It might be based on the album, but The Score is very different, it is highly atmospheric and the soundscapes are extremely vast. Like most of you I am not privileged enough to have seen the movie yet, so it is difficult to evaluate the soundtrack in its full context. However knowing the background of the movie and having seen various trailers and imagery associated with it, I can grasp some idea.
Imaginaerum is a dark fantasy in the vein of Tim Burton, telling the story of an elderly composer, Tom, who suffers from severe dementia and has regressed into childhood. Drifting into a coma, the film is a journey through Tom's imaginary world. The Score fits with this fantasy theme and the imagery that has been used to promote it. Closing my eyes and listening to the soundtrack I am taken on a journey into the dark yet magical wintry landscapes of Tom's world. The music often gives the impression of enchantment masking the feelings of fear and confusion. Seamlessly switching between the two, the symphonic bombast can either add an epic feeling of excitement and adrenaline, or an intense sense of darkness and impending doom.
This is a well crafted and enjoyable piece of art in its own right. The familiar melodies from Imaginaerum are presented imaginatively in an entirely different soundscape, retaining, even enhancing the Nightwish magic. I certainly hope the film lives up to the soundtrack.
8.5/10