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Every good film score must have at least two seperate themes that are used during the course of the music. MEN IN BLACK certainly does this and does it with style. As I have already mentioned the main theme, it now comes the time to discuss the second, more beautiful theme of the film. Although it is never actually written down anywhere, this sub-theme most definitely could be entitled "K's Theme." I bring this up because the only moments this theme is used is whenever Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) is on the screen. Danny Elfman constructed a delicate theme that uses light guitar music and the piano to convey Agent K's hidden past. This theme is used as an effective counterbalance to the dramatic, booming nature of the other theme. This is, partly, what makes this score work so well.
As expected, there are some very good choral pieces and action cues that work even better when seperated from the movie. "Petit Mort" and "Finale" are the two most prominent songs that use a full chorus to heighten the enjoyment. Both are quite beautiful and one could even say sad. If there is one thing that Danny Elfman has been extremely reliable about during his career is the use of human voice in his scores. This just seems to give his work more personality and believability. When used effectively, as it is here, the chorus can take the listener on a flight of enjoyment. As for action, there are several distinct tracks where the action takes center stage. The most prominent of them all is the enthralling song called "Take Off/Crash." While listening, we can hear the unsuccessful flight of Edgar the Bug and his eventual destruction. This track is quite amazing.
In closing, one must really sit back and admire Danny Elfman's unique talent to score motion pictures so accurately. His themes instantly capture the essence of the film and keep on brilliantly maintaining that essence until the last note is played. On the score release of MEN IN BLACK, it is interesting that almost every bit of music from the film is on the disc. Of the estimated 46 minutes of music used in the film, nearly 43 minutes of it appears on the CD. It may not seem like a lot of music, but you enjoy it so much while you're listening to it you aren't concerned with its length. Actully, the music that wasn't included wasn't really as memorable as the included music. With MEN IN BLACK, Danny Elfman continues his steady record of great soundtracks. Pick this one up and have some fun.
