Kung Fu Panda 3 (soundtrack)

Last updated

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (soundtrack).jpg
Film score by
ReleasedJanuary 29, 2016 (2016-01-29)
RecordedDecember 2014 – October 2015
Studio
Genre
Length69:17
Label Sony Classical
Producer
Hans Zimmer chronology
Woman in Gold
(2015)
Kung Fu Panda 3
(2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
(2016)

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2016 film Kung Fu Panda 3 , the third instalment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). The film score is composed by Hans Zimmer, who scored the previous instalments with John Powell, but the latter did not return for the third instalment, thereby Zimmer being credited as the sole composer for the franchise. The album was released by Sony Classical Records on January 29, 2016, to positive critical response. [1]

Contents

Development

On July 25, 2014, it was announced that Hans Zimmer, who co-scored the first two instalments with John Powell, would return to score the film. [2] Zimmer collaborated with renowned Asian musicians as "the only way you can really connect with a culture is to be respectful of the people who actually are that culture and play from that culture". [3] Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Chinese cellist Jian Wang, erhu musician Guo Gan scoring the instrumental portions and Shanghai Roxi Musical Studio Choirs perform the choir, and several traditional Chinese instruments were used in the score, as Zimmer said "the great thing about being in music and it’s happened to me time and time again where I get to work with people from different cultures. They might not speak English or German or whatever is useful in my case, you spend a couple of hours with the translator not getting anywhere and then you just sit down and start playing and then four or five hours go by and you haven’t noticed that you haven’t said a word to each other but it works really well." [4]

Recording of the score took place from December 2014 – October 2015 at various studios, including Abbey Road Studios and Air Studios in London, Shanghai Broadcast Studio in Shanghai, China and Remote Control Productions in Santa Monica, California, United States. [3] The London Session Orchestra and Metro Voices collaborated for the orchestral and choral portions. [4] Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou, and Canadian-Taiwanese young singer Patrick Brasca, perform the main theme "Try" in the end credits. [5] Powell did not return for the third installment but despite this, most of the themes he collaborated with Zimmer were worked into the score. The soundtrack also includes additional music composed and produced by Chinese-American composer Nathan Wang, and Scottish composers Lorne Balfe, and Paul Mounsey, assisting Zimmer in the film score. [6]

Track listing

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Oogway's Legacy"2:00
2."Hungry for Lunch"Zimmer1:15
3."The Power of Chi"Zimmer4:12
4."The Arrival of Kai [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer2:01
5."A New Father"Zimmer3:13
6."The Hall of Heroes [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer2:59
7."The Legend of Kai [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer4:01
8."The Panda Village"Zimmer3:39
9."Mei Mei's Ribbon Dance"Zimmer2:05
10."Jaded [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer3:54
11."How To Be a Panda"Zimmer1:53
12."Portrait of Mom"
  • Zimmer
  • Lang Lang
1:48
13."Po Belongs [lower-alpha 1] "
  • Zimmer
  • Lang Lang
2:52
14."Kai is Closer [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer3:15
15."Two Fathers"Zimmer3:11
16."The Battle of Legends [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer3:31
17."The Spirit Realm [lower-alpha 1] "Zimmer3:18
18."The Dragon Warrior"Zimmer2:51
19."Passing the Torch"Zimmer4:15
20."Father and Son"Zimmer3:00
21."Kung Fu Fighting (Celebration Time)"Roxi Musical Studio Choirs / Metro Voices 2:59
22."Try"4:00
23."Kung Fu Fighting" The Vamps 3:05
Total length:69:17

Reception

James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "The score as a whole may be somewhat disposable fun but it is fun, blessed at times with the same kind of swagger and twinkle in the eye as the Pirates of the Caribbean scores at their best (if not the array of strong themes) – “The Dragon Warrior" for instance is an action highlight that really is Zimmer at his lighthearted but boisterous best.  This is possibly the best of these scores so far and for an undemanding hour's listening you can't really go far wrong." [7] Filmtracks.com wrote "The album nicely consolidates the song placements to its conclusion, but the score selections are not provided in film order. Nor do they really maintain a cohesive narrative flow. Still, don't be surprised if you append a handful of cues from this score to any compilation of favorites from the stronger Kung Fu Panda 2. Once again, contracts permitting, Zimmer and his ghostwriters don't seem to care about the issue of appropriate, prominent credit for these works, but it's only fair to enlighten listeners who have the mistaken impression that Zimmer writes all or most of this material himself. This is only marginally a Zimmer score." [8]

Pete Simons of Synchrotones gave 4/5 to the score saying "Hans Zimmer’s Kung Fu Panda 3 is an incredibly fun ride in a fast machine. Arguably the best score Powell never wrote. When it’s fast and fun and zany it sounds just like John Powell. When it’s more noble and introvert it is really beautiful, poignantly so, with solo cello and various ‘ethnic’ instruments taking the lead – in a way that is very Zimmer. It is well written, just brilliantly orchestrated, and performed with gusto by … whoever performed it. All that whackiness does get a little tiresome, but in all this is a great album to cheer you up any ol’ day." [9] Unger the Radar wrote "Hans Zimmer is a truly great composer and he is celebrated the world over for his diverse and powerful music. His work on the Kung Fu Panda films is no different and the third film’s soundtrack is the stuff of absolute legends. This is a fantastic musical trilogy and should be appreciated by not just film score aficionados but by lovers of all things musically." [10]

Writing for Blueprintreview , Judomeh gave 4 out of 5 stars, saying "it was a nice little soundtrack for a much loved franchise which supports the film in the best possible way". [11] Max Nicholson of IGN wrote "Hans Zimmer returned to do the score, which at this point has become a staple of the series." [12] Regarding Kai's (J. K. Simmons) main theme, Stephanie Zacharek of Time had stated that Zimmer "gives him a terrific, swaggering Ennio Morricone-style bad-guy theme". [13]

Personnel

Credits adapted from CD liner notes. [14]

London Session Orchestra
Shanghai Roxi Musical Studio Choirs
Metro Voices
Soloists
Vocals

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The cue contains portions of the garage rock song "I'm So Sorry" by the American pop rock band Imagine Dragons

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Zimmer</span> German-American film composer (born 1957)

Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars, four Grammys, and has been nominated for three Emmys and a Tony. Zimmer was also named on the list of Top 100 Living Geniuses, published by The Daily Telegraph in 2007.

<i>Kung Fu Panda</i> (film) 2008 DreamWorks Animation film

Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The first installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, it was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, from a screenplay and story respectively written by the writing teams of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris. The film stars the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan and Jackie Chan. The film, set in a version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals, centers on a bumbling giant panda named Po (Black), a kung-fu enthusiast living in the Valley of Peace. When the savage snow leopard Tai Lung (McShane) is foretold to escape imprisonment and attack the Valley, Po is unwittingly named the "Dragon Warrior", a prophesied hero worthy of reading a scroll that has been intended to grant its reader limitless power.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End</i> (soundtrack) 2007 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is the soundtrack for the Disney movie of the same title, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. It is composed by Hans Zimmer, and features additional music by Lorne Balfe, Tom Gire, Nick Glennie-Smith, Henry Jackman, Atli Örvarsson, John Sponsler, Damon M. Marvin and Geoff Zanelli.

Remote Control Productions, Inc. is a film score company run by composer Hans Zimmer and based in Santa Monica, California. Originally known as Media Ventures Entertainment Group, which was conceived and founded by Jay Rifkin and Hans Zimmer, the company changed its name after the partners both filed lawsuits against each other. Today, Remote Control is home to a large group of composers mentored by Zimmer, many of whom have had successful film scoring careers as part of the company or on their own.

<i>Kung Fu Panda</i> (soundtrack) 2008 film score by Hans Zimmer and John Powell

Kung Fu Panda (Music from the Motion Picture) is the score album to the 2008 film Kung Fu Panda. The album features original score composed by Hans Zimmer and John Powell, and a cover of the disco song "Kung Fu Fighting" performed by CeeLo Green and Jack Black (who also plays Po, the lead character). The album consisted of traditional and orchestral score, infused with Chinese music, where Zimmer visited China to study the traditions and culture. As a process, the score was recorded with mostly Chinese traditional instruments, and the China National Symphony Orchestra also performed the score. The 17-track album was released by Interscope Records on June 3, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Powell (film composer)</span> English film composer

John Powell is an English composer best known for his film scores. He has been based in Los Angeles since 1997 and has composed the scores to over 70 feature films. He is best known for composing score for films, including Face/Off, the Bourne film series, the Happy Feet films, United 93, X-Men: The Last Stand, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, Migration, Drumline, The Call of the Wild, Bolt, eight Blue Sky Studios films, and nine DreamWorks Animation films.

Award-winning German composer and music producer Hans Zimmer has composed and produced over one hundred soundtracks and film scores. Of them, about 50 soundtracks and songs were nominated for awards. He has won two Academy Awards, four Satellite Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, four Grammy Awards, three Saturn Awards, two Annie Awards, and two WAFCA Awards.

<i>Kung Fu Panda 2</i> (soundtrack) 2011 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and John Powell

Kung Fu Panda 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the film Kung Fu Panda 2, directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson, a sequel to Kung Fu Panda (2008). The film is collaboratively scored by Hans Zimmer and John Powell, who also scored for the predecessor and had incorporated themes from the first film by adding more Chinese flavor for the score. The soundtrack was released by Varèse Sarabande on May 24, 2011, two days before the film's release.

<i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i> (soundtrack) 2011 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2011 film of the same name. Hans Zimmer collaborated again with Lorne Balfe to produce the score. It was released on 13 December 2011, three days before the film was released itself.

<i>Megamind</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe

Megamind: Music from the Motion Picture is a soundtrack to the 2010 film of the same name, released by Lakeshore Records and composed by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe. It was released on November 2, 2010 in the United States and Canada. The soundtrack gathered mixed reviews from most music critics.

<i>Kung Fu Panda 3</i> 2016 DreamWorks Animation film

Kung Fu Panda 3 is a 2016 animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation, China Film Group Corporation, Oriental DreamWorks and Zhong Ming You Ying Film, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the third installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). The film was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni and written by the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.

<i>Rango: Music from the Motion Picture</i> 2011 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Rango: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the Gore Verbinski-directed 2011 film of the same name released on February 28, 2011 by Anti- and Epitaph Records. The film is scored by Verbinski's frequent collaborator Hans Zimmer in his sixth collaboration with the director. In addition to Zimmer's score accompanying most of the album, it also featured songs performed by singer-songwriter Rick Garcia, Latin rock band Los Lobos, and hardcore punk/industrial band Lard.

<i>The Lego Batman Movie</i> (soundtrack) 2017 soundtrack album by Lorne Balfe

The Lego Batman Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2017 animated film The Lego Batman Movie, which is the second instalment in The Lego Movie franchise. The film is based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, and other primary characters from the DC Universe and the Lego DC Super Heroes' Batman toy line. This is the first and only film in the franchise not to be scored by Mark Mothersbaugh, instead Lorne Balfe scored for the film. The soundtrack to the film was released by WaterTower Music, through two-disc CD formats and for digital download, on February 3, 2017, a week prior to the film's release. A vinyl edition of the soundtrack was released on May 19, 2017.

<i>Mission: Impossible – Fallout</i> (soundtrack) 2018 film score by Lorne Balfe

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is the score album to the 2018 film Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series, starring Tom Cruise, and the sequel to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), the film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie and featured original score composed by Lorne Balfe, in McQuarrie's maiden collaboration and also replacing Joe Kraemer who composed for McQuarrie's previous films, including Rogue Nation. The album was released digitally on July 13, 2018 by Paramount Music, and the physical version of the soundtrack was released by La-La Land Records on September 19.

<i>Terminator Genisys</i> (soundtrack) 2015 film score by Lorne Balfe

Terminator Genisys: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album composed by Lorne Balfe for the 2015 film of the same name, directed by Alan Taylor, which is the fifth installment and a reboot of the Terminator franchise, taking the premise of the original film. The album was initially set to be scored by Christophe Beck, before Balfe replaced him. Hans Zimmer served as the executive producer of the film's soundtrack. The album featured 22 tracks, and was released on June 24, 2015 under the Skydance Media and Paramount Music labels.

<i>Black Adam</i> (soundtrack) 2022 film score by Lorne Balfe

Black Adam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album composed by Lorne Balfe, for the 2022 film Black Adam, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The album features 43 tracks and was released by WaterTower Music on October 21, 2022,. It was preceded by two singles – Black Adam and the Justice Society's themes, released on September 30 and October 5, respectively.

<i>Penguins of Madagascar</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by Lorne Balfe

Penguins of Madagascar: Music from the Motion Picture is the score album for the 2014 film Penguins of Madagascar. The fourth instalment and spin-off of the Madagascar film series, features original score composed by Lorne Balfe, in his first solo debut in a DreamWorks Animation film. He previously wrote additional music for the previous two Madagascar films and also co-composed the score of Megamind (2010) with Hans Zimmer. Zimmer and his music company Remote Control Productions produced the original soundtrack.

<i>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and will.i.am

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is the soundtrack album to the 2008 film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the second instalment in the Madagascar franchise. Released on November 4, 2008 by Interscope Records, the album featured original score composed by Hans Zimmer, who teamed up with American rapper will.i.am to produce the songs and score. will.i.am also wrote five new songs specifically for the film, while other incorporated songs were included in the film's soundtrack. The music received generally favorable critical response.

<i>Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted</i> (soundtrack) 2012 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is the soundtrack album to the 2012 film Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, the third instalment in the Madagascar franchise. The album was released on June 5, 2012 by Interscope Records, and featured original songs and score, produced by Hans Zimmer, who worked on the franchise's previous instalments. The album featured popular dance singles, accompanying few original songs written specially for the film.

<i>Kung Fu Panda 4</i> (soundtrack) 2024 soundtrack album by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro

Kung Fu Panda 4 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2024 DreamWorks Animation film Kung Fu Panda 4. The fourth instalment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), it features musical score composed jointly by Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro and the soundtrack released day-and-date with the film on March 8, 2024 through Back Lot Music label.

References

  1. "'Kung Fu Panda 3' Soundtrack Available January 29". Animation World Network. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  2. "Hans Zimmer to Return for 'Kung Fu Panda 3'". Film Music Reporter. July 25, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "China's Lang Lang and Germany's Hans Zimmer come together in America to score 'Ku Fu Panda 3'". Los Angeles Times. February 4, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Hans Zimmer talks Kung Fu Panda 3's score". DIY. March 11, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  5. 陈博渊. "Jay Chou sings for very Chinese 'Kung Fu Panda 3'". China.org.cn. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  6. "In the recording studio with film composer Hans Zimmer". Radio Times. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  7. "Kung Fu Panda 3 soundtrack review | Hans Zimmer | movie-wave.net". February 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  8. "Filmtracks: Kung Fu Panda 3 (Hans Zimmer/Lorne Balfe)". www.filmtracks.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  9. "Kung Fu Panda 3 (Hans Zimmer)". Synchrotones' Soundtrack Reviews. January 23, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  10. Radar, Unger the (January 30, 2016). "Soundtrack Review: Kung Fu Panda 3". Unger the Radar. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. Judeumeh (August 7, 2016). "Kung Fu Panda 3 (Music from the Motion Picture)". Blueprint: Review. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  12. Nicholson, Max (January 28, 2016). "Kung Fu Panda 3 Review". IGN. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  13. "Review: Kung Fu Panda 3 Is a Blowout of Color, Now with More Pandas". Time. January 28, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  14. Hans Zimmer – Kung Fu Panda 3 (Music From The Motion Picture), January 22, 2016, retrieved November 15, 2022