Return from the River Kwai, released in 1989, has little in common with the David Lean film of 30 years earlier which had an Academy Award-winning score by Malcolm Arnold with more than a little help from Kenneth J Alford. Here another eminent composer, Lalo Schifrin, is joined by Kitaro, who composed a Japanese theme for this film. The two styles are ill-matched and there is no possibility of re-working the one in counterpoint to the other as Arnold brought off with his Bridge on the River Kwai March and “Colonel Bogey”. The sleeve-note suggests that Schifrin sought to use the music from the earlier film, but to no avail. Maybe he was hoping for some inspiration, for it is evident that neither composer was able to work up any enthusiasm for this film, which is all the more disappointing for Schifrin fans after the recent joyous reissue of his score for The Four Musketeers. The only tune likely to linger on from this soundtrack will be “Pack up your troubles”, a marching favourite from the Great War. Schifrin’s music has been expertly brought back to life by audio restorer Gareth Williams from unpromising circumstances but sadly this soundtrack, like the negative impression left by the film itself, is a big yawn.