Small Soldiers is one of those Goldsmith scores that has all the makings of a classic Goldsmith score but fails to reach that status. For U.S. Marshals the reasons were painfully obvious (Which I have heard due to a friend owning the score rather than myself owning it). That score had little to no theme and never managed gain any kind of pace or atmosphere in almost all of the music.
With Small Soldiers the reasons are more subtle and far less annoying yet they are there. Whilst all the music is enjoyable and highly serviceable it does not seem able to spark any excitement or capture the spirit of the film. The action cues have little power or thrust behind them and can feel flat. In particular �Trust Me� just seems to float along at a leisurely pace with none of the breathless qualities of Total Recall and little of Goldsmith�s diverse orchestration or flair. This can also be said for most of the score.
The opening track �Assembly Line� is the highlight of the CD. The main Small Soldiers theme is actually a highly enjoyable piece but its lack of expansion and lack of large performances outside that first track fail to properly root it in the score.
Tracks 3 and 4 demonstrate more than a few flashes of Goldsmith inspiration with �When Johnny Comes Marching Home� being inter populated with the underscore. This is a welcome reprieve before the rather drab orchestration slips back in.
This is the main problem with Small Soldiers. In places it is very creative and enjoyable and yet in a lot of places it misses the mark. The orchestration is fine, being thick and full and sounding very crisp but what the orchestra is playing just doesn�t capture the listener.
As usual a loss is saved with a large and suitably satisfying finale to the score with the string sections pulling out all the stops in an effort to create a big sounding finale.
That is another possible reason for the score failing. Unlike most Goldsmith action scores the brass have very little to do past the theme and tracks 3 and 4. The majority of the score including the action cues are handled mostly by the strings which takes away a lot of the drive from the action and the volume. Unlike Air Force One where Goldsmith and Joel McNeely struck the perfect match between strings and brass Small Soldiers is heavily one sided.
On the whole there is little to engage the listener here. The score works well in the film being light hearted and full of substance and small flashes of style but as a release it is short at 31 minutes and for Goldsmith unusually weak for a score with this much orchestration in it.
**
2. Alan and Archer (2:58)
3. Roll Call (4:49)
4. Prepare for Assult (3:46)
5. Branded (2:15)
6. Special Design (2:33)
7. I'm Scared (2:01)
8. Trust Me (4:04)
9. Off to Gorgon (4:41)