horror lost in translation

Rating: 5/10 (25 April 2006)

As an avid gamer and movie goer, I can not say I enjoyed this film. Correction, I enjoyed it, but it was not a good film. Don't get me wrong, it was directed wonderfully.(well, except the first few scenes) Anyways, the reason I found the Silent Hill games so attractive was not the violence nor the gore, which I am also a fan of. I enjoyed them for their depth. The monsters in the game were given character by the events that lead up to their fight. This is however, not seen in the movie.
People say that a woman lead was made to make her more vulnerable. I found that a woman lead eliminated the desperation of a father presented by the game. You were a man, and a terrified one, which breaks the typical hero of a game who is fearless and strong! You were strong, but you weren't fearless, and the movie just made the main character weak and fearful.
Now, another thing is the lack of meaning. In silent Hill 2, Red Pyramdid (big monster holding a massive blade, wearing a giant black helmet and butchers vest) was supposed to represent something. I do not want to spoil the game for any of those who have not played it, but if you play the game, and you actually think about it, the monster represented something. In the film, he is an empty shell used to carry out the "darkness"'s bidding.
This movie was not great. By all means, I think it was less than stellar. It did however have a certain creepy feel to it that would leave one looking over their shoulder at the slightest sounds. The movie was also visually stunning and enthralling at parts.
This was no Award winning film, but it is possibly one of the best video game adaptations that have graced the movie screens. It is by no means the next Crash, but it is far better than the trash that is Doom.