Ladyhawke Rescored

I am one of those who actually enjoys the original soundtrack because I'm a huge fan of the Alan Parsons Project, so I not only own the movie, but also the 2-disc limited edition soundtrack as well. That being said, I recognize that the synth-pop/orchestration that Andrew Powell and Alan Parsons provided are at times an odd choice for this genre of movie.

So, I gave this version a shot after much consideration. First, this is FLAWLESSLY edited. The music score is appropriate for each scene and works surprisingly well. Everything works once the movie starts. I love the movie to begin with, so I was surprised how seamless this all sounded.

The only weaknesses worth noting is the main theme in the opening credits. I don't find this particular score particularly memorable compared to other works by Jerry Goldsmith and I don't know that it feels right with the opening credits. Maybe it would help with a hawk screech or two... if you watch the opening credits, you will know what I mean. Once the movie begins, everything works, but then again, I'm so familiar with the movie and the original music, this could have been me.

One more comedic observation is that the "riding" theme that is used bears a more than slight resemblance to the "...he rode a blazing saddle..." song from the Mel Brooks movie "Blazing Saddles." I couldn't help think about that every time it started up.

Anyway, this is a fabulous, flawless edit that works. I definitely recommend.

This score definitely compliments the tone of the movie more than the original score, it takes the forefront when it needs to and takes the backseat when appropriate. You can really tell how much care and effort went into this fan edit! Many kudos to MusicEd921 for this labor of love, it really breathes new life into this beautiful, underappreciated classic.

Full recommendations from me!

Having grown up watching Ladyhawke from a very young age, it was one of my mother's favorite movies, I have a lot of nostalgia for this film and the original score. While the original score is very much a product of the time, to me, it is still a great score. That being said, when I came across this edit, I was very interested to see what the viewing experience would be like with Jerry Goldsmith's Lionheart score.

First off, the sound editing for this movie far exceeded my expectations. There are very few instances where the sound effects are lowered or removed completely, but nothing that is distracting in any way. The dialogue is clear and the musical levels are good. I was surprised by how well the music matches up thematically in certain scenes. So kudos to the editor for hitting those marks.

To me watching this reminded me a lot of the Legend debate in terms of score. If you grew up with the contemporary Tangerine Dream score you probably prefer that vs the Jerry Goldsmith score which is more classical in approach. Having grown up with Ladyhawke, it's very hard for me to remove the memory of the original score and it still is probably the preferred version for me.

Overall though, I did enjoy watching this. While the Lionheart score can also feel a little dated at times, it definitely is a more classical approach and provides an interesting alternative to the film. Great job to the editor and thank you for putting this together!

Filesize = 11.3 GB, Video = 1920 X 1090p AVC, Audio = 221 kbps 2-Channel Stereo AAC, No subs.

A substantial edit, removing the 80’s soundtrack, replacing it with Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “Lionheart.”

Do not let the audio specs fool you. The music is robust and dynamic throughout, often swelling dramatically.

The audio editing is fabulous. Small scene removals, I never noticed.

This improves this film quite a bit, though I have always had reservations about it.

For one thing, the film still looks cheap to me. There are simply not enough extras. From pursuing soldiers to castle inhabitants, where is everyone?

Also, it is way too clean. Costumes always appear straight from EZ Sudz Washland.

For Rurgar Hauer fans, he is top flight in this! Glorious.

Aside from Michelle Pfieffer, every other actor borders on ham.

Mouse (and Mathew Broderick himself) remains excruciatingly annoying.

Wow... this was great!
I've always been a fan of this genre and I have watched Ladyhawke a few times over the years but it's always left me feeling a little cold, never creating the emotional engagement a film like this needs. Well this amazing edit from MusicEd921 changes that, the film was greatly improved and I enjoyed it far more than I have ever done before. It would never have occurred to me that changing the score could make a film feel so different, but this edit really shows how much the score matters.
I must commend the editor on all the hard work that clearly went into this. MusicEd921 has clearly taken a lot of time to match the music to the beats of the film, as much as possible, and it works extremely well. Thank you!