MISSING IN ACTION - INTRADA Special Collection Volume 91
Music Composed and Conducted by Jay Chattaway
Along time ago, Not in a galaxy far away, but in my parents basement
I would sit and record the film-music direct of the screen since there
was'nt any other way to get ahold of the scores back then.
Chattaway's Main Theme to Missing in Action was such a title along with
Delta Force, Invasion USA and Let's Get Harry to name a few.
And today, what a wonderful world of soundtracks we live in, much thanks
to the limited releases of record labels like Varese, FSM, LaLaLand and of
course Intrada most of my favourite scores are seing the light of day.
(Still waiting on "Let's Get Harry" from the Varese Club tho, so I can retire my LP.)
This review is of a score brought to you by the busiest label of them all.
Track 1 - Main Title
This Main Theme ranks as on of my favourites of all time.
A bit of patriotism mixed with a sad touch sets up a motif that stay's with
Chattaway thru the rest of his "future" scores of the 80's.
Track 2 - Jungle Battle and POW Flashback
One thing Hollywood has learnt from the "good old" James Bond movies is
that you have to start the movie with big action sequence and M.I.A is no exception.
And Chattaway knows how to score big with the audience.
Track 3 - Braddock's Enemy
This is the presentation of Braddock's main nemesis of the movie and
shows a flashback when Braddock is tortured as a P.O.W by General Vinh.
A menacing theme that send chills tru the spine.
Track 4 - Courtroom
Braddock is faced with a hostile Vietnamese goverment that tries to falsely
accuse him of war crimes and presents a couple of fake witnesses.
Braddock stares the witnesses right in the face as they bow their heads in
shame and one of them even apologies to Braddock.
The most powerful scene in the movie and Chattaway scores it effectively
mixed with seriousness and again sadness as Braddock says he understands
and does'nt blame them for lying.
Track 5 - Goons Follow Braddock
This track is just a simple suspence cue.
Track 6 - Hotel Escape
This is the track I missed the most from the old edel release.
Mislabeled as "Escape" Braddock sneaks out of his heavily guarded Hotel
in the middle of the night to get some answers in his own kind of way.
This is more a tight suspence filled track than action oriented untill
Braddock has to flee the scene of a murder of a general he has
questioned. Then the action heats up as he has to get back to his hotel
before he is missed by his vietnamese guards.
If you can sit tru the 8 minutes of sneaking around suspence you are
rewarded with the final 7 mins of the cue as Braddock has to climb up a
10 storie wall and then as a catburgular get from one roof to another by
a highwire, and during all this the vietnamese MP's are rushing to the
hotel to catch Braddock in the act.
Thanks guys for this exciting track.
Track 7 - The Cab
More of the Suspence ala Chattaway's MANIAC COP.
Track 8 - Tuck & Braddock
Suspence and the Main Theme comes to play in the end also.
Track 9 - Making The Deal
Suspence ala Chattaway's SILVER BULLET.
Track 10 - Closet Attack
An unused action-cue not featured in the final cut of the movie.
Later used in the Invasion U.S.A trailer.
Two words "Suspence and Action" i one minute.
Track 11 - Woman With Child
A touching track as General Vinh has fired a bazooka aimed at Braddock
and thus killing alot of innocent bystanders.
As Vinh puts it "Misfortunes of War".
Track 12 - Fight On The Boat
Again a synth stinger ala SILVER BULLET as General Vihn tries to
assassinate Braddock with an axe (Friday the 13th style).
Misfortunes of War, guess who says it this time.
Track 13 - Crossing To Nam
The Heart and Soul of the M.I.A score as Braddock sees the coast of the
Vietnamese jungle for the first time since he escaped from the POW camp.
A very, very, very sad track as Braddock has come full circle and as he
and Tuck realises that they may not make it, but they're gona die trying.
Track 14 - Jungle Fight and POW Camp
Synth suspence theme as our two heroes glide down the vietnamese river
heavily-armed in a bulletproof cevlar boat.
Braddock has to go thru booby-traps to get to the POW camp.
Track 15 - Camp At Night
Another "suspence sneak arond theme" as Braddock starts to plant
explosives to help him free the POW's.
Track 16 - Camp Explodes and POW's Are Moved
The most action Heavy cue of the score as Braddock "the One Man Army"
blasts thru the camp searching for those Missing In Action and only finds
Vietnamese prisoners and are informed that our guys have just been moved.
Love the way the track started "Pumping and Heroic" and then
turns to "we need a new plan".
Track 17 - Slow Motion Kill
Starts abit slow showing how our POW's are being treated by the "evil"
V.C. soldiers, but rest asured our heroes are on their way and when they
show up they are out manned and out gunned.
Every hero needs a "they think he's dead and then he makes a
triumphant return" scene and that you have at (2:45) in this track.
Works a bit better with the sound FX in the movie but I got goose bumps.
Track 18 - Boat Escape
It ain't over till it's over "80's or 70's slang" and the action cues keep on
coming as out guys have to bust out of the Vietnamese Jungle.
Theme in full force. Against all odds - Love It...
Track 19 - Saigon and End Credits
OK no more VC's to kill how do we end this puppy well rememberd?
Braddock and the POW's lands with the chopper in the middle of Saigon
square
And storms in to the building were the US senator & Vitnamese goverment
is having the final meeting on the subject of US troops Missing In Action.
A pumping theme that sets up the following End Credits.
The End Credits is a bit slower version of the sad Main Title Theme with a
more touch of pride than sadness.
The War's Not Over Until The Last Man Comes Home.
and Jay Chattaway along with an Impresive peresentation from INTRADA delivers.
This was a fun "re-living" of one of the main scores that got me the
soundtrack bug back in the 80's.
I cant thank the staff of INTRADA enough for bringing this score back into
the light of day in it's complete form.
This CD stands right beside INVASION USA & THE DELTA FORCE as my
favourite INTRADA releases and that's not because Chuck's on the cover
the music is great...
Looking forward to Braddock M.I.A 3
And as a sidenote:
Chuck Norris has alot to thank the composers of his movies for.
Without them his movies would'nt have been the box-office hit's they
were back in the glory days.
INTRADA keep those Norris scores coming.
THE OCTAGON, A FORCE OF ONE, FORCED VENGEANCE, SIDEKICKS.
don't let them rot in the company vaults.
Two Thumbs Up, WAY UP...
(Don't be scared of the amount of Suspence cues they vary and doesn't
just sound the same all over) if you like Chattaway's other scores.
SILVER BULLET, MANIAC COP, INVASION USA.
You'll love MISSING IN ACTION.
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