After a great score for Batman, Elfman returns for another round with the Caped Crusader. Picking up the reins pretty much where he left off, Elfman continues with the same feel of Batman's. Rather than relying solely on orchestral pieces in this outing, Elfman opts for more choral segments in addition to his usual dark orchestrations. And although his use of organs made a few brief appearances towards the end of Batman, in this one, it features much more prominently.
The opening two tracks are good, and are the highlight of the film. Both Selina Kyle's (Catwoman) and the Penguin's themes aren't as strong as they could have been but they are certainly much better than Elliot Goldenthal's themes for The Riddler or Two-Face. For Catwoman, Elfman uses stings heavily. They are played at very high notes giving it a cat-like sound. Not suprising since many strings in an orchestra are made of cat-guts; quite ironic if you ask me. Usually, Catwoman's theme is nothing more than a few of these high notes strung together. As for the Penguin's his is pretty much the same only his uses more childrens choir pieces than anything else. The Batman theme that brought Elfman into the forefront in 1989 is back in the sequel too (before Goldenthal all but abandoned it) and is heard occasionally throughout the soundtrack.
The orchestrations aren't as powerful in this sequel, and the action sequences are not as full and impressive as the original, but then again as the saying goes, 'lightning never strikes the same spot twice'. I enjoy this score simply because it was the final Elfman/Batman score and it the sound that made Batman the Dark Knight and not a living comic book like Goldenthal's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Nothing can top the original Batman theme. This effort by Elfman is decent but could have been better. Overall, it would be smarter to invest in the original.
Total time: 67:01
1: Birth of a Penguin (2:27)
2: Opening Titles (3:09)
3: The Lair -- part 1 (0:57)
4: The Lair -- part 2 (4:49)
5: Selina Kyle (1:11)
6: Selina Transforms (4:16)
7: The Cemetary (2:54)
8: Cat Suite (5:41)
9: Batman vs. The Circus (2:34)
10: The Rise... (1:41)
11: ...and Fall from Grace (4:08)
12: Sore Spots (2:15)
13: Rooftops (4:19)
14: Wild Ride (3:34)
15: The Children's Hour (1:47)
16: The Final Confrontation (5:12)
17: Penguin Army (4:54)
18: Selina's Electrocution (2:40)
19: The Finale (2:19)
20: End Credits (4:44)
21: Face To Face (4:17) - Siouxsie and The Banshees