Roger Ebert's SILENT HILL Review...

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 2:22pm

Once again, he neglects to give a film a chance due to his refusal to think during a film:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060420/REVIEWS/60421001

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 2:34pm

I don't really understand that comment. Have you seen the film? It was not screened for critics, never a good sign. He does give credit to the art department. But why do you say he didn't think?

[Burlesquebabe]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 2:35pm

Most of the time I agree with Ebert but his reviews for Gladiator always caused me to loose some of my respect for him.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 2:42pm

And to keep some perspective here, Cruel, these films are not really made with the critics in mind. Did you EXPECT him to like it? Come on.

[pab]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:21pm

Ebert is not the only Critic that feels that way

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:37pm

Critics rarely like horror films anyway. Especially ones in this Ringu style. If it wasn't made by an Italian 50 years ago, they won't like it.

Updated On: 4/21/06 at 04:37 PM

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 4:42pm

I have not seen it but he gives off the impression that he did not give the film a chance in the first place because it is based on a videogame.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 5:03pm

I dunno, he's not the only reviewer to say that the film is incomprehensible, and it really does sound far too long. Pretty valid complaints.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 5:06pm

Well...I mean this guy has a history of not giving films a chance simply because he was confused, such as BRAZIL and I HEART HUCKABEES.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 5:09pm

Oh please, he knows more about film than you would learn if you stayed in your stupid film school for the next 50 years.

[pab]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 5:09pm

A movie should be able to stand on its own. One should not have to have read the book, seen the Broadway show or played the Video Game to understand what is going on on the screen. This movie, from many accounts, seems to be okay for people who have played the game. I have not played the game so I'm happy that other people, who have also not played this game, have given me advice so that I can decide if I would be wasting my money seeing it.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 5:10pm

That may be true but it just hurts me to see him do things like this. Truth be told, he was my first celebrity crush....

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 5:58pm

Ebert was your first celebrity crush?

Anyway...hurts you to see him do what? He did have some nice things to say about the movie. This really should come as no surprise. It's based on a video game AND was not screened for critics. Didn't everyone expect the reviews to be bad?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 6:32pm

It hurts you?

Jesus Christ. It's time to go outside, get some air, and start to grow up. Seriously. The whole movie thing is just a dead end.

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 6:56pm

I am not surprised that this film got a negative review from Ebert. He hates video games (he's convinced that their not an art form), and he hates video games becoming movies. Admittedly, most of them aren't very good.

I'm seeing the movie tonight, and I'm anxious to see what happens. Updated On: 4/21/06 at 06:56 PM

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 8:21pm

Just got back from this movie and thouroughly enjoyed it! It is definetly not for the squimish and is very disturbing at times. I'm still letting the movie sink in before I fully review it though.
Updated On: 4/21/06 at 08:21 PM

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 8:33pm

https://filmforce.ign.com/articles/702/702707p2.html

I usually trust that site with reviews since they also review video games and give horror movies a chance. Sadly they only gave it a 2.5/5 . I must disagree with what the reviewer says about it being boring to sit through, there was not one time in the movie when my mind started to drift (except in the end when I had to pee really bad)

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 8:39pm

I am seeing it tomorrow. CAN'T WAIT!

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 8:42pm

O and to the liking of many Silent Hill fans, this movie definetly earned its R rating. Much more to it then the trailer shows!


EDIT: Umm.... don't read Ebert's review if you don't like spoilers...

Oh and the ending is confusing as hell!
Updated On: 4/21/06 at 08:42 PM

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 4/21/06 at 11:17pm

I never take critic's reviews seriously. I have often liked a file after a critic panned it. Sean Bean is gorgeous although I think his name is stupid. Change it damnit!!!!!!!!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 12:28pm

Saw it last night - the two reviews posted above are spot on.

It's too long, the acting is embarrasing, the special effects are among the worst I've ever seen, and the story line is incomprehensible.

The final scenes in the film are disasterous in MOMMIE DEAREST-like proportions. "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRN HERRRRR!! LIKE A WIIIIIIIIIIIIITCHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" I expected her to pull out a bottle of Dutch Cleaner and demand the little girl to scrub the church floor.

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 1:11pm

Have you ever played the game? I'm guessing you went in expecting to hate it. Although I do think it may have been a tad too long, but I don't know what reviews you read since they said the visual effects were great and among the best in video game adaptations and I definetly agree with them.

EDIT: I do agree that the ending was a little over the top and made me cringe a little. Also, from what I read the only spoiler free review was the ign.com one that I posted.
Updated On: 4/22/06 at 01:11 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 1:27pm

Yes, I have played the game. I loved it. A little too heavy on the cinematics end, but the game play was decent, and it was fun. Also, scary at times. But, what works in a video game doesn't necessarily transfer to film. In video games, you're expecting to fight creepy things that absolutely could not ever exist. Sure, Superman and Batman aren't real and could never be real - but their respective films were (atleast some of them), wonderful.

I didn't go in wanting to hate it. I love horror movies, and I love video games. I went in wanting to love it, but I left HATING it. The future of horror in film looks remarkably dim, especially with the recent disaster of more recent horror movies.

And the score? Sounded wonderfully creepy in the trailer, but it's not. Half of the score is like a mix between DANCER IN THE DARK and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, and the other half is trite piano music - something that they play for car commercials where they just show a half-bird's eye view of a car going down the road. And it always says something like "On a closed course."

The movie is just bad. Horrendous script, horrendous acting, horrendous all over.

[JustChillin8908]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 1:30pm

I thought the acting was great, and you do know that the score was taken from past Silent Hill games right? In fact I recognized most of the songs.

Also I think saying "However, you guys have got to be kidding me - the trailer makes the film look PITIFUL." counts as going in expecting to hate it. Updated On: 4/22/06 at 01:30 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/22/06 at 1:36pm

I went in expecting it to be bad. But something bad can still be enjoyable.

I didn't remember the music from the video game - it's been a really long time since I played it, and I never owned it, I only played it at friends' houses.