February 2000 Film Music CD Reviews

Film Music Editor: Ian Lace
Music Webmaster Len Mullenger


Alan WILLIAMS Island of the Sharks   IMAX OST   PROMOTIONAL AWCD-1000 [35:21]

Information on obtaining Promo discs here



In the main title for this IMAX documentary, Alan Williams (no relation to you-know-who) stretches out with strings and horns sounding an evergreen melody fashioned, some might say a little too closely, in the romantic style of John Barry. Ask yourself, "A love theme for sharks?"

Okay, it is a love theme for the island. "Island of the Sharks" is a Large Format motion picture detailing the underwater inhabitants of Costa Rica's Cocos Island, including more sharks per cubic yard than maybe any other place on Earth. Williams had the task of capturing the emotion of the undersea exploration and the majesty of the largest uninhabited island -- and "the most beautiful," in the words of Jacques Cousteau -- on the globe. Yet despite the locale, and due to taking a musical path paved firmly before, the score lacks a particularly exotic feel that would make it sound more like a trip to an unsoiled tropical island than a trip to Miami Beach.

It remains recommendable, strong reservations aside, for its flashes of individuality and its always-present heart. This is especially evident in more equatorial-sounding tracks, where Williams shows a sense of bonhomie that captures and involves the listener immediately. He handles the job interestingly and entertainingly, the score smoothly shifts between moods, doing well in contrasting likeable melodies with inimical outbursts to push the score slightly above the norm.

Reviewer

Jeffrey Wheeler

Reviewer

Jeffrey Wheeler


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