The video game industry has been creeping into the cinematic realms with some success but the movies don't always flesh out as well as audience may have hoped. "Silent Hill: Revelation" is the sequel to the moderate horror hit "Silent Hill" and the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree as the daughter of Rose De Silva has to go back to the desolate town of 'Silent Hill'.
Starring Adelaide Clemens, Sean Bean and Carrie-Anne Moss
Written & Directed by Michael J Bassett
In "Silent Hill: Revelation", Heather Mason (Clemens) and her father (Bean) have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand. On the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she's not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.
While the first film admitedly had some fun shocks in it, this film is so flat as it focuses all on the style and completely forgets to add any substance. Writer/director Michael J Bassett at least made the attempt to connect a few dots between the original and this film, but far too much focus went into the visuals that admitedly look fantastic and the script was forgotten about. It gives us mimimal set-up along with some forced and hokey dialogue, but as long the visual effects are gory and pop no one seems to care and they hit us with the creatures and effects, over and over again. What's worse is that everything we see on screen is supposed to be scared when it just isn't in the slightest. The script that was meshing elements from the original film and the video game was filled with more logic holes then I care to count they at least manage to get the audience to the creepy realm of Silent Hill before the first act is over. In the traditional sense you honestly can't call this is a film since the story is so thread bare, and it's all effects.
Relative unknowns Adelaide Clemens and Kit Harington (In his first ever film) were cute enough in the lead roles but were only ever asked to run and hide from the creatures so it got a little boring. Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell and Deborah Kara Unger return from the original in small roles and Carrie Anne-Moss and Malcolm McDowell hop on as they expand the franchise but the actors were all secondary to the visual effects.
Picture and sound quality on the Blu-Ray were quite good and the only special feature was a brief behind the scenes look at the making of the film.
When all is said and done, "Silent Hill: Revelation" never tries to develop characters or make you somewhat interested in the narrative, it just wants to get the creatures and visual effects which are honestly more gross then they are scary. It's just a video game where you can't control the characters, and to be fair I've seen video games with better character development then in this film.
1 out of 5 stars.
"Silent Hill: Revelation" is now available to rent on DVD & Blu-Ray at video stores everywhere as well as through all major providers. You can also find it for purchase at all major retailers like amazon.ca, HMV or iTunes.
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