Silent Hill: Revelation 3D

Prequel to this movie: Silent Hill (2006)

“Silent Hill: Revelation” is the sequel to Christophe Gans” 2006 film “Silent Hill,” both of which are based on the complex and frightening video game series. Unlike the first film, which borrowed elements from the first game, but remained independent, this effort closely follows the storyline of the third game. Our protagonist is soon to be 18 year old Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens), who has been on the run with her father Harry (Sean Bean) since their first encounter with Silent Hill. She’s been going with from place to place, school to school, in an effort to stay one step ahead of an ancient cult that’s been pursing them for years. The cult sends out select people to lure Heather back to Silent Hill, where they hope she’ll be instrumental in liberating them from the evil force trapping them there. When her father is abducted, and a bloody message on the wall beckons her, Heather and newfound friend Vincent (Kit Harrington) set out to Silent Hill. While searching for her father, they must contend with the cult, as well as the demonic manifestations that lurk in the fog.

Although deservedly R-Rated, the first film didn’t feel like a movie based on a video game. It had solid acting all around and a complex storyline that kept viewers debating long after the credits rolled. “Silent Hill: Revelation” is more like a live-action video game, but without the quality that gamers have come to expect from Konami’s Silent Hill series. Despite the hour and a half running time, the script manages to fit in a lot of details and backstory from the video game, but it also tries to tie up loose ends from the first film. The result is a convoluted mess that wouldn’t make sense to anyone who hasn’t played the games, and even then it has its problems.

I’m not against a movie that makes you think, that’s exactly what the original film did, and I loved it. But this film glosses over subjects that are deserving of more exploration (and not dialog heavy exposition, which the movie is full of). It moves along at a pace that doesn’t allow viewers to really comprehend what is going on, or become emotionally invested in the various subplots. For instance, Vincent meets Heather the day that her father is abducted, and despite her efforts to keep him at bay, he follows her at every turn. They stop at a hotel to rest before entering Silent Hill, where he attempts to talk her out of going into the town. Then he professes that he doesn’t want anything to happen to her, and embraces her. About 45 minutes into the movie, and on their first day meeting, without any real chemistry between them—he’s already in love with her? Right.

Those problems aside, it is an entertaining film, and it has its frightening moments. There are quite a few jumps, some that work and some that don’t. Despite the rushed feel, there are a handful of scenes that are very eerie and intense. Several times I found myself on the edge of my seat as Heather wanders around the various creepy locations. The set design is excellent, and the special effects are well done. Silent Hill really does become a living, breathing town that is in itself a manifestation of the hate and evil that rules the townspeople, and is responsible for the horrific monsters that roam its streets. I enjoyed the relationship between Heather and her father, and found myself rooting for him to survive, although I didn’t think it was likely, considering what happens in the game. Heather herself is also a likable character and is well acted by Adelaide Clemens, who I expect to see in more films in the near future. The acting all around is dodgy, at times, but there are some performances that stand out, particularly Deborah Kara Unger as Dahlia. She only has one brief scene, but she excels in it, much like she did in the original film.

One component that was hit or miss is the music. Akira Yamaoka’s scores from the video game are used to great effect in the first movie, and some of it appears here, but not nearly as much. Sadly, half of the score is more like the standard horror soundtrack, which makes little sense considering the source material. There are some renditions of Yamaoka’s score that are beautifully rendered in the film, but not enough.

Overall, if you are interested in the horror genre and can deal with the messy story and, at times, subpar acting, you may enjoy “Silent Hill: Revelation”—especially if you are a fan of the games or the first movie.

As for moral content, one aspect I liked was the close bond displayed between Harry (formerly Chris) and his daughter Heather. In the beginning of the film, he surprises her with an early birthday gift and they have a lighthearted chat at the kitchen table. An almost 18 year old sitting on her father’s lap might seem a little odd to some audiences, but it was innocently done, and, I think, along with the dialog, shows the connection they have. It made me think of “Courageous” and one of the fathers taking his daughter out on a date to let her know that she is treasured. Such behavior often helps young women avoid the pitfalls of early dating relationships, etc. Other than that, there isn’t much else of redeeming value.

There are maybe 5 curse words and a couple of instances of blasphemy. The film is also incredibly gory. The violence in the first film was brutal, but it served a purpose. Here, there are scenes that made me think I was watching “Saw.” They aren’t necessary and don’t add to the scare factor, even remotely. We see body parts chopped off, carvings made in flesh, and other things I don’t want to mention.

There’s also a lot of talk about a “god” that the cult expects to be born to deliver them from the town’s demon—obviously a play off of the Christian faith. I didn’t find it offensive though—they are a crazy bloodthirsty cult after all, and we have a few of them in real life. There’s really no sexual content, although there is one scene of brief nudity where a girl is tied down to a table. We see her breasts in a few shots that also aren’t necessary. And the evil nurses from the first film appear here, as well, complete with low cut skirts and cleavage. However, considering their hideously distorted faces and sadistic behavior, I doubt it would be a stumbling block to anyone. I’d hope not (laugh). All content considered, I can’t recommend it to Christians, unless you are a fan of the series and can handle the violence and brief nudity.

Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Moderate to heavy—“Jesus,” “Oh my G_d,” f-words (4), s-words (3), “hell” (3) / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

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