rarely do i write about movies i have seen (on the big screen or dvd), but seeing that this would be a blockbuster summer movie season, i believe i'll be spending more time on the theaters this year than any of the previous years. truth be told that in the past, i have let big-budgeted, overly-hyped, sales-grossing movies pass me by, but hopefully that won't be the same this year. and what proper way to start a review than with a movie i have long since waited for a screen adaptation: silent hill.

for the average joe who is wondering, the movie silent hill is a movie based on the video game of the same title which first appeared on the sony playstation one. i never was a fan of suspense-horror games until this one appeared. i was intrigued about the reviews i read on the net and the cut-scenes i saw on tv so i got it and tried it out. the game is great, graphics and story-wise, and i got hooked. after learning that there were four (if not three) possible endings to the game, i immediately got hooked on finishing it with all the possible outcomes. in any case, basic plot of the game was father was driving along a countryside with his daughter on the front seat, had an accident, and upon coming to, saw that his daughter was gone and discovered the town of silent hill. what happens next is a series of weird, bizzare, supernatural and morbid events while he conducts a search for his daughter in the haunted town. much is unknown about the history of the place and the main character slowly discovers its deep-rooted secrets as he progresses along. he eventually finds his daughter, but depending on his actions during the game itself, how it ends is a mystery.

before the movie came out, i admitted that with the complexity of the game itself, it'll be hard to satisfy the fans who have lived and breathed on playing and finishing the game and it's three sequels. with that in mind, i also wondered if the movie will be a mixture of all the individual games' plots and sub-plots. much to my satisfaction as i saw the movie, it is mainly based on the original story of the first game. with a few minor changes, of course. the most striking of which is the change of the lead character from male to female. i guess by doing so, it gave the movie a more terrifying point of view. the other supporting characters are taken directly from the game, which would make the average fan of the game relate well to the movie. what intrigued me the most is how the movie will end, after seeing the different types of endings on the game, i asked myslef, "what ending would the producers choose?"

jumping into the movie itself without revealing too much of the story and how it progressed, the producers did an excellent job of bringing the game to the big screen. it presented the mystery behind the town and the kind of people who lived there. the background music was beautifully rendered and was composed by the person who did the music for the game. the "scare factor" is also excellent, for i noticed quite a number of shreiking female moviegoers on some of the film's scenes. i also believed that the characters who potrayed the game's stars did a remarkable job in transitioning them from the game to reel life. it is as if the game was thoroughly studied and played to bring out the kind of adaptation gamers are looking for in these types of game-to-movie genre. the environment acts as one of the characters here, as it also closely depicts the two-sided facets of this eerie and hauntingly mysterious town. yet in order to understand the movie fully for one who hasn't heard or played the game, the plot must be given it's whole and undivided attention. the reason for the town's existence and the mystery surrounding it may be too complicated for some, but if you're not a thinking movie fan, this ain't for you.

if you want to be entertained without the notion that "this is just another scary movie," then this movie is highly recommended. it's not your typical evil-incarnate, creatures-spawned-by-the-darkness-of-hell, all-poweful-beings-will-eventually-come-to-save-the-day type movies, but it gives a new perspective on horror movies. it further touches on human emotions, false beliefs and how humanity can play an integral role in changing not just the people of the town, but an entire town in itself. though me being a fan of the game before the movie came out may present a little sense of bias in favoring the film, i could very well say that this is one movie that is a must-see…gamer or not.