Scottish composer Patrick Doyle adds levels of authenticity and magic to Disney’s Artemis Fowl. The soundtrack features nearly an hour of beautiful and adventurous music from a well regarded composer from the land that inspired the story. When I saw the film, one of my favorite parts was the score and now you can listen to it again and again.
As a huge Harry Potter fan, I first became enamored with Patrick Doyle’s work through the incredible themes he added to John Williams’ score in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which has the best music in the series in my opinion. His Disney work has included Pixar’s Brave, Marvel’s Thor, and the live-action Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh.
The most celtic sounding of Doyle’s Artemis Fowl themes starts off the soundtrack on “Father and Son,” a relaxing and sometimes somber string arrangement. It has tones of optimism and sorrow all at the same time, allowing it to reappear here and there throughout the film. It incorporates a few wind instruments as well in occasional places.
With a main character that acts like a young James Bond in a world of magic, some of the more intense themes infuse Scottish elements with an arrangement that feels like it would be at home in the latest 007 flick. This includes “Talented Tunneler,” “Negotiation,” and “We Meet Again.”
Artemis Fowl has a character theme that underscores many of his moments, sometimes even with choral voices like on “Surfing.” It gets repeated in minor keys as a mischievous theme that underscores magic, first heard on “ Time to Believe” and extended into others like “Haven City,” “Commander Root,” and “Fairy Fight.”
Several of the tracks almost sound like they come from an epic war drama, like “Troll Fight” and “Collapse.” But my favorite on the entire album is called “Worth Fighting For,” which takes the main theme and plays it a variety of ways. It’s hopeful and inspiring, perfect mood music. The Artemis Fowl Original Soundtrack is now available for streaming and digital sale from your favorite music provider.