Album Review: Paws of Fury

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Music composed by Bear McCreary
Orchestra conducted by David Shipps
Additional music by Sam Ewing, Omer Ben-Zvi
Orchestrated by Benjamin Hoff, Jamie Thierman, Sean Barrett
Songs by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner
Song orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, Alan Lee Silva
Score recorded at Sound Kitchen, Nashville
Album running time: 53 minutes
Available on Sparks and Shadows (digital)

Easily the most appealing aspect of this animated film is Bear McCreary's score. I really enjoyed his first animated film, 2017's Animal Crackers. Originally titled Blazing Samurai, the film is a semi-remake of Blazing Saddles (1974). For the score, McCreary was drawn to the styles of 1970's martial arts funk and 1960's spaghetti westerns. Hearing the inspirations of Lalo Schifrin and Ennio Morricone add to the fun. McCreary supplemented his orchestra with a small group of Asian instrumental soloists that are heard throughout. The two main songs were written by Broadway songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner - Shaft-style "The Coolest Cat" for the end credits and western "Blazing Samurai" opening title number. The score's main theme for Hank is based on the "Blazing Samurai" melody.

Samurai For Dummies has the Hank theme tossed throughout the orchestra above the funky wah-wah guitar, bongos and brass hits. Henchman Ohga gets an imposing brass march in Kakamucho Under Attack as his gang enters the town. In Ikachu, we hear Ikachu's tango-esque theme, with woodwinds, pizzicato strings and woodblocks alongside his name chanted by the choir. The Shogun features brass fanfares and Asian touches, the cue ending with the Ikachu chant.

Hank's Escape leans heavy into the blended Samurai-Jazz-Morricone. It's a great mix of styles and instrumentation with a nice blend of action and comedy. Hank Meets Jimbo reuses Hank's theme in a lyrical adaption for his solo Japanese instruments before evolving into a Morricone style theme for trumpets. Signing the Contract gives us a flighty version of Hank's theme with some John Powell-esque touches and brassy jam.

Fireside Flashback is a great action cue full of taiko drums, Morricone trumpet solo, and jazzy pizzazz. Enter the Sumo brings more Morricone vibes with electric guitar, whistling, trumpet solos and and later adding jazzy elements and Ohga's theme with chanting choir. Meanwhile, Sumo Fight is a great mix of big band, wah-wah guitar, bongos and Japanese instruments. Origami features a lyrical/solemn version of the main theme with the traditional instruments taking the lead, which also continues into Torn Contract.

Jimbo's Sacrifice quickly bursts on the scene with a rousing version of Hank's theme, later adding in Ikachu's theme and the Japanese instruments. There's some quick action beats, heavy dramatics and a light comedic moment at the end of the cue. For The Battle of Kakamucho, McCreary uses all the themes and it builds up to some bombastic orchestral moments and another rousing statement of Hank's theme. Showdown on the Super Bowl uses the main theme with spaghetti western-style whistling, big orchestral moments, and choir chants. Samurai Hank has a great versions of Hank's theme, with some quieter reprises snuck inside the exciting orchestral writing. The last moments of the score jumps straight back to 70's funk with Hank's theme taking the lead.

McCreary's score really tells the action, comedy and emotion with his unique take on some familiar musical inspiration.  While not over the top, we hear the tropes of the Schifrin 70's jazz, martial arts films and Morricone spaghetti westerns blended together. We've heard some of those ideas in films like Kung Fu Panda (2008) and Rango (2011), but McCreary uses them in some really creative ways.  The score never feels frantic like the enjoyable Animal Crackers (2017) and his use of the song melody through the score is a blast.