Last week, we lost James Horner, one of the greats among film score composers. The many tributes and accolades he received after his tragic death (and throughout his career) are a reminder of just how much film music resonates with audiences, and how integral it is to the filmgoing experience. Interestingly, many (not all) of the tributes to Horner that I've come across have focused more on his dramatic scores for films such as Apollo 13, Braveheart, or Titanic - and don't get me wrong, this praise is well-deserved. However, his work on adventure films such as Willow, The Rocketeer, and The Mask of Zorro are likewise worthy of attention, and not just as a testament to Horner's versatility, but to how enjoyable they are as pieces of music and how much they've livened up the action scenes from these films.
So without further ado, here are my Top 10 Favorite Film Score Tracks from Action Scenes!
And speaking of which, coming in at number one...
We hear the Fellowship theme in full one more time as Frodo and Aragorn successfully escape a crumbling part of the bridge, and all seems well...until Gandalf faces off with the monster in order to protect his comrades at the (apparent) cost of his own life. As our heroes finally emerge from Moria, the scene is completely silent except for the music, featuring a mournful soprano solo. The renditions of the Fellowship theme alone make this a joy to listen to, but the varying emotions and tones seamlessly woven into a single piece of music that's only a few minutes long, while telling a complete story, is nothing less than remarkable.
"Fight On!" (aka "Those Who Fight Further") by Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII (1997)