Varèse Sarabande release Hans Zimmer's original score for CHAPPiE. Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than CHAPPiE: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, CHAPPiE will come under the influence of his surroundings – some good, some bad – and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there's one thing that makes CHAPPiE different from anyone else: he is a robot. The first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. His life, his story, will change the way the world looks at robots and humans forever...

Hans Zimmer's score for CHAPPiE is, I'm sorry to say, one that only really works in the movie. It's not a soundtrack you can get much enjoyment out of on its own merits. While technically it's an interesting score, and no doubt Zimmer had a blast getting to drag out forty-year old analogue synthesizers and experimenting, it's not so entertaining to listen to.

While it has its moments ('Use Your Mind' and 'Never Break a Promise' being the only two tracks I'd want to listen to again), the majority of this album's 16 tracks (1 hr, 03 min, 06 sec) are rather bland. For those that grew up with the first Gameboy handheld console, 'Illest Gangsta on the Block' will make you smile with its 8-bit sound.

I'm sure in the movie this works wonders (when have you ever known Zimmer to not deliver the goods?) but listened to out of context it's incredibly dull and lifeless.

3

Darren Rea