James Horner is one of the most prolific film scorers of his day, but not one of the most original, and his accidentally best-selling score for Titanic, a characteristic combination of lush romantic passages and melodramatic bombast, casts a long shadow over subsequent work such as this score, which copies many of the earlier one's effects, down to the Scottish pipes of which the composer is so fond. Horner's work always seems to exaggerate the other elements in the film, making him perfect for subjects that are already outsized, and so just as he was a good choice for the over-the-top (or was it under-the-bottom?) nature of Titanic, he was right for this film remake about a giant ape. And if you really loved those pipes on the Titanic score, you'll find more to like here. ~ William Ruhlmann