Ebert slams film version of Silent Hill

[Razer]

from Gamepro.com-

"Film critic Roger Ebert has weighed in on the film adaptation of the survival horror game Silent Hill, and the results aren't pretty: just one and a half stars out of four.

Ebert's incendiary review isn't entirely negative -- he calls Silent Hill "an incredibly good-looking film." He also describes how director Christophe Gans's visual processes make Silent Hill "look more like an experimental art film than a horror film."

Even if the "visuals are terrific," what does Ebert think of the story, dialogue, and acting? Not much: he says he that film's "arcane back-stories" and "metaphysical insights" only muddle up the film's story, which as a whole he "did not understand." According to Ebert, the characters in Silent Hill "talk and talk and somehow their words do not light up any synapses in my brain."

This might come as disappointing news to fans, who have been ecstatic over the slick theatrical trailers that are circulating the internet and TV.

But the editors of GamePro still have hope. We're going to watch Silent Hill tonight at the Jack London theatre in Oakland. We're shooting for the 7:20pm showing -- anyone who's interested is welcome to join us."


***I still plan on seeing it also. Just because Roger Ebert "did not understand" it surely won't deter me. I'm sure he's played thru all the games and is a Horror vidgame fan too, right?***

[GAAZ]

He also didn't like the first Star Wars movie...Granted he also didn't like the new trilogy eaither...I think Ebert isn't exactly a nerd.

[Ming]

That's funny, because he looks like one.

The fact that he "didn't understand" pretty much sums up why he panned the movie. I honestly don't think fans, however, are going to be disappointed because he didn't give it a good review. They're going to see it whether or not it was critically acclaimed.

People need to make their own minds up on these things, and stop letting other people tell them what's good and what's not.

[Girkon]

For that matter it didn't dissapoint as far as the visuals went. The story was acceptable, and the gore/horror factor was good nough for me. My diagnosis is that this is the best movie adaption of a video game ever. Which speaks out on many levels.

[Kugyou]

What's funny is that he mentioned the grainy visuals. Any fan of the series knows that "grainy visuals" is part of the visual experience of Silent Hill.

[Nogrick]

This is also coming from the guy who says that video games will never be on the same level as movies. I figure he'd shoot it down anyway because of that belief. Also, considering all the Game inspired films, most of which are horrible renditions of the games' stories, I'd say he's dead wrong. Besides that, it's not like the movie is gonna spawn more games, the games spawned the movie.

And from personal experience, although I was expecting maybe a little more gore, the movie was fine the way it was and everything worked out great. He's just got his head to far up his you know where to give it a chance.

[Kugyou]

[Razer]

I saw it yesterday after posting this and I thought it was great. The story was a bit convoluted and it lost me at times but I haven't played any but the latest game and even that was just for like a half hour or so.
I can't believe you wanted more gore, Nogs! My girlfriend spent half the movie with her eyes covered and also proclaimed "this is the last movie you pick". LOL

[Nogrick]

Well, I don't like a whole lot of gore myself, but I figured it would have been a little more gory than it was. I'm a bit squimish myself.

[Akuko]

I saw the movie and it was awesome! I love all the Silent Hill games and played and beat them all, 'cept "the room." It had all the elements of the game (including the music from the first game) and was the best adaptation from game to movie. I can't wait for the sequel!!

It is kinda convoluted if you've never played the games before, but still a worthy adversary to the resident evil series, which before Silent Hill was my fav adaptation from game to movie.