While it wasn't a perfect movie, this is one that I'm glad I saw

Rating: 8/10 (27 April 2006)

The streets are abandoned and choked by a dense, everlasting fog. Ash ominously falls from the midday sky. Rose (Radha Mitchell) has entered Silent Hill searching for answers but now she must find her missing daughter and escape before the Darkness of Hell claims them both.
Director Christophe Gans does a great job transferring this supernatural town from the Playstation console to the Silver Screen. Having kept relatively true to the original video game by Konami, Gans has managed to please the game's fan base and captivate new viewers alike.
You don't have to be a veteran of the Silent Hill video game series to enjoy its adaptation. In Silent Hill, nothing is as it seems. Upon first entering the town, the viewer is greeted by a strong sense of emptiness and loneliness. When the main character begins to wonder what could have happened in this silent town, that's when it happens. A deafening air raid signal floods the town and everything goes straight to Hell. Literally.
Silent Hill is an excellent all-around horror movie. The visuals are stunning and the utmost attention is paid to even the smallest detail. Each set is disturbing in its own waywhich is exactly what the creators intended. Almost everything seen in the movie is made by hand, with very little computer generated imagery used; which adds a lot to the realism of the visuals. While not the main focus of the film, there are a few very, very gore-filled scenes which even the most hardcore horror fans can appreciate. While most movies will cut to another scene when something really gruesome happens, Silent Hill makes you stay and squirm.
The music score which haunted the video game version of Silent Hill also makes a return. It drives each scene with excellent timing and pace. Few music scores have the ability to increase your heartbeat like this one. The tension and fear in each scene is amplified by the music that compliments it.
The storyline of Silent Hill is about 70% mystery and 30% horror. While some viewers may find the plot confusing, if you pay attention to the details the film presents, you can easily figure out what's happening. Pushing the storyline along are many great actors. Each actor embodies their character so well that the viewer shares in their fears, ambitions and even confusion.
As every movie before this one, Silent Hill is not perfect. For instance, the pacing of the movie is highly inconsistent. It feels as though the beginning of the movie is rushed so that we can get to the "good stuff" in the middle. Also, midway through the film, the character Rose transforms from a scared, confused victim to a hardened, determined heroine. While this was to be expected, it happened in the span of two scenes and felt rushed. Another complaint I had was some of the dialogue. In the beginning of the film, before they venture into Silent Hill, the dialogue was corny at best and there are a few lines here and there throughout the movie that made me wonder what the writers were thinking.
I went to see this movie with very high expectations. Happily, I wasn't let down as badly as I thought I'd be. While it wasn't a perfect movie, this is one that I'm glad I saw. If you are looking for a good horror or mystery movie and don't mind a little gore (or if you enjoy it), go to your local movie theater and venture into the depths of Silent Hill.
Grade: B (8/10)