Brian Tyler Takeover: Law Abiding Citizen

So, Before I get in to this movie, I will be honest. There was another movie call Middle Men that Brian Tyler did the music for. It's not a scary movie so I should have watched it, and written about it. However, I started it, and once I realized what that movie was about, I said "nope" and turned it off. So, I will not be reviewing that movie. 

Now, onto Law Abiding Citizen.

Clyde Shelton's life is turned upside sown when one night two men break into his house and kill his wife and daughter. He spend that next several year finding ways to get revenge on all of those who did wrong, including the lawyer that refused to take the case to full trial. 

It's been a little bit since I watch a thriller, and I love Mr. Tyler's music when it comes to this genre! This is the closest that I will get to watching a scary movie that he composes, but I am sure those are just as good and playing at that suspence!

As for the movie it's self, it was really good. However, it was much darker that I thought it was going to be! It's hard to not have a good movie when you have Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx as the stars!

Brian Tyler Takeover: Fast & Furious

 So, now is the point int he series that we start getting the names of the movies confuse. Today's is the 4th in the franchise Fast & Furious. What is not only the name of this movie the the name in which everyone calls the series. 

It's also not to be confused with the the very first movie The Fast and The Furious. 

So, here is the confusing part about this movie.... it's supposed the be the 3rd in the series. Now, from my very quick google search, the did it this way because the original cast was able to get back together for this film, and everyone loved Han and wanted to make it make sense as to why they know each other? Truly, I don't get it but whatever. This movie opens with Letty dying, and Dom finding out and going on a rampage to avenge her death. Brian happens to be working with the feds, still, to find the same drug lord that Dom is hunting. They have to work together to bring down the whole operation. 

So, this movie was still fun. I am like waiting for when they aren't... even though I have already seen the 10th one and I loved it.. 

I think Mr. Tyler's music works best for this franchise, and I think other agree with me since he is the composer to most of the other ones. 

Brian Tyler Take Over: Dragon Ball Evolution

 So, this movie...

Was TERRIBLE! 

I have never seen the the tv series, and but I have some sort of idea of how successful it is. However, movie... I feel bad for all f the fan who thought that they were getting a good film and this drivel came out.

I feel bad that Brian Tyler's name is part of this film, and I honestly have to say that he did the best he could with what he had to work with.  

Brian Tyler Takeover: The Lazarus Project

 So, let's talk about this....

A man is convicted of killing two men, and sentenced to death. After he "dies" he ends up at a facility to treats those who are mentally ill. 

So, I am so confused about this movie. I mean, with a title like The Lazarus Project I'm thinking that he would be put to death, but somehow live and all of it would be for some sort of good in the world. Or some sort of revenge for the people who died. This man goes to work at this facility, is tricked that he is actually a patient there, and then escapes. It never says why he was chose to be giving a second chance to stay at the facility?

Anyways, I truly don't remember the music. I didn't find anything to catch my attention to be anything more than background noise. 

Brian Tyler Takeover: Eagle Eye

 Ok, finally a movie that is somewhat interesting. 

AI sees the US Congressmen a enemies of the state, and again the Constitution. Uses citizens to try and destroy the government and kill the president. 

So, this movie was actually a bit more intriguing to watch, and held my attention. It's also very timely for these days that AI is actually starting to take over everything. I won't say much else about this movie, but Shia LaBeouf was a nice addition to the movie. He remains to be a good actor, thankfully.

Now, this movie is when I really started to realize that Brian Tyler favors stings in his music. Not sure how I caught that, but it's the only tidbit I have about the music this time around. 

Brian Tyler Takeover: Bangkok Dangerous

 Another bummer.

Hired assassin kills people, then falls in love and dies.

Not even kidding this movie was awful! I mean, it was a little over an hour and half long and it took me several hours to watch because I kept pausing it out of boredom. 

Again, sorry Brian Tyler I don't remember anything.  

Brian Tyler Takeover: Rambo

 Let's just get this one over with.

A man that stayed in Vietnam after the war, decides to help rescue some missionaries. 

I was not looking forward to the movie, and I was correct in that assumption. I think this movie is very forgettable. I honestly forgot if, after renting the movie, if I finished the movie, rented it again and found out that I wasted that money for nothing, because I did. 

I don't even remember the music. Sorry, Brian Tyler. 

Brian Tyler Takeover: War

 So, let's have a little chat about this project. 

It's been too much. I have bitten off more than I can chew and I am too busy to watch like 6 plus movies a month, on top of the other movies I need to watch for other projects. So, this project is no longer going to happen in a year, it's going to happen in two years. Which I don't recall doing any other project outside of a year, except for my No Place Like Movies at Home one. Now that it's going to be two years, I will only have to watch three movies a month, and it also makes up for the two months I have totally missed so far. 

So, let's pick up where we left off and talk about War. 

When FBI Agent Crawford discovers that his best friend, and his partner in the FBI, has been killed by a Japanese gang, he becomes obsessed with taking them down. 

This movie was one of those that teetered on being an ok film or a good movie.  Not great. Just good. The cast is good, and the plot made sense, there was just something missing to push it over the edge. It's a pretty forgettable movie. 

I will say that Brian Tyler has something about movies that have Asian influence about them. There is a movie I will write about in the next couple of days that's location is in an Asian city, and Mr. Tyler also does the music for the movie Crazy Rich Asians, if I remember correctly. His music does fit in very well, so I'm interested in seeing if there is more influence that I don't know about yet.  

Brian Tyler Takeover: Partition

 We get a historical fiction for the first time this challenge! 

Partition is a 2007 movie about the time when India was divided between by religious views. Muslims and secular India were separated. When the partition happened, thousands of Muslims fled to the news boarders of the perspective counties in order to flee from persecution. Gian, a former soldier who only wants peace and is dealing with his own guilt, finds a woman, Naseem, hiding after refugee she was traveling with where attacked, and killed. Instead of attacking, like she expected, Gian takes her back to his home to protect her from those that would want to kill her. While in his car, Gian, with the help of friends, start looking to see if her family survived and where they might be living. This information takes years to find, and during that time Gian and Naseem fall in love, much to the chagrin of the other people in the village. They soon marry, and get word that her family is alive, and makes the trip to visit them. The only problem is, once they find out who she married, her family will not let her go. Gian now must try to reunite him family that most people don't think should exists in the first place. 

I have never heard of this movie before, and I am very glad that I watched it. I love historical fiction because I get to learn about things I never knew about while also following well written characters of the period. 

This is the movie Brian Tyler becomes Brian Tyler. there was so much of this film that made me think of his work in Thor: The Dark World. This is the movie that make me realized that Mr. Tyler has a wonderful talent to write music for characters in the situations, not just the place or situation as a whole. There was some feel of what music from India would include, but also his use of strings in this film made my heart ache along with the characters. This is start what I already know Brian Tyler to be 

Brian Tyler Takeover: The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift

 No this movie comes with an unexpected movie watching challenge. So, Brian Tyler has done several of the Fast and Furious movies in the franchise. Since I will be watching a good deal of them for this challenge, I figured that I need to know what the heck is actually happening, so I decided that I will be watching all of the movie in the franchise this year. Now, for the sake of my own sanity, I will not be writing around all of the movies, just the one that Mr. Tyler has composed for. So, let's talk about this first one he composed for, from 2006, The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift.

 Sean is a high schooler who is always getting in trouble, and has finally come to the end of the line with his mom. He cause a catastrophic amount of damage while street racing, and now his is being shipped off to his Military Father while he is serving in Tokyo. There is learns about drift racing and gets himself into more trouble then he thought possible. Now he has a massive amount to debt to clear, along with keeping the peace with his peers. 

Now, I will say that the first Fast movie I have ever seen was Fast X. I watched it like a dozen times in the theater because I hated my apartment and it was the only movie worth going to in order to escape where I was living. I also found the movie really fun, and and great popcorn movie. Since I did like it so much, and finding out Brian Tyle did the music, made me want to watch the rest of the films. So, I like that I have an excuse to do so. 

Now, I have to say, that after watching the other two, I have no idea what happening. Like we had two movies that seemed to follow one person, and plot, to have everything just be thrown out the window, and the only thing connecting the three movies is Vin Diesel's camo at the end of the film. However, since I have seen the tenth movie, I know Han is alive, and somehow part of Dom's crew at some point. Which makes less sense cause Han is a high school teenager, so how in the world did he roll with Dom back in the day? So, I hope I get some real answers and not just a "drink the cool-aid and shut up" situation. 

Mr. Tyler's music is starting to shine! This is the first time that I feel like he composed for characters in situations and not just "this is how you compose an action scene". Since I know what coming for the music in the Tenth movie, I can't wait to see if there any any connections of music with the characters as the movies go on. 

Brian Tyler Takeover: Annapolis

 So, I thought we were onto some good movies, and 2006's Annapolis was not what I was thinking it was going to be. 

James Franco stars at Jake Huard, a young man whose goal is to join the military academy. When he does get the chance of a lifetime to join, he is excited but finds that it's not fully what he expected. 

Now, this is not the worst movie, but name was it lost in it's own lessons. It's the usual troupe of "someone who doesn't belong here defies the odd and proves everyone wrong" but with one big "oops". The "oops" is that the start of the movie they make a big deal that Huard is good a boxing, and that how he likes to solve conflicts for the most part. It's like two thirds of the way through the movie before they introduce the fact that there is a huge boxing competition at the end of the year. It's a mess of movie to be honest.

Mr. Tyler music also got caught up in a little lack of creativity in this movie, and I don't think it's his fault. The problem with military movies is that there is ALWAYS a lot of military style marching snares in the music. This is no exception, however, there wasn't nearly as much snare drum as most military movie provide. So, I was thankful that he did not fall fully into the troupe. Hopefully, the next movie we can not be pigeon holed into a troupe.  

Brian Tyler Takeover: the Greatest Game Ever Played

 Finally! Finally, a movie the delivers the start of what Brian Tyler's music can do, and it's actually a good movie! From 2005, The Greatest Game Ever Played.

Shia LeBeouf stars at Francis Ouimet in this Disney Biopic. Francis grew up loving golf, but was never really allowed to play, since only gentleman that are part of the golf club can really play. He did caddie for most of these gentleman since he lives across the street from The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. However, during the 1913 US Open, the club decides to let an amateur enter the competition. Francis is given the chance to enter, and become the first amateur to win the US Open. 

This movie has all of the earmark of a classis Disney biopic The only real critique I have for the film is there are some very weird editing choices that were made that, had they not been allowed to happen, would have made it a near perfect film. The story was interesting and tense enough to keep you attention but also not so heavy with the drama that makes you eyes roll. For someone who is not interested in golf, I think that the tension felt in this movie is how a golf game should be reflected to those who do enjoy golf. 

Mr. Tyler is finally here! I still can't tell you why I feel a connection with this man's compositions, but this is the first time I feel like I have really heard a Brian Tyler score since we have started. There have been plenty of bits a pieces of him here and there, but this is the first time I felt like he arrived! I'm very much excited for what is next!

Brian Tyler Takeover: Paparazzi

 We are back to a terrible movie from 2004, Paparazzi.

I'm not going to spend much time here. New big time actor gets mad at the paparazzi for taking his picture. The paparazzi are mob like and start like chasing the actor and causes a wreck that nearly kills his wife and kid. The actor goes on a killing spree of the revenge against the men.

Look this movie was so bad that I barley paid attention to it. I doubt the if this was Mr. Tyler's best work (thank goodness its not) it would have improved anything. 

Brian Tyler Takeover: The Final Cut

 This movie from 2004 is one that shocked me that I haven't heard or seen before, and it has Robin Williams in it! The Final Cut. 

The future is here in this movie! Robin Williams is what is known as a "cutter" for people who have an implanted memory storage in their head. All visual and audio of their lives are recorded. The purpose is to be able to reflect at the end of the persons life and cutter is the one who watches their lives and put together the best part of the lives. This is done and shown to friends and family at the 'Remembery". When a big wig at the corporation that makes the implants dies, everyone wants to get their hands on the unedited version of his life so the true plots of these devices are implanted. Williams character takes great pride in being the best cutter of the business, until he finds out that his parents had an implant installed into him at birth. Now, not only does he carry all the memories of his own life, but of all those whose lives he has reviewed. Which makes him the biggest target. 

Now, I can totally understand why this movie is a little under the radar, but really it's closer to what the world is coming to than a lot of other movies out there. 

Brian Tyler's composition for this film was subtle but, I think it was more over shadowed by the movie.    

Brian Tyler Takeover: Perfect Opposites

 We finally have ourselves a cute little love story! From 2004, Perfect Opposites. 

A young couple that meets in college decide to move to LA on a whim after they graduate from college. Big dreams and expectations come to a head when nothing goes how either of them thought it would. 

So, this was a cute movie, but not remarkable. As for the music. I don't remember anything from it at all. Sorry Mr. Tyler, I hope I can see some your wonderful hand work in the other films that you have soon!

Brian Tyler Takeover: Timeline

 We are still a little bit into the "odd" movie era here today. Today, from 2003, Timeline.

In the modern times of 2003, a group of archeologists are exploring the ruins of a battlefield in ancient France. When a secret Government group of time travelers come to them for help when on the men comes back from the past and dies, leaving behind lots of questions with no answers. They ask the archeologists help, because they would be the best group of people to ask to navigate the time era that they are dealing with. 

I honestly have no idea why anyone thought that this movie was a good idea? I mean, I get they it has both Paul Walker and Gerard Butler, but man was the plot of this movie week. 

We aren't here to talk about the plot of this movie, it's the music that is the focal point of this year. I don't find the music of this movie something to be worth remembering. I feel like there were moments during the battle scene toward the end that are the starts of the magic the Brian Tyler has. However, it's wasn't quite there yet. 

 

Brian Tyler Takeover: The Big Empty

   We are talking about an odd movie today, The Big Empty.

Debt will make you do some crazy things. When a struggling actor gets the chance to get debt free, he takes that chance. He is asked to take a suitcase to a small town in the desert and give it to someone named Cowboy. The town he gets to is strange. There is a man who hold John at gunpoint to try and get his girl back, a conspiracy theorist who believes in aliens, and the FBI trying to find 75 people who have gone missing from this town. 

No this time I got to really enjoy the music of this movie differently. I really got to listen to this movie more than watch because I was ripping up carpet in the living room. So, watching wasn't really happening. However, the music was great... until I got to one part of the film and I was having many questions about why the composition was done the way that it was. It really didn't match the red of the score, or the movie, at all. However, I do feel like the music matched the movie very well  

Brian Tyler Takeover: The Hunted

 So, we finally get to watch one of the earlier movies in Mr. Tyler's career. From 2003, The Hunted.

When a former special operation officer is found to be murdering people in a State Park in Oregon, his former survival instructor is forced to locate him. 

So, this movie is not overall the great in my opinion. It was kind of slow and very easy to  no pay attention. Which is odd because when you have the cast of Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro, you asking for a pretty great film. I think that for a thriller action movie it might have needed more of both.

As for the musical score. For the record again, I know nothing about music so I have no clue what I am really talking about. 

It could be that I had a hard time paying attention to this movie, but I don't remember there being so much of a musical score. There was one point of the end of the film that I felt like it was prominent, but I am not sure. That one point of the movie the score felt like it was movie and well placed. 

Hopefully, the further we go down the line the more it will hear and understand. 

Brian Tyler Takeover: There Are None

 So, Plot twist, I didn't watch any Brian Tyler movies this month. 

Why?

Well, none of the first seven films were available to stream. 

List of Movies:

1. Bartender

2. Six String Samurai

3. The Settlement

4. Simon Sez

5. Shadow Hours

6. Panic

7. Four Dogs Playing Poker

In years past I would normally find the movies and buy them so I can make everything happen. Well, I decided that I am going to be smart, and not do that. The things is I know that it would ultimately be note a good use of my money. I would watch the movies once, never watch them again, and then either give sell them, or trade them in at Mckay's. Both would be for less money than I would have bought them for. So, February will have to be the month that I watch and report. 

However, my Music for the Movies Class starts this coming week, and I know there are movies that Brian Tyler has composed for that I can watch. So, Hopefully whatever I learn for the class will be applied for when I do watch his movies!

Welcome To 2026!!!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

What a crazy ride that 2025 was, but it's honestly the first time in a long time that I have been happy to see a year go! It's been crazy but I now that this year has to be better than last. I don't know how but I think it will be.

This year I do have some cool projects that I will be doing, and I already have plans that I have coming that I know are going to be so much fun! However, This year marks 10 years since my first successful project My Year Of Review. It's been 10 years since I watched 100 movies in the theaters! I can't believe that it' been that long! So many changes have happened not only in Movies in general but in my life. Would I love to watch 100 movies in the theater again? Yes, but I am not going to because I have so much going on already. However, I am so thankful for that year because it's one of the best years of my life, but it's also lead me here. I never thought I would try, and experience, so many wonderful things just because movies inspired me to do it. 

So, what are this year's project? 

Well, we are talking Obedience and... music?

So, I have done several projects over the years that have dealt with my faith. However, it's just part of it. In the last few years I have struggled with Obedience, and this year that is going to be my focus. Now, I am not going to like do a whole big excel sheet, or a step by step process of what I need to do. I already know what I need to do, I have just not been doing it. Whether that is out of laziness, heartbreak, or any excuse that I can come up with, it needs to change. I need to change. So, I will be starting my normal mourning routine again, and I am sure when I start being obedient in the everyday then I am sure God will ask me to do something I find CRAZY! 

If/when God asks me to do something crazy, I will write about it here through that year as it happens. If nothing else, I will be writing how I am feeling and if I have been keeping up with talking to God on the daily. I will be continuing the Bible Recap with Tara-Light Cobble and I have another year long bible reading plan that looks really good that I will try to get through as well. I have spent all of last year listening to books written by R.C. Sproul and I have enjoyed them. However, listening to a book doesn't stick to me like reading it with my eyes does. So, this year I want to start my way through the Bible Recap's study books. They are like 10 week long courses so I hope to start that in the next few months, because I have a Bible study I have been neglecting called Braved and Beloved by Meredith Storrs. I have done the first two lessons and I really want to see that through before in over my head. 

This project is still based in a character from The Wizard of Oz and that would be the Flying Monkeys. They do not speak in the film, but The Wicked Witch of the West tells them "Now Fly! Fly!". In the book the monkey are controlled by a golden helmet that I forget how the Wicked Witch attains. They Monkeys are forced to be Obedient. Now, this year is not meant to see if being Obedient to God is good or bad, because I already know that it's good. I have walked long enough with the Lord to know that. However, sometimes we are obedient to the wrong person, and that's bad. Sometimes we can't help it, because of a curse, we are scared not to be, or because we tricked. The Devil doesn't want us to be obedient to anyone, so we can unknowingly follow him to our death without knowing Jesus. What I want to explore is what does the obedience that character are follow, or forced to follow, looks like and how we can be tricked that it's a good or a bad thing. 

The next project is going with a theme I didn't plan for this year but it's falling into place on it's own. 

The Brian Tyler Takeover. 

So what is this all about? Well, Brian Tyler is a composer to has TAKEN OVER MY HEAD! 

Back in like 2018, I was at work watching a movie on my phone listening to it with my headphones. The movie was Now You See Me 2. It was where Morgan Freeman is on the plan with Mark Ruffalo going to China to get the Horseman. Now, I turned my head and I heard fives notes. Just five. The scene that was now in my head from these five notes is not what is playing on the phone. It was a scene Thor: The Dark World. This Thor movie is my all time favorite stand alone Marvel film of all time. I love the soundtrack to that film. The violins when Frigga is sent off for her burial at sea and her soul float ups to the stars pinches my heart ever single time I hear it. Finding out he did both of these movies was shocking. I have never been able to pick out a composer of a film before. There was something about this fact that altered my brain.

Little did I know just how much until 2023. 

Picture it.. April 2023, me sitting in the movie theater watching Super Mario Bros. and the last battle scene is coming on, it just hits me out no where that the musical score of this film is brilliant! I didn't play many Mario games when I was young but I have played enough to know what the video game sounds are like. I can recognize sounds from the game even if I don't know what sound means what. However, this music that was so wonderfully epic fit so well into the film. It incorporated the video game sounds and the insane adventure of the world in a way I didn't know that any could. It was like the music was not just there to help you feel what you needed to feel in the moments that you needed to feel it, but it was there as part of the world building. 

It was Brian Tyler. 

May 2023... Fast X.... same thing happens

June 2024... Transformers One... THE SAME THING HAPPENS.

I tell my best friend Alaina about this craziness in 2025. I tell her that I have this weird ear to pick up on Brian Tyler's compositions and I don't know why. She laughs and agrees that it's weird. 

We are currently watching all of the Marvel films in release order. We get to Thor: The Dark World and I tell her like what I love about the music and tell her again on this weird thing. Fast forward a few months and are watching Avengers: Age of Ultron....

I tell Alaina the music is really good..... 

BRIAN FREAKING TYLER!!!! 

You think 2025 I would be left alone cause there is no way that this is happening. Then Now You See Me Now You Don't comes out and I figured that Mr. Tyler has done the other two films it's very possible that he is doing this one as well. He is.... no big deal I saw it coming. 

Then my roommate and I go and see Nuremberg. It was during the part where the Nazi general is about to take his own life, because he was found guilty during the trials, that there was something about the moment where just a few notes his and the Brian Tyler bell went off in the back of my head. I tried to deny it. I really did because I have not known Mr. Tyler to do a film that was historically based. It was just odd to me..... 

The credits rolled... as did my eyes.... Brian Tyler. 

I thought I was done till I started watching Yellowstone for the first time a few weeks ago, and yet again Brian Tyler is now following me to the small screen as well. 

So, I give up. I am goin to watch this man's filmography. Now, I know that there seem to be a good number of scary films under his belt so I am not sure what to do about that. However, I will watch all of the other movies that he has done. I will say where I thought that music was just perfect and why, and then we will see if I can still pick him out of a random movie I see during the week still. 

The other reason that I love that I am doing something with music this year is because I just signed up for a Music for the Movies class at the University of Tennessee. It a just for fun class but I think everything is aligning for me to to do something with music and why not the man whose music has been surprising me for the past seven years?

So, there we are. We have the year set up and ready to go... Well at least the plan, I still need to hammer some stuff out but we are getting there. 

I am looking forward to all the things that this year has coming up and I can't wait to see what God has in store!