Better than average but not scary

Rating: 6/10 (29 April 2006)

I went to see Silent hill in Switzerland a couple of days after it was released. I have to say that from the trailer footage i saw that the atmosphere had been respected quite well but i had no indication of plot. I must say that the monsters were creepier than expected but some minor details ruined their presence- For example, when Cybil takes down a straightjacket monster and sees 7 or so more coming down a hill. This, in a way, kind of kills the ambiance. Another very important point is the types of monsters used. Although monsters are not the number 1 plot point, it would have been nice to see more monsters reflected from Alessa s mind and hate rather than some fan favourites thrown in for fan service(pyramid head, straightjacket). As a matter of fact, i found the original monster (janitor) to be the best because his significance is very well pointed out in the flashback sequence. Apart from this minor complaint, i found the music, coming mostly from episode 3 of the video game to be very enjoyable.I was not convinced by the portrayal of the cult who were more into burning witches than "birthing a god"- which i found a shame. The ending of the film was quite interesting and was left open for interpretation- unlike the rest of the film, which sort of loses its symbolism compared to the vg (most notably with the monsters and "puzzle solving"). In conclusion i thought it was a pleasant trip but it might have been better to develop Alessas character more through the use of significant elements in Roses exploration. My last point is about the acting. Radha Mitchell manages well despite a cheesy script and Jodelle Ferland is very convincing. MAJOR problem with Tanya Allen- i don't think i have ever seen worse acting from a single actor/actress in any movie where the rest was acceptable.
good film overall. Well directed and NICE credits
P.S. I hope a DVD release with a Directors cut will help the plot situation.