Great game, below average film

Rating: 10/10 (27 April 2006)

Many gamers will remember Silent Hill as one of the scariest franchises ever, the nastier, gorier cousin to Resident Evil. Many film goers will know it as one of the longest experiences of their life. That isn't to say that Silent Hill is a bad film, it's not, it just seems really slow in the middle portion and doesn't have the scares to make the tension build-up worth while. One of the best parts of the games was the use of darkness and shadows, but this is sadly one of the movie's biggest failings as some of the scenes are in so much darkness you can't even make out what's going on. Apart from some dodgy acting and (from the normally reliable) Sean Bean's 'American' accent, the film starts well, in fact the first 40 minutes is one of the best first acts to a film i've ever seen - scary and exciting in equal measure (specially when Silent Hill 'turns'). Sadly it's after this that the film loses it's way and starts to fill dragged out and slow. You almost feel as if you're watching someone play a game instead of watching a film. You often feel that you are just going from one level to the next and meeting a boss at the end of each one - one that doesn't even pose a threat. The only good thing about the middle section was the use of 'Pyramid Head' - the 2nd game's famous badguy. Sadly he's underused as if the film makers didn't want to mess with the game's character too much. Also the sub plot with Sean Bean just feels useless and doesn't really do anything for the story. Luckilu the film picks up again in the final act, with a gory attack on a church involving barbed wire and a lot of blood. It doesn't quite make up for the last hour however. My advice, stick to the game's = they're a lot better.