Fire doesn't cleanse, it blackens.

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2007)

I was cursed with knowing early-on that Silent Hill would be turned into a film. My patience was severely tested. But oh hell, yes, was it worth it. Director C. Gans did an amazing job from my perspective.
I played Silent Hill well over 5 years ago and it brought survival/horror games to a new peak, like Resident Evil did. I was hoping this flick wouldn't turn into whatever happened to Doom, and it surely didn't.
I suppose that, having have played the game, will multiply the experience, but for those who didn't play Silent Hill, can most definitely enjoy the movie as well. As soon as the eerie-and oh so familiar soundtrack started rolling, I made a slight twitch, grabbing my seat at the movies. One of many of those moments. The scenes where the Nightmare World kicks in the first time were almost identically set-up as in the game, amazing! Other crucial aspects were preserved. The soundtrack, the eerie "industrial" sounds. Other, vibrant sounds that were a horror show on their. Sounds that made you wonder if it were a slow, grinding hellish machine, or a fiend luring in the darkness. The music, the monsters, the scenery, the characters (mostly),... It's also quite an achievement to know that CG (computer-generated) special effects were kept on a low usage, despite the film being graphically amazing. Next to that, Gans made sure he added his own unique and fitting aspects of the story. Dialogue had some pretty nifty quotes here and there.
The storyline is mainly based on the first film, even though we get to see Pyramid Head, who is actually an important character from the second game (but honestly, who couldn't resist using Pyramid Head and his gigantic kitchen knife), but other plot aspects of other Silent Hill movies were included. The underlying ideas of repent, hate, solitude and other feelings that could cause a person to turn into the Devil himself.
As one of the previous reviewers said, I kinda missed Harry... For the first 10 minutes. I kinda got used to Rose without even knowing.
I know I won't have to worry about Gans, perhaps, directing future Silent Hill films. Bring it.