Following on from my post on Hans Zimmer's best soundtracks comes my list of Michael Giacchino's best works. Giacchino is best known for his collaboration with directors JJ Abrams and Brad Bird on movies such as Star Trek, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Up and Ratatouille. In addition to his work on hit TV show, Lost, Giacchino has also provided the music to Spider-Man Homecoming, Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Honorable mentions: Mission Impossible 3, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Zootopia, Doctor Strange, Coco, Ratatouille
10. 'Train of Taut'- Incredibles 2
Incredibles 2 was a movie that I was incredibly hyped for, having grown up with the The Incredibles and adoring the characters. New music from Michael Giacchino was a bonus and I had this soundtrack on repeat for months after watching the film. The soundtrack from the original is one of my absolute favourites (see later on in this list) and I was glad to see that the new film retained the same style whilst building on established themes. The score accentuates the fight sequences particularly well, seen best during Elasti-Girl's fantastic motorcycle chase.
9. 'Enterprising Young Men'- Star Trek
Though it divided the original fan base, J.J. Abram's reboot of Star Trek is undoubtedly one of the best examples of revitalising an older property and bringing it back into the public's eye. It pays homage to the legacy of the original series and movies, whilst also paving its own path in terms of the characters and story. Giacchino delivers a fantastic new theme for the reboot, making for one of the best blockbuster soundtracks in recent memory.
8. 'Letting Go'- Super 8
Super 8 is another J.J. Abrams movie, best described as the Stranger Things before Stranger Things. The movie follows a group of kids in 1971 who witness a strange series of events after a catastrophic train crash. The movie itself is solid, but the soundtrack is even better, demonstrating Michael Giacchino's range that extends from animation to action blockbuster to independent sci-fi. His music rarely lacks heart and 'Letting Go' is a great example of how he makes what could have been a standard sci-fi score, into something more human.
7. 'Jyn Erso and Hope Suite': Rogue One
John William's left extremely large shoes to fill when it comes to Star Wars soundtracks. Lots of fans weren't overjoyed with Giacchino's score for the film, but, in my opinion, 'Jyn Erso and Hope Suite' is one of the best tracks in the franchise. We may not know a lot about the group of characters in the film but the cast's performance in addition to the poignant score (another example of Giacchino bringing an emotional element into a sci-fi story) makes for an impactful ending.
6. 'Bundle of Joy': Inside Out
Pixar's return to excellence came in the form of 2015's Inside Out. A movie about emotions calls for an emotional score and Giacchino certainly delivers. This film was not the first time he collaborated with director Pete Docter (see Up further on in this list), and it seems that the two of them, Docter and Giacchino, form a lethal combination for emotional gut punches. We open the film with a delicate melody- Bundle of Joy- and this same melody is worked into the climax of the story as Riley learns to balance her sadness and joy. It is a masterful way of evoking an instant sense of nostalgia, similarly to the montage in Up.
5. 'Night on the Yorktown': Star Trek Beyond
Michael Giacchino's work on the Star Trek franchise continued with the third in the rebooted series, Star Trek Beyond. 'Night on the Yorktown' is one of my favourite pieces from the soundtrack, bringing a sense of wonder and beauty to the crew's first sight of Yorktown. It's a moment that contributes to Beyond's homage to the original series, which was always first and foremost about discovery.
4. 'The Posse Polonaise': War for the Planet of the Apes
War for the Planet of the Apes was one of the best movies of 2017, standing out amongst other blockbusters for its dramatic tone and focus on character work as opposed to on enormous CGI battles. Giacchino's score is aptly poignant- delicate piano work which transitions into a bold fanfare when the scene calls for it. This balance allows the movie to have touching moments like Luca, an enormous gorilla, presenting a little girl with a flower, but then also the thrill of watching Caesar stand up to his captors in the second half of the film.
3. 'Parting Words': Lost
Michael Giacchino's work on the TV show, Lost, was consistently outstanding, making it one of the best television soundtracks of all time. There are so many tracks I could choose from as the best of the series, but 'Parting Words' is one that made for one of the show's best moments. It plays when a small group of the survivors set off on a raft that is their only chance of rescue. The piece starts slowly as the survivors, particularly Jin and Sun, say their bittersweet goodbyes. As the scene progresses, the music becomes hopeful and triumphant as the raft is pushed into the sea. All of this makes for one of the most heart-warming and epic moments in the show as we see the characters working together for the first time.
2. 'Married Life': Up
I've written an entire article on this scene from Up (which you can find here) so I'll keep this one brief and leave it at the fact that 'Married Life' is one of cinema's best compositions.
1. '100 Mile Dash': The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a movie I have seen at least a dozen times and remains to be my favourite Pixar movie. Brad Bird's slick direction and writing is perfectly complemented by Giacchino's score which blends elements of classic spy thrillers like James Bond with the usual superhero fanfare. It gives the movie an incomparable sense of mature and sophisticated style that is a rarity in animated films whilst also highlighting the sheer joy of a superhero story- for example the little pause and subsequent flourish of music just before Dash realises he can run on water. Like a lot of the films on this list, Giacchino's music is so memorable that it is intriniscally linked with the movie it comes from.
Thank you for reading this article- be sure to check out my post on Hans Zimmer's music and look out for another movie music post very soon.
I do not own any of the images or videos used in this post.
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