has each song working in conjunction, so that the album works well as a whole. Songs like Flight and Arcade were simply astounding, featured heavily in the trailers as well if you remember.

But what truly mesmerized me was the female singer’s voice in the early part of the album. In songs like ‘Goodbye My Son’ her voice set the truly melancholic tone it deserved. Zimmer’s work on both tracks was noteworthy. While the repetitious nature inherently present in his work can be criticized, he does generate some truly visceral moments in his music. When focusing on the entire score, though, I would side with his efforts in Man of Steel.