SIlent Hill: Revelation 3D...2012...94 minutes...rated R...starring Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harrington, Sean Bean, and Carrie Anne-Moss...written and directed by Michael J. Bassett
At the end of the first Silent Hill movie, we're left with a rather odd ending: Rose and Alessa/Sharon have returned back to their home after their fun romp through the strangeness that is the literal ghost town of Silent Hill...or at least their home in the alternate "fog" dimension while the father is stressed out and waiting in our world. Did you ever wonder what happened from there? This sequel follows Alessa, now called Heather Morris, and her return back to the town that gave birth to her.
Mind you, I say that it follows her further journey, as well as her father's. What I *don't* say is that it answers any real questions, but instead brings up bunches of new ones. Fans of the older movie will notice a lot of attempts to make this new offering follow the events of the original, but it only does so in a "sort-of kinda maybe if I squint at it" fashion. Fans of the game series will recognize that the majority of the plot is drawn from the 3rd game in the series.
The problem with this movie is that it doesn't go far enough in either direction...or in any direction. The start of the movie has a wonderfully creepy dream sequence that promises much, and up to a certain point Revelation looks like it's going to be a grisly gem. Sure, there's a big plot hole that has yet to be explained re: how Heather returns to the real world, but surely the movie will explain the method better...or at least the key object better, right? Wrong. In fact, the movie wanders after a certain point, and while there are some interesting scenes that crop up, most of the ghoulies of Silent Hill haven't changed...with one notable exception...and I personally wasn't scared so much as going "Wait...what?" by the end.
The ending itself seemed awfully light compared to the start of the film, and while this is a spoiler, I'll say that the ending of Silent Hill 3 went much darker and creepier than the end of this movie. I believe that to have been a terrible mistake in writing. I really could have used more explanation about many things as well, and I also have this personal complaint: if you get Malcolm McDowell and Carrie Anne-Moss in your movie, dear Gods, use these people! I could have used more of them and less of what I got.
The one complaint I didn't have was in the 3D aspect; it was decently used...and I kept waiting to see myself covered in ash flakes during certain scenes of the movie.
Overall, I'm a big fan of the Silent Hill games as well as of horror movies (obviously) and I was doubly disappointed with this movie. I seriously thought it could have been so much more...and the start of it promised more than the ending delivered. I can't say it was bad...instead it ended up as the worst thing a horror film can be: bland.
My rating: 2.5 carousel "horses" out of 5
