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Q-Review
The Cast-Iron Cop returns, not to the big screen this time, but to
television, in the form of four seperate television movies. As history has
caught to the New Millennial premise of the original 1987 Robocop
feature film, instead of being armed with the considerable talents of
Basil Poledouris, the producers have chosen a "newbie", to most of
us, Norman
Orenstein, as the score's composer.
Norman
Orenstein is not the most familiar composer name around, but he has been
involved within the industry for some twenty years and his composing credits
include feature film scores, music for television series and commercials.
The
music for these excerpts from the latest round of Robocop tales is, of course, highly dependent upon the synthesizer,
as most music for television series and films seemed to be now. It
lacks any of the natural, orchestral elements at all compared Rosenman's
work for Robocop 2 and Basil Poledouris' original score and for Robocop
3. In fact, these selections make scant use of Poledouris decent
original theme.
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Orenstein
goes a completely different route. The
most interesting element to this score is the main theme- as it features a
lead trumpet that belts out strangely Spanish, fanfare, of all things!
While enterprising, it just doesn't seem to fit as a theme for a man/borg
cop.
The
Bottom Line
Robocop: Prime Directives is
a great opportunity and somewhat ambitious effort for the new-face, Norman Orentstein. While it
doesn't compare with Poledouris' earlier work for the original film, it will
give your sound system a "wholop!"
If
your palette craves ominous and bombastic synths...and lots of them (some 73 minutes plus),
then Robocop: Prime Directives won't disappoint you. As for the
more traditional film music buff, you bes' not mess with this Cop.
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Composed
and Conducted by Norman Orenstein
Produced by Norman Orenstein and Ford A. Thaxton