In contrast to the universally negative reviews of the film, the soundtrack has received critical acclaim. Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks.com gave it a full 5-star rating.[5] Jonathan Broxton of MovieMusicUK also gave it five stars, stating that "It’s constantly pleasing harmonics, interesting orchestrations, and powerful and heroic themes are thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, making it one of the most satisfying musical experiences from 2010’s summer season."[6] James Southall of Movie-Wave gave it 4 stars.[7] Tom Hoover of ScoreNotes gave the score a rating of 9.5/10, stating that "As far as collaborations go -- this one is the best of the lot between James and M. Night Shyamalan."[8]
Two criticisms have been leveled at the commercial pressing of the album: the fact that the album presentation is lacking "narrative flow", which is "an aspect shattered by a non-chronological presentation of tracks on the commercial album for The Last Airbender",[5] and that of the choir having been reportedly edited out of the release of the album due to re-use fees. Jon Broxton, though, says this: "There has been quite a bit of criticism aimed at Lakeshore Records for apparently not licensing the full choral elements heard in the film for release on CD; having seen the film, I can honestly say that whatever choral elements exist in the film are not especially missed on the CD release, and the final cue – “Flow Like Water” – sounds exactly the same here as it does in the theater."[6]
Accolades
The soundtrack was nominated for two International Film Music Critics Association awards in 2010 for Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film and Film Music Composition of the Year for "Flow Like Water".
