Jurassic Park III: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack;

Don Davis's classical training and years as journeyman film and TV composer and orchestrator to the likes of James Horner (Titanic, Apollo 13) and Randy Newman (Toy Story, Pleasantville) paid off handsomely with the pioneering, postmodernist-informed The Matrix, one of the 1990s' most acclaimed and adventurous film scores. Now Davis has taken on another daunting task: updating John Williams's iconic Jurassic Park themes and integrating them seamlessly into his own furiously modern take on scoring. The composer has followed director Joe Johnston's lead, matching the director's darker, more tension-wracked vision of the mega-successful dino series with an accomplished score that evokes both wonderment and terror, often (as in "Raptor Room") in the space of a few jarring bars. Davis's accomplished use of orchestral color and dynamics is a crucial element that seamlessly fuses actors and CGI-saurs, shading both with crucial emotional dimensions. And unlike all too many generic action scores, this one won't insult your intelligence as it builds to the modernist maelstrom of "Clash of Extinction" and heroic thematic resolve of "The Hat Returns"/"End Credits." Adding a welcome dose of humor, the album concludes with a typically jaunty turn by Davis patron Randy Newman on "Big Hat, No Cattle." --Jerry McCulley