The best adaptation yet

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2006)

Video game movies tend to suck. So far, the only redeemable one is Mortal Kombat (in a cheesy kinda way). Then comes Silent Hill. I remember reading Roger Avary's blog on his website when he was writing the script, describing how he played the game a trillion times to get things write. My hopes seemed to soar now that a screenwriter who plays and understands the game is actually writing something worthy of the original source. Then I found out that Christophe Gans would be directing. My hopes sank a bit. I like Brotherhood of the Wolf, but that's a different movie and I wasn't sure how he'd handle this.
My fears are unfounded. Gans did a remarkable job translating the mood and atmosphere of the game onto the screen. Avary's script, although suffering from some occasionally bad dialogue, does a good job of explaining the story. If you played the first game, then you may have been just as confused as I was when I tried figuring out what the crap was going on. The movie actually did a better job, even though the backstory is a little different here. Visually, it was dead on. The 'dark' world of Silent Hill is as sadistic and violent as in the game, and the 'light' world is has this spooky/eerie atmosphere.
Acting wise, the film suffers a tad. Laurie Holden, who plays Cybil Bennet, has some really bad dialogue and there was this odd moment between her and Radha Mitchell's Rose that seemed almost like the two were about the make out. Sean Bean does an OK job as Charles, the husband of Rose, although I don't think he's given enough to do here to flex his acting muscles. Kim Coates, the detective, is a little too over dramatic. And the little girl was OK. I liked her better when she was the 'demon child' and not as Sharon, Rose's daughter.
Overall, the best adaptation yet. I think filmmakers are still figuring out what works and what doesn't when adapting games (it took them a few decades to get comic books right). Gans and Avary, however, are on the right track. If you're a fan of the game YOU NEED TO SEE THIS, but if not, check it out anyway. People in the theatre, when I saw it, who didn't know about the game still enjoyed it.