10 Best Michael Giacchino Film Scores

Michael Giacchino has been scoring films for almost 20 years now and he just keeps getting better and better. Spider-Man: No Way Home is his most recent score and just once again proves why he’s one of the best film composers today. His work has been compared to John Williams several times, he even took over the Jurassic franchise from Williams.

Most of the major franchise films he’s scored have had iconic themes. Themes that if you hear them in a theme park, movie theatre, or on the radio, you immediately know the movie it’s from. Giacchino is in for a very good 2022, with scores for The Batman, Jurassic World: Dominion, and Thor: Love and Thunder, but it’s good to look back on some of his best work before new masterpieces grace our ears.

Speed Racer

After they were done with their Matrix Trilogy, the Wachowskis turned to Speed Racer, an adaptation of the old Japanese anime, of the same name. The film of the same name came out and has received a bit of a cult following, especially with the new Matrix film out, many are reevaluating the film. But most importantly, they’re hearing the score with fresh eyes.

In Speed Racer, Michael Giacchino seems to be of the mind “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it”, so he composes a new rendition of the Speed Racer theme that he’s able to weave throughout the film. The pulse-pounding races are taken to new heights when his music mixes with the theme from the original show, creating a fist-pumping feeling for all those watching.

John Carter

John Carter seems to have been lost to time at this point, but Michael Giacchino’s score shouldn’t have been. Andrew Stanton’s first attempt at live-action film failed to win over audiences and John Carter’s exploits on Mars have been forgotten. Giacchino infuses this score with some crazy sci-fi themes that harken back to the adventure films like The Mummy and the like.

In some of the quieter moments of the score, Giacchino infuses the music with something similar to Danny Elfman’s early work with Tim Burton. But the themes shine when the adventure gets going. It’s a shame that when a movie does poorly the score get’s forgotten because this should be one of his most iconic ones.

Tomorrowland

Brad Bird’s forgotten masterpiece, Tomorrowland, was an innovative sci-fi film based on Tomorrowland in Disneyland. The film saw a young girl go on an adventure with an older scientist as she tries to uncover the mysteries of Tomorrowland. It’s a beautiful passion project for Brad Bird and the last time he directed a live-action feature film.

Michael Giacchino’s music is often trying to invoke the old-style adventure films that John Williams became known for. For Tomorrowland, Brad Bird wanted to create a hopeful film where anything was possible and the future could be bright, so the score had to match. Tomorrowland’s score invokes a nostalgic adventure filled with the kind of music that makes you feel like everything is going to be okay.

Inside Out

Inside Out is a delightful Pixar film that deals with growing up and learning to live with all the emotions that come with it. With a movie about emotions, you need an emotional score. While all the trappings that Giacchino is known for are on full display with this film, he learns to go nuts with the music.

Since the first character we meet is Joy, the score often invokes the feeling of being joyful. There’s a lot of playfulness in this movie that comes from an iconic theme “Bundle of Joy.” As the movie moves through the different emotions, the score follows, creating an eclectic mix of emotions for the audience to feel. Sometimes the tracks are crazy fast, somberly slow, or just mellow. Very few composers could have created such an eclectic mix and made it all seamless.

Mission: Impossible III

After Mission: Impossible II didn’t do great with critics and fans, J.J. Abrams came on board to direct the new film and since then, the Mission: Impossible series has been going strong ever since. While many people credit Abrams for revitalizing the franchise, Michael Giacchino is forgotten in the conversation. 

His score for Mission: Impossible III may not have a ton of memorable new tracks but it compliments the action and the intrigue smartly. Since Mission: Impossible III, is more of a spy film than the previous entry, Giacchino’s score invokes the tension of being Ethan Hunt. But rest assured when shit hits the fan, the score ramps up the energy exponentially.

The Incredibles

The Incredibles was Michael Giacchino’s first work at Pixar, and he must have made a splash cause he returned for them many times over the years. The Incredibles follows a family of superheroes in a fun adventure that operates as writer/director Brad Birds’ love letter to superheroes and the kind of 50s aesthetic he explores in The Iron Giant and Tomorrowland.

Michael Giacchino was really able to play with this film. The jazzy feel of the score invokes the early 60s Bond era films and he melds that well with some excellent pulse-pounding action beats. In many ways, The Incredibles is where Giacchino discovered his voice as he would reuse many techniques from this film going forward.

Up

The 2009 Disney/Pixar film Up is a classic for many reasons. The film tells the story of Carl, one of the best Pixar characters ever, who just wants to be left alone after he loses the love of his life. When he goes on an adventure with a Wilderness Explorer named Russel he gets a new lease on life. Michael Giacchino made a living doing stand-out work for Pixar before anyone really knew his name.

The track that sticks with people the most is “Married Life,” which is a silent montage of Carl and Ellie’s life together while Giacchino plays in the background. Most of the scene is played with a happy and light version of the movie’s main theme but when it gets dark, there won’t ever be a dry eye in the film. A lot of that comes from the Steller work of the composer to guide the audience from the blissful high to the heartbreaking low.

Star Trek

While his Pixar work was always seen as a stand-out, it was his work on 2009s Star Trek that really put him on the map. Star Trek has had a rich history with music, from the original theme from Alexander Courage to Jerry Goldsmith composing the first movie and the theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Michael Giacchino was once again left with big shoes to fill. 

Instead of relying on many of the original themes that populated the original franchise, Giacchino decided to go his own way. Since the film was a complete reboot of the original series, he felt the freedom to create his own music and in doing so, crafted some of the most iconic Star Trek music of all time. The main theme alone sits right up there with Jerry Goldsmith’s best, and when the credits roll, he treats longtime fans with a new rendition of the original series theme.

Jurassic World

John Williams is one of, if not, the best composer who’s ever worked in Hollywood. His theme for Jurassic Park is one of the most iconic in cinema history. It’s a daunting task to ask anyone to follow up from a John Williams film score. But, there was probably no one better than Michael Giacchino to score Jurassic World.

His new themes for the Indominous Rex and other characters give the film its own identity but still keep it within the same family as the one that John Williams composed. That way when the full Jurassic Park theme plays with a sweeping shot of the entire park, it doesn’t feel out of place, it feels like a natural extension. while still fitting in with the larger world set up by the 1993 film. Since Jurassic World: Dominion is one of 2022s most anticipated films, it’s exciting to see what he’ll do with it.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best example of what Giacchino does best. Since the movie encounters many different characters who already have themes attached to them, he was left with the unenviable task of weaving all the different themes together into something that works on its own. Many composers just would just create new themes for these legacy characters, but Giacchino knows the importance of a good theme.

His respect for the music created by James Horner, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman allowed him to create a score that honored the character’s themes and weave them into a score that works independently and reverentially all at the same time. He also doesn’t get nearly enough credit for creating an incredible new version of the Spider-Man theme.

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