I watched the newly released Silent Hill. It was directed by Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and screenplay written by Roger Avery, so initial impressions shouldn't be that bad.
I would first like to tell you that this mini-movie review is a bit biased. I've played the first Silent Hill, Silent Hill 3 & 4. I haven't gotten the chance to play Silent Hill 2 since I didn't have the money at the time. I love the Silent Hill series. They offered a more atmospheric creepiness that Resident Evil couldn't do (but eventually it did with RE4).
In my opinion, Silent Hill is the best video game adaptation to date. It stays true to the video game's spirit while adding some cinema touches. The story is more in tune with the very first Silent Hill game. The music was done by the same person who does the music in the game, Akira Yamaoka. While it was cool to hear songs and tunes from the games, I thought it would have been much better to create new material for the movie. The new music he created sounded awesome, and I wished he had done that for the entire movie. And my god, Pyramid Head. This creature has the coolest scenes ever. I kind of spoiled one of the scenes during Killzone night, but when you see it, you'll be thinking "That was awesome!"
I've read some critics' reviews of the movie and I do respect their opinions. I think it is because of the experience I have with the game that makes watching the movie much more enjoyable.
If you love the games, definitely watch Silent Hill.
*****