Humanity is thankfully beyond the days of every video game movie being doomed to the bottom rungs of the local DVD rack. Video game movies are almost as respected as movies based on comic books, though nowhere near as prestigious as films adapted from novels. Every awful example is an argument against their legitimacy.Silent Hill: Revelationundid the limited goodwill generated by the firstSilent Hillfilm.
The first film adaptation ofSilent Hillwas a product of its director, Christophe Gans. Gans repeatedly asked Konami for the rights.Silent Hill’s absentee IP holder was reluctant but eventually willing. His adaptation was controversial, with some adaptive changes weakening the impact. Gans stepped away fromRevelation. The sequel was widely despised, giving Gans’s original a positive light. Over a decade later, Konami announced a third entry with Gans back at the helm.Return to Silent Hillwill reportedly consignRevelationto the dustbin of history forever with a long-awaited reboot.
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What isSilent Hill: Revelationabout?
After theevents ofSilent Hill, Sharon Da Silva and her dad, Christopher, have adopted a nomadic lifestyle. They move from town to town, assuming fake names to hide from the Order, the haunting cult that occupied the eponymous fog-drenched community. They settle into a new school district under the monikers Heather and Harry Mason. Heather has grown tired of packing up and moving every year or so, leading her to give up on putting down roots. At her new school, she meets a friendly student named Vincent Cooper. Heather is tormented by night terrors and frequently assaulted by immersive visions. She can barely walk down the street without a jump scare catching her off guard. She’s approached by a private investigator, who explains that the cult is still after her. Heather watches as a terrifying monster kills the private eye.
The Order kidnaps Harry. As Vincent and Heather return to her home, they find a letter insisting she return to Silent Hill. Against their better judgment, they travel to the horrific town. Heather has repressed many of her memories from the dark early chapter of her life. Her reality is shattered,and Silent Hill is theonly place to find answers. Heather learns that some part of Alessa, the psychic young girl the Order seeks to turn into a conduit for their god, resides in her. Vincent explains that he’s the son of the Order’s sinister leader, Claudia Wolf and that he was sent to lure her into Silent Hill. Heather must face her past and her supposed destiny to save her father.
What doesSilent Hill: Revelationtake from the games?
Revelationis primarily an adaptationofSilent Hill 3. It takes large swaths of its plot and characters while ruining most of its elements. The story is translated with some accuracy, but its presentation couldn’t be more different. Heather, in particular, is robbed of every unique aspect and reframed as an insufferable know-it-all teen archetype. The film is also unwilling to get as weird as the source material. Pyramid Head makes his obligatory appearance as the most marketable villain of the franchise.Revelationinvents new antagonists, but they only exist to add minor threats to the proceedings. The problem is that every detail is subservient to the ultimate goal of creatingcheap 3D jump scares. A full adaptation of the game would be much better and significantly different.
How doesSilent Hill: Revelationend?
As usual, Heather spends most of her time in Silent Hill evading dangerous monsters. The creature that killed the detective, identified in the credits as the Missionary, takes Vincent hostage. As he’s dragged away, he tells Heather to find his grandfather, Leonard. Leonard gives Heather the other half of the talisman Heather’s mom used to help her escape the town. He becomes a monster and briefly knocks Heather out. When she wakes up, she takes the talisman, killing him instantly. Under duress, Heather’spanic summons Pyramid Head. The iconic executioner is repurposed as a sworn defender of Alessa and, by extension, Heather.
Heather finds the Order’s sanctuaryat the amusement park. She meets the manifestation of Alessa’s anger, who possesses terrifying power. Instead of fighting, Dark Alessa and Heather merge, forming a full reincarnation of the long-dead psychic. Claudia explains that this was all part of the plan. Alessa’s purpose was to incubate her cruel god, eventually birthing it into the world to punish all those it deemed unworthy. She uses the talisman to force Claudia to transform into a monster. Claudia’s monster form is the Missionary. Heather calls Pyramid Man so the two biggest monsters can fight. Pyramid Head wins. Heather frees Vincent and Harry. As they leave, Harry decides to stay behind to look for Heather’s mom. Heather and Vincent hitch a ride with a truck driven bySilent Hill: Originsprotagonist Travis Grady. A prisoner transport bus, presumably carrying Murphy PendletonfromSilent Hill: Downpour, enters the fog.
Silent Hill: Revelationis exactly as horrible as everyone says it is. It’s the worst imaginable version of the story it wanted to tell. Fans who hate video game movies need no further arguments. The upcomingReturn to Silent Hillwill presumably erase the film from the canon. If it could somehow deleteSilent Hill: Revelationfrom existence, it would be a public service as well as a third attempt at box-office success.
