Silent Hill - 2006, Dir: Christophe Gans.

   The Silent Hill series was perhaps an inevitable project for film makers seeking the long-sought grail that is a successful computer game adaptation. A psychological, survival horror franchise which drew inspiration from earlier successes in the genre such as Resident Evil, it presented a slightly different approach to the format by placing everyman characters in these horrific scenarios, as opposed to the combat-trained heroes (i.e. credible survivors of such situations) of previous games.

   The opening segment of the film places us with the protagonist and her troubled daughter (Jodelle Ferland). Rose (Radha Mitchell), troubled by young Alessa's sleepwalking, nightmares and sleeptalking of the words "Silent Hill", decides the only way to remedy the situation is to pay a visit to the deserted settlement, alone. This is done against the wishes of her equally concerned husband Christopher (Sean Bean). It is perhaps worth noting in passing that the family's surname is da Silva, despite very little suggestion that either of the parents are of hispanic origin.     

   By most accounts, Frenchman Christophe Gans' film is is one of the more faithful video game adaptations that have made it as far as the cinema screen. This is mostly down to the maintenance of the Konami series' distinctive aesthetic. The eponymous ghost town is an environment of heavy fog, falling ash and dark interiors, hiding the horror that lurks within.

   Described by one description I read as a 'stylish horror', it is evident from the outset where the emphasis has been placed when dividing the budget. The narrative seems to only serve as a vehicle to carry Rose from one piece of  visual CG horror or game homage to another. Christopher spends the duration hassling local law enforcement, archivists and even the clergy to try to find his wife and daughter, all the while apparently struggling to decide on an accent to use. Rose escapes (fanboy-pleasing) monstrosities such as 'Pyramid Head' and, along with the relatively insignificant police officer character Cybil (Laurie Holden), encounters the sinister cult that one suspects will hold the key to the origin of the unnatural goings-on. Grainy, sepia-tone flashback montages provide pieces of historical information to supplement the present-day events, as the supernatural explanation for the constantly-burning fire beneath the town is revealed.   

   While many solid horror films hinge on similarly forgettable plotlines, they often rely on strong, likeable characters. This is the hurdle at which Silent Hill spectacularly falls. Firstly, for the opening two acts of the film, Rose spends the majority of her time screaming and cowering from the neverending horrors that crawl, stagger and lurch towards her. Admittedly not an unreasonable reaction, but for this section of Silent Hill she is very much a dated kind of female character. Rose is dependent on the comparatively masculine Officer Cybil to get her out of trouble on a number of occasions, which quite frankly does not make her the most engaging protagonist. 

   Christophe Gans has pleased many fans of this franchise with his valiant attempt to use the source material, and while Silent Hill possesses moments of striking visual horror and possesses all the homages an enthusiast could probably hope for, there are a multitude of disappointments along the way. The characters do not present any great cause for interest, the narrative seems to lurch forward, and while there were repeated suggestions of it in the opening acts, the cult's witch hunt emerges rather abruptly and the scenes lack the kind of truly unsettling power wielded by those in The Wicker Man or Rosemary's Baby. It's strength lies in the horrific monsters and imagery that dwell in the ghost town, and even these sections can be somewhat CGI-heavy. 

   For Silent Hill fans, this film will provide a variety of enjoyably familiar scenes and sights, and probably much more satisfaction than felt by Street Fighter or Tomb Raider enthusiasts. On balance, however, the film joins a ever-lengthening list of sub-par horror films with good intentions which are hindered by a lack of character depth and an uninspired script.

Verdict: 5/10