Silvestri and Zemeckis have been working together since 1983's Romancing the Stone, with other titles such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future series on their joint resume. Beowulf is an enduring work of art that is thought to have been composed circa the eighth century. Fair game, one would say, for a fresh interpretation as a computer-generated motion picture.

Silvestri's score here brings his recent work on Van Helsing to mind. In this one, though, there are two thematic elements: hubris and heroism. Silvestri balances them well. After leading off in Cue 1, "Beowulf Main Title," with a synth "sting," orchestral elements and choir take over the score, to a large extent. Both drive Cue 2, "First Grendel Attack." The synthesized stuff remains in the score but never gets so "in-your-face" again, thankfully. In fact, there are even some songs to leaven the main themes. These are a bit of a mixed bag. Cue 3, "Gently as She Goes," is a quasi-Celtic vocal number sweetly sung by Robin Wright Penn in a winsome if slightly undercooked voice. She also contributes vocals to Cue 7, "A Hero Comes Home." This introduces Beowulf's second theme.

Stirring music for a 21st-century retelling

Returning to the music, there are sly hints of James Bond in the progression in Cue 4, "What We Need Is a Hero." Appropriate, when you think of it. In fact, Silvestri, widely recognized as an effective composer of action sequences, does a bang-up job on all of the action cues here. Standouts include Cue 6, "I Did Not Win the Race," and Cue 14, "Beowulf Slays the Beast," the longest cue on the disk, which shifts meter a couple of times during its length and feels like a headlong rush into glorious oblivion.

The secondary theme is restated as the last cut on the disk, this time with vocals by Idina Menzel (Wicked) double-tracked in spots. The evocative, rock-infused setting seems to suit her slightly breathy voice well. The double-tracking helps give her some power against the music, but she can soar when she wants to. It's a bit "poppy," but still fun and not all that much out of place. The epic poem was probably sung originally. Something to think about for the next retelling.

Silvestri expertly mines his themes, deconstructing them, broadening them, exploring them with orchestra and choir. This leads to a soundtrack experience that may not be to all tastes, because it's broad and very expressive, but at its best it is undeniably stirring as all get-out, and pretty determinedly over the top, as in Cue 11, "Full of Fine Promises." But it's all good fun if you are looking for testosterone-soaked music with lots of drums, horns and soaring chorus.