Popcorn thrill-rides are often the style that most horror-themed movies these days aim for. And with Silent Hill 3D, the adventure is like walking through a fun house of terror. Some theatre-goers may be more inclined to laugh at the scares than get scared. At least with the home video release slated for Feb 12th, they can enjoy watching how the story from the first film influenced the second product.
Although this movie is heavy on the imagery and depth that made this particular video-game franchise well known—all of which was well done—the remainder of the product falls flat with its characterizations and plot.
The biggest problem is that not enough time is spent developing the father-daughter relationship. Christopher/Harry (Sean Bean) and Heather/Sharon (Adelaide Clemens) live under assumed names and they try to live a normal life. But Heather has people stalking her and Chris is wanted for a murder. He killed a cult member who was after Sharon in self-defense. But Heather is worried that history will come back to torment her. She wants to live her life as low-key as possible.
Nearly three-quarters of the film moves with an one-sidedness that gets annoying. All Heather can say is that she wants her father back. But the exposition at the start does not clearly define why. Audiences eventually learn that they emotionally support each other, and that answer comes much too late in the plot. And some viewers may be wondering why is she that insistent to go to Silent Hill to reclaim all that she has lost. Unlike the game that focuses on plenty of character development, the second film does not spend the same amount of time to make it stand out.
Not even the high-caliber inclusion of Carrie-Anne Moss and Malcolm McDowell can save the film. Their characters of Claudia Wolf and Leonard are sadly underutilized. And by the time the end comes, this survival horror production turns into a fight of century, turning more into a climatic moment from Mortal Kombat. And the final screams are not all that terrific either.
