Mediocre.

Rating: 6/10 (21 April 2006)

Before I get into this review, let me state I'm a huge fan of the game series. I've played them all several times, and have always thought of them as some of the most artistic games ever made.
However, the film adaption of Silent Hill was overall a letdown for me, despite the fact that there was a lot to admire. Gans stayed true to many of the signature elements, and did a wonderful job with the visuals. The fog, the rusty fans, the bleeding walls, the sirens, all of that was presented beautifully. The designs on the creatures was done very well, and Pyramid Head especially looked fantastic. The sound was also top notch. Even though all of the music was taken directly from the games, I won't complain because Akira Yamoka's work is always pleasing to listen to.
The film had some major weak points though. The storyline, or more importantly, way of presenting it, was what really damaged it. On the whole, the movie stayed somewhat true to the plot of the first game, but it was told in a much different manner. One of the things I loved about the game was how the plot was not spoon fed to the viewer, which really made you think to understand what's really going on. The movie told every detail the game kept subliminal, but it also told it in an inconsistent way that I found confusing and just, well, not "Silent Hill". The segment toward the movies climax in particular just didn't work for me, and the dialog too could have been improved.
One of the things that makes the games such a unique experience is the feeling of isolation, and knowing you're alone. There's rarely encounters with other characters, the storyline you have to think about to understand, and it has such a powerful atmosphere you can only get by taking control of the character. That's a beauty that a movie simply cannot capture. Because of that, I feel that this film could have never truly worked out the way the games do.
All in all, I thought Silent Hill was a mediocre film, but wasn't the memorable experience that the games were.
5/10