Michael Giacchino’s Best Movie Scores

Michael Giacchino has easily become one of the most recognizable names in the sounds of Hollywood thanks to his incredible scores on some truly iconic movies. Whether it’s an often collaboration with Pixar or an entry into the comic book movie genre, Michael Giacchino’s work is varied and exciting to warrant recognition of his best tracks.

Across a career that spans decades, it’s time to look back to some of Michael Giacchino’s best movie scores to get excited for the music he composes and to see what he comes up with next as fans await his next venture through sounds both on and off screen.

8

Up

A Beautiful Rendition of Romance and Loss

The heartwarming story of a retired adventurer who seeks closure through a dream shared by his deceased wife, Up easily tugs at the heartstrings of audiences with its story of an aging couple, and its iconic sound from Michael Giacchino. Everyone has heard the piano notes and brass instruments of Married Life.

While Married Life and its subsequent cues might follow most of the Up score, there’s good reason for that, as the song is so beautiful and tearjerking that it’s hard not to have nostalgia for family or someone truly beloved when hearing such a rendition of pure love.

7

Ratatouille

A Romance of Culinary Talent Encapsulated in French Sound

Ratatouille doesn’t only feature traditional French cooking, but also traditional French instruments, like the accordion that takes center stage in much of the frenzy and carnage of kitchen nightmares involving a rat chef. Ratatouille also brings forth a romance of sound and food with its dedication to the harp, violin, and piano.

Perhaps best of all is the collaborative song of Michael Giacchino and Camille for Le Festin, which easily earned 100,000,000+ plays on Spotify due to its daring and delightful sound that perfectly envisions the love for France and its cuisine under the tiny paws of a rat.

6

The Incredibles

Heroic Flairs for a Retro-Futuristic 1960s

The Incredibles’ main theme is simply iconic, and it holds strong against some true titans of cinema like Superman and Batman thanks to Michael Giacchino’s composition. The sound works brilliantly for the aesthetics of the film, as the jazzy sounds of brass and xylophones help encapsulate the feel of a retro-futuristic 1960s with the popular frenzy and craze in a world rich with superheroes.

The Incredibles works in nostalgia for the glory days while still showcasing the triumphant heroism of heroes of yesteryears, and the mixture of action-packed jazz really helps to solidify the incredible work on this incredible Pixar film from an incredible composer.

5

Star Trek

Bringing a Classic into Bold New Beginnings

Michael Giacchino’s task of reinvigorating the sound of Star Trek after so much iconic music has come from the TV-led franchise for so long was no short task, but he certainly delivers with his own spin on the franchise. Giacchino’s work on Star Trek is legendary, and it highlights the triumphant marvel of this sci-fi series through a bold new sound of orchestral propulsion.

There’s a daring flair for adventure in the musical notes played in tracks like End Credits, which highlights a celebration of Star Trek with its rendition of the original, while still providing something new, as well as giving new sound to Vulcans. Even tracks like Labor of Love swell with an emotional fair to make anyone’s eyes teary in the tragedy of war.

4

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Incredible Homages to John Williams, While Still Being Full Giacchino

One of the most underrated aspects of Michael Giacchino is how well he can homage other composers, while still sounding true to his ear. If there’s any solid proof of that, it’s Michael Giacchino’s work on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which sounds like John Williams himself was composing, yet instead it’s Giacchino with his own flair for drama and excitement.

Most of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story features Giaccihno’s own sound, mixed with the preference of Willaims’ instruments with brass, but without using his iconic motifs. Giacchino encapsulates the sound of Star Wars without blatantly replicating it, which makes for an exciting addition to the blockbuster movie.

3

War for the Planet of the Apes

A Piano-Heavy Swell for a Leader’s Last Journey

War for the Planet of the Apes is another of Michael Giacchino’s collaborative efforts with Matt Reeves, and it’s a gentle doozy. The sound doesn’t boast the loud orchestral tones of other blockbusters, instead, it’s more reserved, focusing on piano cues and ominous build-ups for triumphant swells of sounds that showcase a new civilization of apes dawning over remnants of humanity.

Taking a track like Exodus Wounds is the perfect example of Michael Giacchino’s masterfully crafted deconstruction of Ceasar for War for the Planet of the Apes. It’s a track that exemplifies the character’s vulnerabilities and grief through a quiet theme on a piano, before swelling into a more robust orchestral design with a hopeful choir to prove the heroic and sacrificial leader that Caesar has become over the course of this trilogy.

2

Doctor Strange

A Blend of Orchestral and Detached Pink Floyd

The MCU isn’t exactly known for its brilliance when it comes to music, but Michael Giacchino arrived in 2016 to bring some much-needed uniqueness to a character who deserved it the most with his take on Doctor Strange. The sound design embraces the culture of Strange’s travels, while also taking inspiration from the comics themselves with instruments and motifs that sound like Pink Floyd’s tracks.

Inflections from Indian culture with specific instruments make the Doctor Strange soundtrack stand out among other comic book movies. The powerful cues that lead into Doctor Strange’s theme with The Master of the Mystic End Credits that utilize an electric guitar to really hit those rock-n-roll notes lambast new sound for the MCU.

1

The Batman

A Heart-Pumping and Gritty Take on a Noir Batman

Michael Giacchino’s work on The Batman is addicting to listen to, and its swell and range make for a perfect mix for this noir thriller that just so happens to involve a man dressed as a bat. The Batman already excels at suspense and gritty spectacle, and Michael Giacchino’s work on the sound further encapsulates the grime of Gotham City, while still leaving room for hope.

Tracks, like Can’t Fight City Halloween, exemplify the stunning narration from an emo Robert Pattinson, while tracks like Don’t Be Voyeur with Me showcase the romantic elegance in Catwoman’s movements. There is such range in The Batman and the music encapsulates it all with grandiose flair.