Among all the rap and rock songs on the soundtrack to Robots was "Robot City," a wonderfully playful, evocative collaboration between score composer
John Powell and
the Blue Man Group. Unfortunately, the complete
Robots score doesn't completely fulfill that track's potential; though the album has some "featured percussion" by
the Blue Man Group,
Powell's compositions are performed mostly (and quite well) by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. On the bright side, several of the score's tracks, such as "Robots Overture" and "Gathering Forces," hark back to classic animation music like
Carl Stalling's work on Warner Brothers' Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoon series. Not surprisingly, though, the pieces with
the Blue Man Group have an extra little something that make them standouts. "Wonderbot Wash," "Wild Ride," and "Crosstown Express" are all elegantly mischievous and really capture the clanking, gleaming beauty of Robots' visuals, as well as the film's broad (and not so broad) sense of humor. Some of the score's more sentimental moments like "Homecoming" and "Dad's Dream" are a little predictable and border on saccharine, but they're still competently done. Even though a fuller collaboration between
Powell and
the Blue Man Group would have made
Robots a spectacular score, it's still more creative than many other scores for animated movies. ~ Heather Phares