Show Michael Giacchino a Little Love

Last night I went to see Star Trek (yes again. What, I had a free ticket but the movie had to be more than 2 weeks old). ANYWAY, this time, as I already knew what was coming, I decided to spend a little less energy watching, and a little more listening.

First of all, as the only piece of pre-recorded music (not written specifically for the movie), The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” was perfect. One of my favorite high school rebellion bands, with one of their biggest hits, was nice to hear in a major movie like this. Musically, the crescendo in the intro just got you ready for the joyride the rest of the move was going to be.

However, I’m not writing this about the Beastie Boys (though there’s tons that can be said there). I’m writing this for the composer, Michael Giacchino. JJ Abrams has had a string of successful shows and movies (including Alias, Lost, and Mission Imposible III), and he’s gathered a group of talented writers, directors, and producers he likes to work with (not to mention his “good luck charm,” Greg Grunberg). For music, he turns to Michael Giacchino.

Since the first episode of Lost, Michael Giacchino has been able to perfectly express the mood of any scene in the scoring, and he’s even used some strange and interesting instruments to do so (including hitting airplane parts). Some of the themes have become pop sound icons.

But Star Trek is different. Though it very much sounds like a Michael Giacchino soundtrack, Star Trek is much bigger, more intricate and interesting. The music is beautifully written and performed, and yet (except for a few exceptions, like the credits and the re-introduction of the original theme at the end), it is also very subtle.

Something interesting happened to me when I saw Star Trek again. When the full orchestra plays the same line as the Star Trek logo appears at the beginning, I realized I could have closed my eyes and been sitting and listening to a performance of the LA Philharmonic.

It doesn’t happen often that you can get people who would usually ignore a genre to really appreciate it. JJ Abrams has done that with Star Trek. And Michael Giacchino did it with his orchestra.