Mission: Impossible – Fallout (soundtrack)

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Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Music from the Motion Picture)
Film score by
Lorne Balfe
ReleasedJuly 13, 2018 (2018-07-13)
Recorded2018
GenreFilm score
Length1:35:45
Label
Producer
Lorne Balfe chronology
Pacific Rim Uprising
(2018) 		Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Music from the Motion Picture)
(2018) 		Georgetown
(2019)
Mission: Impossible soundtracks chronology
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
(2015) 		Mission: Impossible – Fallout
(2018) 		Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
(2023)

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Music from the Motion Picture) is the score album to the 2018 film Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, starring Tom Cruise, and the sequel to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), the film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and featured original score composed by Lorne Balfe, in McQuarrie's maiden collaboration and also replacing Joe Kraemer who composed for McQuarrie's previous films, including Rogue Nation. The album was released digitally on July 13, 2018 by Paramount Music, and the physical version of the soundtrack was released by La-La Land Records on September 19.

Development[edit]

Lorne Balfe watched all the films of the series to inspire writing the film's music.[1][2] While he assisted Hans Zimmer, as well as co-producing the score of Dunkirk (2017), that film's producer, Jake Myers, who was also producing Fallout, contacted Balfe to score for the film while Randy Spendlove, CEO of Paramount Music had arranged a meeting with Balfe, McQuarrie and Myers discussing about the music of the film. While McQuarrie discussed about the tone and film's storyline, Balfe had written the music syncing with the narration, and gave a musical ledger describing Ethan's journey, leading him to be onboard for the film.[3][4]

As with all the films from the previous instalments, Lalo Schifrin's themes from the original television series were incorporated into the score.[5] Balfe interpreted himself as a failed percussionist, he always being aware of the musical rhythm produced in the series, saying "Of course you've got that very famous melody, but it's very percussive and it's very rhythmical. And it's the same as when you go back and watch the TV shows, it was very percussive. So I knew that pulse and pace were something that I wanted to delve into more, but also I just wanted to experiment with some of the instrumentation. Like bongos were always in the TV show, and I thought, "Why have one when we can have twelve?" [...] I was just trying to push them to a larger form. So with the bongos, it's hard enough for one bongo player to get a gig these days. For twelve, it's a miracle. It was really being loyal to the past, but bringing it into the future. I think that that's what the movie does."[3]

While scoring for the film, McQuarrie did not use temp music for the film, but instead used Balfe's samples as the temp music. Balfe added that the recording room was next to the editing room, so he could be in contact with editor Eddie Hamilton, who helps him choosing the experimentation constantly while working on the score.[3][6] In the end credits, the Mission Impossible theme song were recorded by a latin choir, to have the version more loyal to the theme.[7]

Release history[edit]

The score was digitally released by Paramount Music on July 13, 2018.[8] La-La Land Records marketed the film's soundtrack in a 2-CD set on September 19, 2018.[9] On June 24, 2019, Mondo announced the vinyl edition of the soundtrack, released in 2-CD set pressed into 180 gram plutonium core colored and black vinyl.[10] It also features a limited flexi-disc, featuring an unreleased track titled "It's Possible".[11] The pre-orders for the soundtrack began on June 26, and eventually released on July 19.[12]

Reception[edit]

Lorne Balfe's musical score received mixed response, though some critics praised it as an "epic and inspiring score".[13] Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson[13] and Polygon's Matt Patches[2] compared the score to that of Christopher Nolan's films; the latter drew comparison to Hans Zimmer's score for The Dark Knight trilogy.[2] Peter Debruge of Variety opined that the "signature, pulse-quickening score is reinvented here in brilliant ways, with completely surprising instruments and orchestrations that barely allow a moment’s calm".[14] CinemaBlend's Conner Schwerdtfeger wrote "a booming score by Lorne Balfe that evolves the legendary Mission: Impossible theme in almost every way".[15]

However, Zanobard Reviews gave 4/10 to the album, calling it as "bland";[16] whereas James Southall of Movie Wave was also critical of the score, calling it as "fiercely, oppressively boring",[17] although he later backtracked on this opinion, considering it "riveting" and writing that he "had madly written it off at the time".[18] Jonathan Broxton wrote "it’s not the fact that Balfe uses rhythms rather than melodies, or the fact that there is just as much synth as there is orchestra, that is the problem. It’s the fact that, too often, the music feels lifeless. There’s so much scope for there to be wonderfully complicated and invigorating percussion patterns driving the action along, for there to be cool and ballsy brass combinations, and for the strings to do more than simply chug along in basic repetitive ostinatos, but Balfe almost never seizes the opportunity. Ever since it first debuted in the 1960s Mission: Impossible has been about swaggering cool, and the almost complete lack of that in this score is what ultimately makes it so disappointing."[19] Filmtracks.com wrote "Balfe's approach to Mission: Impossible - Fallout provided the director with the dumbed-down attitude he desired, and some listeners will find the score to be a satisfying RC-inspired romp".[20]

Soundtrack World wrote "the music has gone into a direction where it does not fit with the iconic theme by Schifrin".[21] In a positive note, Caleb Burnett of Set the Tape wrote "Lorne Balfe does a fine job with his score for the latest entry in the Mission: Impossible series. It would be difficult to argue that he did not make it his own and compose something fresh and new for the franchise, whilst concurrently utilising the iconic music that has made this franchise famous to thrill audiences like any Mission story should. The score is certainly a different, yet ultimately worthy addition to the scores of the Mission: Impossible series."[22]

Track listing[edit]

All music is composed by Lorne Balfe

No.TitleLength
1."A Storm is Coming"1:12
2."Your Mission"2:14
3."Should You Choose to Accept..."2:34
4."The Manifesto"1:44
5."Good Evening, Mr. Hunt"4:19
6."Change of Plan"5:47
7."A Terrible Choice"2:54
8."Fallout"1:30
9."Stairs and Rooftops"6:00
10."No Hard Feelings"4:20
11."Free Fall"4:14
12."The White Widow"4:42
13."I Am the Storm"2:07
14."The Exchange"5:54
15."Steps Ahead"1:02
16."Escape Through Paris"5:05
17."We Are Never Free"6:57
18."Kashmir"4:29
19."Fate Whispers to the Warrior"3:54
20."And the Warrior Whispers Back"3:56
21."Unfinished Business"1:49
22."Scalpel and Hammer"5:10
23."The Syndicate"6:00
24."Cutting on One"3:42
25."The Last Resort"2:55
26."Mission: Accomplished"1:15
Total length:1:35:45

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (2018) Peak

position

UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[23] 29

References[edit]

  1. ^ filmmusicreporter (April 19, 2018). "Lorne Balfe Scoring Christopher McQuarrie's Mission Impossible - Fallout". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Patches, Matt (July 13, 2018). "The action of Mission: Impossible - Fallout will have you gasping for air". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Chitwood, Adam (July 30, 2018). "Mission: Impossible – Fallout Composer Lorne Balfe on Crafting the Score". Collider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  4. ^ Stewart, Red (August 13, 2018). "Exclusive Interview – Composer Lorne Balfe talks Mission: Impossible - Fallout and video game scores". Flickering Myth. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  5. ^ "Composer Lorne Balfe Discusses MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT, The Game Awards And SIX UNDERGROUND". We Are Movie Geeks. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  6. ^ "Interview: Lorne Balfe (Mission: Impossible - Fallout) (Ep. 114)". The SoundCast. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  7. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - Sound of Cinema, Mission: Impossible - Fallout". BBC. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Music from the Motion Picture), July 13, 2018, archived from the original on August 10, 2022, retrieved August 10, 2022
  9. ^ "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT (2-CD SET)". La-La Land Records. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Evangelista, Chris (June 24, 2019). "'Mission: Impossible – Fallout' Vinyl Soundtrack Coming From Mondo". SlashFilm.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  11. ^ "Music Weekly: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT 2XLP + THE BEACH BUM LP!". Mondo. June 24, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  12. ^ "Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Music From The Original Motion Picture 2XLP". Mondo. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Lawson, Richard (July 12, 2018). "Mission: Impossible — Fallout Is the Best Action Movie of the Year". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  14. ^ Debruge, Peter (July 12, 2018). "Film Review: Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible — Fallout'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  15. ^ Schwerdtfeger, Conner (July 12, 2018). "Mission: Impossible Fallout Review". CINEMABLEND. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  16. ^ Zanobard (July 14, 2018). "Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Soundtrack Review". Zanobard Reviews. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  17. ^ "Mission: Impossible - Fallout soundtrack review | Lorne Balfe | movie-wave.net". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "Ambulance soundtrack review | Lorne Balfe | movie-wave.net". August 25, 2022. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  19. ^ "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT – Lorne Balfe". MOVIE MUSIC UK. July 31, 2018. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  20. ^ "Filmtracks: Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Lorne Balfe)". www.filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  21. ^ "Mission: Impossible – Fallout — Lorne Balfe – Soundtrack World". August 22, 2018. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  22. ^ Burnett, Caleb (July 31, 2018). "Mission: Impossible - Fallout (Lorne Balfe) - Score Review". Set The Tape. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  23. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 - 2 to 8 August". Official Charts Company. August 2, 2018. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
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