Big Trouble (James Newton Howard)

There's a nuclear bomb loose in Miami. Soon to be drawn into its orbit are (bear with me) a reporter turned adman, his surly son, a well-to-do couple, their snarky daughter and maid, a Fritos-craving homeless guy, a pair of cops, a pair of FBI agents, a pair of lowlifes and a pair of hitmen. Sounds convoluted, but trust me, it's not. Adapted from Dave Barry's novel, this is one of the most underrated comedies of recent memory, bursting with great lines and enacted by a fantastic ensemble. What's more, it makes for an interesting companion piece to some of the films director Barry Sonnenfeld shot in the 80s (Raising Arizona, Throw Momma from the Train).

Eschewing the orchestral writing for which he is best known, James Newton Howard provides a lush assortments of styles, from a tropical-sounding love theme to scoring for big band and Hammond organ.

1. "My name is Puggy..." 1.09
2. Eliot's Deeber Fever 1.25
3. The Stupid Geo/"Second Chance" 0.56
4. Henry and Leonard/Puggy Arrives 1.29
5. Bar Fight O.40
6. Moving the Bomb/Puggy Sees Nina 1.29
7. Foot Fetish/Roger and the Toad 1.50
8. Men with Guns 1.04
9. Chaos at the Herk's 1.05
10. Miami's Finest 0.19
11. Where's Nina? 0.57
12. "...another shooter" 0.27
13. Eliot and Anna 1.00
14. Lunch is Served 0.38
15. Arthur the Target 0.26
16. To the Jolly Jackal 0.39
17. The Bomb 0.18
18. Insecurity/The Wormhole 1.30
19. The Stick-Up 1.08
20. "Edzackry" 0.08
21. Henry and Leonard Arrive 0.31
22. Home Invasion 0.58
23. "Die Hard situation" 1.29
24. The Escape 1.24
25. Taking the Shot 0.49
26. The Chase 2.44
27. To the Airport 0.35
28. Flight Schedule 0.27
29. Bag Check! 1.06
30. Free Parking 0.33
31. "Strip Search!" 0.43
32. Loading the Suitcase 0.48
33. "Your jurisdiction" 0.42
34. Take-off 0.18
35. "The plane is in the air." 4.05
36. Water Snake 0.37
37. Happy Landing 1.03
38. "...a new beginning" 0.27
39. End Credits 6.47

The film was released ten years ago today, and the score is high on my list of 'probably never going to be released, but I can still hope' film scores.