Silent Hill: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2006)

Mind you, I will make my spoilers very mild, but I do want you to be aware that this will have some spoiler elements.
First, I will point out that I had played the games previously, but my boyfriend had no previous exposure, so I am putting both of our opinions here. And we both agree that this is the best video game adaptation either of us has seen.
Now aside from that, it is still a very good movie. It was at times, beautiful, imaginative and horrifying. Very, very horrifying. I do not recommend taking anyone younger than 17 to see this movie. Apart from being the best video game adaptation, it is also the goriest movie I have seen in ages. I really can't think of anything to compare. There is also a character in this that "dies" twice. I can't think of any other way to put it, but it was one of the movie's few really cheap shots.
And when I say beautiful, I mean it. Some of the work done with their cinematography is completely unlike anything I have seen before, and it blew me away. The sets are fantastic, and the creatures, though horrific, are stunning in their own way. The sound is nothing short of amazing, and if this film could be considered for an Oscar for sound editing, it stands a heck of a good chance of winning.
The dialogue does fall short at times, but there are very few movies that don't have moments of bad dialogue, for the most part, the visuals take over, and any moment that Alice Krige is on the screen, the words flow as naturally as you would expect from a Shakespearean play. This is not to say the other actors are bad either. They all have their strong and weak lines, and I believe at least the male detective(cop?) was written and acted to sound like a character in a video game. I found it to be a nice touch.
Overall I give this movie an 8 out of 10. It certainly does not deserve any Oscars beyond the Visual and Aural qualities, but it is a great deal of fun, particularly if you were a fan of the game. Many elements were changed towards the end of the film, and a few surprises are thrown in from the later games in the series. But at times, it echoed the game shot for shot, something I never thought a film maker would be brave enough to do. If you love the game, you may well find yourself gasping with glee as some of the game's visuals are brought to the big screen.
So if you don't like it, I'm sorry, but I thought it was well worth the price of admission, and highly suggest anyone who likes really, really horrifying movies give this one a look see. And be prepared to want to take a shower when it's all over.