Silent Hill: Revelation Blu-ray Review

Silent Hill: Revelation" presents itself in a 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that demonstrates a commendable effort in delivering its visual narrative, despite grappling with some technical inconsistencies. The visual presentation, without achieving perfection, exhibits a bold persistence. It showcases moments of remarkable color vibrancy, particularly in its primaries, with reds being strikingly pronounced and blacks exuding an ominous depth, enriching the film's overall atmospheric intent. While the image detail is commendable across various textures and materials, revealing intricate elements from the decrepit aesthetics of Silent Hill's architecture to the nuanced facial features, the transfer isn't without its shortcomings. Instances of noise, occasional oversaturation of skin tones, and minor issues with shadow details signal back to limitations possibly rooted in the original cinematography and post-production effects.

In terms of consistency and clarity, the Blu-ray navigates through its highs and lows with a level of grace that keeps viewer immersion relatively intact. Discrepancies in brightness and contrast reveal themselves gently, fluctuating between scenes with mild impact on the cinematic experience. Black levels and shadow delineation mostly impress, offering a critical foundation for the film's pervasive darkness and enhancing the three-dimensional feel of its nightmarish landscape. The intentional or circumstantial quirks in color representation, alongside slight over-expositions in daylight scenes, contribute to a distinct visual palette that aligns with the film's thematic ambitions.

However, it's worth noting that these visual imperfections rarely detract from the overall integrity of the high-definition presentation. Despite technical distractions—ranging from crush to occasional banding—the transfer exhibits a solid fidelity to detail and texture that fans of the franchise will likely appreciate. As such, while the Blu-ray's video quality mirrors the movie's own journey through moments of clarity and confusion, it ultimately delivers a viewing experience that complements the haunting essence of "Silent Hill: Revelation," making it a commendable addition to one's high-definition library.

The audio presentation of "Silent Hill: Revelation" on Blu-ray is masterfully crafted, showcasing an aggressive and meticulously detailed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that stands as a beacon of high-quality sound engineering. This sonic behemoth boasts an expansive front soundstage, where imaging and movement across channels are executed with sharp precision. Directional effects, particularly those emanating from the aggressive use of the rear speakers and eerie cross-channel pans, are both jolting and splendidly finessed. This creates an enveloping soundfield that immerses the listener directly into the heart of the chilling world of Silent Hill, enhancing every encounter with the supernatural with a visceral intensity.

The sound design excels in dynamics, maintaining well-prioritized and clear dialogue amidst the cacophony of bloody chaos without succumbing to any hint of distortion. Every action sequence, every clang of metal, is rendered with crystalline clarity, demonstrating superb control over the mid-range frequencies. The LFE channel is unleashed with relentless power, lending a formidable low-end presence that deepens the impact of each scene, making the supernatural horrors encountered by Heather all the more palpable. The rear channels actively participate in creating a multi-dimensional soundscape, filled with ominously discrete sounds that shift seamlessly across the soundfield, heightening the sense of dread and suspense.

In essence, "Silent Hill: Revelation's" audio track is a highly stylized and technically impressive feat. It excels in delivering a comprehensive auditory experience that is both expansive and intricately detailed. From thunderous action sequences to the subtlest of atmospherics in quieter moments, the mix maintains an exceptional level of clarity and auditory presence. Coupled with an outstanding use of directional effects and a powerful low-end response, it crafts an ominously immersive environment that is profoundly engaging, making it a standout aspect of the Blu-ray release despite the film's overall reception.

The Blu-ray presentation of "Silent Hill: Revelation" offers a rather underwhelming array of extras, targeting fans who might have hoped for a more in-depth exploration of the film's production and lore. The lack of substantial additional content is pronounced, with only a brief promotional featurette and the theatrical trailer making up the slim pickings. These elements, though presented in high definition, barely scratch the surface of what could have been a rich tapestry of behind-the-scenes insights, making it a missed opportunity for enthusiasts seeking to dive deeper into the Silent Hill universe. The exclusive availability of these bonus materials to the Blu-ray format does little to compensate for their scantiness.

Extras included in this disc:

• A Look Inside: A brief promotional featurette.
• Theatrical Trailer: Official movie trailer.

Silent Hill: Revelation," the sequel eagerly awaited by the small, fervent fanbase of the Silent Hill series, unfortunately descends into disappointment despite carrying over some familiar ingredients from its predecessor and the beloved videogame series. The movie, directed and written by Michael J. Bassett (Deathwatch, Solomon Kane), attempts to bridge the gap between the games and its filmic narrative, focusing on a now-teenage Sharon Da Silva (Adelaide Clemens), living a life haunted by nightmares and on the run from a sinister cult. Despite decent visuals brought forth through Maxime Alexandre’s cinematography and attempts at capturing the eerie atmosphere synonymous with Silent Hill, this mix of direct-to-video mediocrity coupled with a thoroughly confusing narrative renders the sequel less than favorable.

The film's visual aesthetics, often aligning with grotesque and haunting imagery reminiscent of the games—thanks to set pieces like an abandoned carnival and creatures like the mannequin spiders and cleaver-wielding corpse-nurses—struggle to compensate for the lacking storyline and poorly executed characterizations. The cumbersome plot hastily moves through its paces with little regard for coherency, weaving in elements from the original games but failing to capture their essence effectively. Noteworthy performances by Adelaide Clemens and Sean Bean are overshadowed by a script overwhelmed by clichés and an apparent disconnection from the source material’s atmospheric tension and horror.

Additionally, "Silent Hill: Revelation" tries to expand on its horror elements through various settings and creatures but falters in delivering genuine scares, opting instead for CG-laden visuals that detract from immersion. The movie flounders in its attempt to frighten or engage, caught between trying to honor its videogame origins and carving its niche within the horror genre. As a result, what could have been a compelling continuation of the Silent Hill saga ends up being a jarring, oftentimes laughable, foray into horror that leaves much to be desired both for fans of the games and newcomers to the series alike.

Silent Hill: Revelation," the sequel to the 2006 horror movie inspired by the acclaimed survival video game series, faces harsh criticism for its failure to deliver a coherent and engaging cinematic experience. Despite boasting creative visual designs that might appeal to fans of the franchise, the film's overly complex and disjointed plot fails to captivate, serving more as a test of the viewer's patience than a thrilling horror adventure. This is further compounded by underdeveloped characters and a narrative that leans too heavily on the presumed familiarity of its audience with the source material, making it a challenging watch for both newcomers and series veterans alike.

On the technical side, Universal's Blu-ray release of "Silent Hill: Revelation" is where the product shines, albeit not bright enough to salvage the overall viewing experience. The Blu-ray disc boasts an impressive video presentation that accentuates the movie's visual design, complemented by an outstanding DTS-HD Master Audio track that faithfully reproduces the film's auditory aspects, from whispers in the fog to the echoes of footsteps in deserted streets. However, the supplemental content provided is scant and unsatisfying, offering little in the way of redemption or added value for enthusiasts hoping for a deeper dive into the making or conceptualization of this sequel.

In conclusion, while the Blu-ray release of "Silent Hill: Revelation" features commendable video and audio quality that showcases the film's few strengths, it ultimately cannot compensate for the sequel's significant shortcomings. The film's reliance on a convoluted storyline and lackluster character development, combined with insufficient supplementary material, renders this release a tepid affair. Potential buyers are advised to approach with caution, considering it as a rental option rather than a must-have addition to their collection.