Trader47
04-21-2006, 11:59 PM
I'm writing this after the rest, but obviously posting it first, LOL. I've reread my review before posting it, and found that it contains some things that some people might consider mild spoilers. I don't think I could discuss the film at all without a few, so have left them in. Certainly nothing I think would ruin the movie for anyone at all, but what do I know? As always, proceed at your own risk.
I've always thought that good movies can be made in any genre and probably just about any sort of material....and Hollywood sure has given that the old college try, especially over the last few years. I suppose if they can make a movie that's both good AND successful out of a Disneyland ride, they should be able to do just about anything, LOL. But considering the movies that have been made so far out of video games, I'll confess to starting to wonder whether or not making a good one based on the sort of material they generally contain is really possible. For me, the quality level of the films I've seen based on them has been contained within a very limited range, going from fair at best, (the Tomb Raider films and the animated Final Fantasy, which I'd say was the best of the bunch), to almost unwatchable tripe, such as the Resident Evil films and Super Mario Bros. LOL.
And now comes Silent Hill. I'll say right off that I haven't played any of the SH games, so had no expectations based on that...but friends that have played them were suitably impressed on that level, and the trailers for this film have looked interesting, so in spite of my not so hot experiences with the genre to date, I had at least a cautious optimism going into this one. And it starts right off with an effectively creepy seen on a cliff's edge, and then with very little preamble moves it's characters into the West Virginia ghost town Silent Hill, where the bulk of the story will transpire. At this point, the film starts to feel, wonder of wonders, EXACTLY like a video game....strange creatures lumber up to the characters at every turn, and are either run from or shot at, or sometimes both. Clues to mysteries are found that are clearly designed to lead the characters directly to certain destinations, and what dialog there is fits perfectly into this mix...at one point, someone says something like "They say this used to be a ghost town. I think they're right." LOL, I'd really love to see the actor who could deliver lines like that convincingly.
So, at this point, I'd guess anyone reading has probably come to the conclusion that I'm dumping all over this one, LOL. And they'd probably be right, except for the problems I'd have with doing that. First, there's the overall look of the film, which is really fantastic...the town is choked with coal smoke from underground fires left burning for 30 years, and everything is seen through this haze...and what is seen is a fairly wide variety of creepy crawly things that have hopefully at least not been seen anywhere outside a video game, and of course, a few of these do get to do a little splattering, LOL. Very cool, and entertaining enough in their own right...and then there's the mystery of what's going on. There are plenty of anomalies to keep you guessing...although I actually had trouble being particularly involved with these in the beginning, because of the WAY this film was proceeding...I just sort of assumed there'd be some lame explanation for everything, or possibly none at all, the way these things often tend to turn out.
But it's at the point where the secrets begin to be revealed that the truly horrific aspects of this story become clear... I felt completely blindsided as the truths behind all these things that aren't as they seem came to light. And the revelations here are of the best sort...not only do they make logical and chilling sense, but they illuminate what has come before them, turning what had seemed like basic nonsense into something a bit more disturbing. It was actually not until I was outside the theater that I fully realized how completely immersed I'd become in this smoke-filled world born of madness and hatred. I literally had to shake my head just to try and clear away the smoky haze that felt like it had invaded my brain...(the friend I was with claimed she could hear the rocks rattling around in there, but I noticed her shaking hers too...of course, being the perfect gentleman that I'm sure everyone here who's read my posts could attest that I always am, I declined to mention it.:rolleyes: ) But anyway, when all was said and done, what started out feeling like a hoot ended up being, for my money, a genuinely disquieting experience that actually stuck with me for awhile.
I should add that I feel pretty sure this will be another one of those very polarizing films, even among horror fans. I imagine that there will be at least as many people calling it silly rubbish as there are those leaning towards my view of it...but this is a very unique and very creepy film...I know I've never seen anything quite like it, and I very much doubt that anyone else has either. And although I can't call it a masterpiece, mainly because I think it's a bit too long, and is occasionally frustratingly unengaging, I feel pretty sure there'll end up being more than enough yea-sayers to eventually turn it into a cult classic...and if so, it'll have my vote as one I think well worth that status. And on a personal note, I'll add that I can officially declare that the video game genre drought has ended.
I've always thought that good movies can be made in any genre and probably just about any sort of material....and Hollywood sure has given that the old college try, especially over the last few years. I suppose if they can make a movie that's both good AND successful out of a Disneyland ride, they should be able to do just about anything, LOL. But considering the movies that have been made so far out of video games, I'll confess to starting to wonder whether or not making a good one based on the sort of material they generally contain is really possible. For me, the quality level of the films I've seen based on them has been contained within a very limited range, going from fair at best, (the Tomb Raider films and the animated Final Fantasy, which I'd say was the best of the bunch), to almost unwatchable tripe, such as the Resident Evil films and Super Mario Bros. LOL.
And now comes Silent Hill. I'll say right off that I haven't played any of the SH games, so had no expectations based on that...but friends that have played them were suitably impressed on that level, and the trailers for this film have looked interesting, so in spite of my not so hot experiences with the genre to date, I had at least a cautious optimism going into this one. And it starts right off with an effectively creepy seen on a cliff's edge, and then with very little preamble moves it's characters into the West Virginia ghost town Silent Hill, where the bulk of the story will transpire. At this point, the film starts to feel, wonder of wonders, EXACTLY like a video game....strange creatures lumber up to the characters at every turn, and are either run from or shot at, or sometimes both. Clues to mysteries are found that are clearly designed to lead the characters directly to certain destinations, and what dialog there is fits perfectly into this mix...at one point, someone says something like "They say this used to be a ghost town. I think they're right." LOL, I'd really love to see the actor who could deliver lines like that convincingly.
So, at this point, I'd guess anyone reading has probably come to the conclusion that I'm dumping all over this one, LOL. And they'd probably be right, except for the problems I'd have with doing that. First, there's the overall look of the film, which is really fantastic...the town is choked with coal smoke from underground fires left burning for 30 years, and everything is seen through this haze...and what is seen is a fairly wide variety of creepy crawly things that have hopefully at least not been seen anywhere outside a video game, and of course, a few of these do get to do a little splattering, LOL. Very cool, and entertaining enough in their own right...and then there's the mystery of what's going on. There are plenty of anomalies to keep you guessing...although I actually had trouble being particularly involved with these in the beginning, because of the WAY this film was proceeding...I just sort of assumed there'd be some lame explanation for everything, or possibly none at all, the way these things often tend to turn out.
But it's at the point where the secrets begin to be revealed that the truly horrific aspects of this story become clear... I felt completely blindsided as the truths behind all these things that aren't as they seem came to light. And the revelations here are of the best sort...not only do they make logical and chilling sense, but they illuminate what has come before them, turning what had seemed like basic nonsense into something a bit more disturbing. It was actually not until I was outside the theater that I fully realized how completely immersed I'd become in this smoke-filled world born of madness and hatred. I literally had to shake my head just to try and clear away the smoky haze that felt like it had invaded my brain...(the friend I was with claimed she could hear the rocks rattling around in there, but I noticed her shaking hers too...of course, being the perfect gentleman that I'm sure everyone here who's read my posts could attest that I always am, I declined to mention it.:rolleyes: ) But anyway, when all was said and done, what started out feeling like a hoot ended up being, for my money, a genuinely disquieting experience that actually stuck with me for awhile.
I should add that I feel pretty sure this will be another one of those very polarizing films, even among horror fans. I imagine that there will be at least as many people calling it silly rubbish as there are those leaning towards my view of it...but this is a very unique and very creepy film...I know I've never seen anything quite like it, and I very much doubt that anyone else has either. And although I can't call it a masterpiece, mainly because I think it's a bit too long, and is occasionally frustratingly unengaging, I feel pretty sure there'll end up being more than enough yea-sayers to eventually turn it into a cult classic...and if so, it'll have my vote as one I think well worth that status. And on a personal note, I'll add that I can officially declare that the video game genre drought has ended.