Deep plot changes, average acting, morbid dialogues and the missing of the Silent Hill typical psychological horror

Rating: 4/10 (15 August 2006)

While this is the best VG adaption to date it is a shame that the main Silent Hill plot got changed so much. At the end you're stuck with mostly action scenes and not the subtle horror that was present in the game (often boosted by the strong ambient music). The various creatures which appear in the movie are a mix from the SH1 and SH2 games. Which has the effect of losing their connection to the different game plots from the respective game parts. Another thing what felt flat were the happenings which occurred in Silent Hill the years before. In the game it really has a rich background story and many interesting characters evolve. In the movie this once rich plot gets twisted and simplified way to much. One change is the character of Henry Mason into Rose. In the original game Henry Masons' wife died and he follows the call of his daughter Cheryl to visit Silent Hill. So he has a more desperate background than Rose which still has her "happy" family life.
I must admit that I speak as a fan of the original rich plot and the feeling the games are arranging.
To sum it up:
For me the movie couldn't bring over the isolated subtle terror the games were able to. The dialogues are also pretty stupid and morbid. And apart from the always screaming Rose the acting in this movie is just average. Gans has put to much effort in bringing the visuals without bringing the necessary feeling to it. The scenes have more of a music video mood than a actual Silent Hill scene.
Maybe it should have been a low budget project with more feel for the story and characters than Special Effects. If you really want to discover what Silent Hill is all about, play and analyze the games.