Amazon.co.uk Review
A lot of movies can be described as "dripping with atmosphere," but in the case of Silent Hill it's literally true. Faithfully adapted from the Konami video games by French director Christophe Gans and Pulp Fiction cowriter Roger Avary (both self-confessed video game addicts), this dark and grisly horror-fest is nothing if not a triumph of cinematography and production design, consisting of a minimal and mostly incoherent plot propped up by a mysterious maze of sets that literally seep, drip, and ooze with the atmospheric evil of past misdeeds. Welcome to the abandoned and perpetually foggy ghost town of Silent Hill, where grey ash falls like snow, a devastating coal-mine fire still burns in a hellish underground, and demons of various shapes and sizes make your worst nightmares seem like a walk in the park. It's here that distressed mother Rose (played by Pitch Black heroine Radha Mitchell) has taken her daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) in hopes of discovering the source of Sharon's sleepwalking nightmares. What they find instead is a burned-out legacy of unspeakable evil, as Silent Hill's dark secrets are revealed. As opposing denizens of Silent Hill's meta-morphing underworld, Canadian actresses Alice Krige and Deborah Kara Unger seem to be the only ones who recognize this morbid mess as campy comedy; Gans (who established his visual flair with The Brotherhood of the Wolf) and Avary take it far too seriously, and the entire movie is utterly devoid of any emotional hooks or plot logic that would make us care about anything that happens. In crafting a loyal big-screen rendition of Silent Hill and its Playstation sequels, they've forgotten that movies play by a different and more demanding set of rules. As a result, they've made an impressive-looking but ultimately hollow horror film that only Silent Hill game-players can truly appreciate. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Very good, worth watching.......2008-03-02
I was very impressed with this film, i was expecting it to drift off the point of the game but it got it pretty much spot on which was cool. Even down the the demons/monsters the acting and effects were superb. i think it had one down fall though i think they over did the ending slightly which riuned it. The film was very good with the action, drama and gore well spread out but right at the end loads came at once which i think slightly ruined it, this is no reason not the watch it though as the storyline and characters are wicked.
Very True To The Game.......2008-02-25
It suprised me to see that there were soo many bad reviews about this film. My only guess is that they are from people who have not played the game. Or if they have played the game it is from the ones who are over protective and the film would never be up to their standards. I have to say out of all the game to film conversions this has to be the most true to the game. ...Although there aren't that many out there...
They totally captured the atmosphere of the game which is the most important element in Silent Hill games. And after watching a second time I understood it a little bit more. People who have completed any of the Silent Hill games will know that at the end of the playing time there is usually a long cut scene where all the answers are revealed and a new story line is told. They have kept to this formular in this film and an explaination for the creepy goings on is told, although one would still have to be superstitious to believe it, but as this is also the case in the games they can get away with this as all other parts of this film are also so similar to the game.
Even if you have not played the game I would recommend this film as it is still a brilliantly creepy film with great special effects and a sad story under it all. I would recommend it even more to all the fans of Silent Hill (particularly Silent Hill 2)
Flawlessly done.......2008-02-18
I'm a big fan of the games, when I first heard they were making a film of it I thought that it may turn out like Final Fantasy's Spirits Within which was awful. I'm so happy I decided to give it a go, I never thought they could capture the same eerie atmosphere that was in the games in the film but they did and they pulled it off flawlessly so I've just got to say well done to the cast and everyone who worked behind the scenes I applaud you.
Confusing and incoherent video game adaptation.......2008-01-13
A young mother (Radha Mitchell) decides to visit the abandoned West Virginia mining town of Silent Hill with her daughter to see why the town she has never visited haunts her nightmares.
I have never played the hugely successful and popular Silent Hill video games so I am reviewing this as a standalone film rather than a video game adaptation. It starts quite well, with the frantic mother trying to catch up with her young daughter who is sleepwalking the streets babbling about Silent Hill. Against her husbands wishes she decides to take the girl there to get to the bottom of the mystery. Silent Hill itself looks great. The abandoned streets are white with ash that rains from the sky (Silent Hill was deserted because of a huge underground fire that still smoulders). After crashing her car and knocking herself unconcious the woman wakes to find daughter Sharon missing and sets out to search the Hellish town. Unfortunately the town is largely inhabited by bizarre looking creatures who come out of the darkness prompting a siren on the Church roof to be sounded. Despite some very inventive visuals and great looking creatures, it's all downhill from here I'm afraid. What there is of a plot is incoherent at best and dialogue is poor. Mitchells performance is unconvincing as is that of the police woman. Although there are some good horror moments (Pyramid Head skins a victim) Silent Hill is ultimately all style and no substance which is a shame considering the fanbase who will be largely disappointed.
Like this? Try: Hellraiser
Silent Hill - Rubbish.......2007-11-19
I can not believe I watched this drivel for more than an hour before binning it. What a waste of calories. I implore you, do not get this film.
It is neither scarey, gripping nor has a story-line. Ridiculous, plain ridiculous.
Customer Reviews:
ugly, compelling film.......2007-08-21
I have watched it several times, catch it on the dish. Very interesting movie, yet....
I don't play video games so had no idea it was based on that before I watched, so my impressions are on the movie alone. Well, acted, premise that is very complicated. A woman adopts a daughter. Later, the child is given to running away while sleepwalking. Becoming concerned when nothing helps, she is determined to unriddle what is haunting her daughter. So she journey's to Silent Hill to find the answers.
A female cop stops her. She's slightly too gung ho about people abusing kids, so jumps to the error that Rose is stealing her daughter, and chases them. They both crash. Rose awakens on the edge of Silent Hill, a bizarre town that is in perpetual winterscape (ash really) from fires burning underground. Cop chases her, she chases daughter. Slowly you see there is more wrong with this town and underground fires.
Highly imaginative, repugnant, yet, strangely compelling. Maybe someday I will figure out if I like it or not.
Not recommended for the weak stomach. It's was rough at time for me.
UK DVD:
- Silent Running [1972]
- Sleepy Hollow [1999]
- Space: Above and Beyond [1996] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Stalker [1979]
- Stephen King's It [1990]
- Stephen King's The Stand [1994]
- Stigmata [2000]
- Supernatural : Complete Season 1 (6 Disc Box Set) [2006]
- Surrender, Dorothy [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- Terry Jones' Personal Best (REGION 1) (NTSC)
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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