"Tad The Lost Explorer" Music By Zacarias M. De La Riva

"Tad The Lost Explorer"

Music By Zacarias M. De La Riva

MovieScore Media MMS-12008

22 Tracks/Disc Time: 55:27 Grade: B

There have been many attempts to capture the magic of the Indiana Jones films one way or another. Weither it's valiant efforts like High Road To China, National Treasure, The Phantom, Treasure of the Four Crowns, Firewalker (the latter two guilty pleasures of mine) and to certain extent, The Adventures of Tintin for example, that have attempted it by live action or CGI animation. The results have been hit or miss and worse because there simply is only one Indiana Jones. However, it is not to say that those films I've mentioned were bad, it's a matter of them finding an audience and eventually they did on Video, DVD and now, Blu-Ray. Before this review, I didn't know about this animated film called Tad The Lost Explorer also known as Las Adventures de Tadeo Jones overseas where the film was released. The film essentially is an homage to Indiana Jones as Tad is a celebrity archiologist and explorer much like his hero, Max Mordon when he dreams. In reality, he's just a simple construction worker who one day mistakenly takes a flight to Peru in search of the Lost City of Patiti after being mistaken for real Professor who could be able to crack the code and find the city. Tad, with Professor Lavrof and his beautiful daughter, Sara in tow engaged to Tad's hero Max who has secretly betrayed the professor by teaming up with an evil rival named Kopponen and his evil conglomerate Odyessus Corporation to beat them to the punch. Now it is time that Tad, made his dreams a reality and step up to become a real hero.

When I mentioned those valiant effort films before, they were for a good reason and that is because the music for those films in particular were just as good, if not memorable than the films themselves. Like John Barry wrote a harrowing exciting score for Tom Selleck's adventures in High Road To China, David Newman wrote a rousing percussive adventure score for The Phantom which easily ranks amongst his greatest scores, Ennio Morricone wrote a grand and operatic score to the 3D Treasure of the Four Crowns, which was also rousing for its own good and finally and definitiely not least, we have the legendary John Williams, who of course, who redefined the adventure movie legacy with his memorable music for Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Zacharias M. De La Riva had a somewhat of a daunting task in recreating a faithful and pleasing homage to Williams and Indiana Jones and much to my surprise, did actually succeed in doing so with a fun, little rousing score that does deserve attention.

Borrowing a bit from Williams musically, De La Riva accomplishes and set out to write a rousing melodic score that fans of Williams' work will definitely enjoy. "Tedao Jones And Escaping Lava" sets the scores' fun tone with a jazzy opening that does mix the rousing adventure elements that the score would feature throughout. "Sara's Theme" is a tender lush theme that is reminiscent as the one for Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The action material features some of fun and playful tracks that do soar and do cut loose much like Williams did on Raiders which include "Chase in Aguas Calientes", the suspense laden energy and excitement of the "The Train", the militarisitc sounding "Helicopters", and the memorable "Kill Tadeo!" , which feature touches of the Desert Chase from Raiders as well. There's plenty of suspense, wonder and thrills with "The Chamber of Quipus", "The Treasure of the Incas", and "Inside the Lost City" which underscore the sequences inside the lost city. The score ends with De La Riva's own take of the Raiders Theme reprising the jazzy opening theme "Epilogue and Tadeo Jones Titles (Reprise)" which are fun along with the rousing "Tadeo's Theme" which is rousing.

This is a well produced album that is a surprising gem in MovieScore Media's catalog and one that shouldn't be overlooked. It's a faithful homage to one of the legendary film scores of all time in Raiders of the Lost Ark and one that no doubt will be enjoyed by those who discover it. A fun and definite recommendation.