The Ruins Unrated (Carter Smith, 2008)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 2.35:1 16x9 enhanced
93 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary by Carter Smith and editor Jeff Betancourt; Making The Ruins; Creeping Death; Building The Ruins; deleted/alternate scenes with audio commentary; theatrical trailer; previews for other movies

Released: 8 July 2008
keepcase

My good friend John Puccio and I trade notes about the DVDs and Blu-ray Discs that we review. Our relationship goes way back to 2001, when he convinced DVDTown.com’s EIC to hire me as a staff writer. I’ve come to trust John’s opinion about movies in general. Therefore, when he complained about Drillbit Taylor and The Ruins, I steeled myself for a double whammy.

Drillbit Taylor is every bit as awful as John says, but I was surprised by The Ruins. Don’t get me wrong--The Ruins is no contemporary horror classic like The Others or The Ring (the American re-make), but it is an efficient, nasty little bugger that will give many viewers a serious case of the creeps.

I found the director’s overall approach very refreshing. For starters, Carter Smith didn’t over-edit the movie, so the viewer has a chance to absorb the visuals. In fact, the movie begins at a leisurely pace, patiently observing the interactions of a group of American youths idling in Mexico. The director also eschews “Gotcha!” shots and sudden spikes in audio volume for the most part. Even though viewers will be able to figure out what the villain is very quickly, the most chilling aspect of the story revolves around the fact that the characters are watching themselves dying slowly (as opposed to being macheted to death at moment’s notice). This gives the script a psychological dimension that is rare in the extreme-violence gross-outs like the Hostel and Saw franchises.

Some of the movie’s violence is a bit difficult to stomach, but I don’t feel that it’s gratuitous. One of the characters attends med school, so he performs surgery on the other characters as they endure various ailments. The surgeries are presented very clinically; the matter-of-fact tone doesn’t inspire “Oh, cool!” comments and high-fives from viewers congratulating each other for keeping their eyes open.

The director maintains the same tone throughout the whole movie. With the possible exception of one line spoken by Shawn Ashmore after the German character dies, there aren’t any jokes or campy moments. Like The Others and The Ring, The Ruins plays out “for real” (though without M. Night Shyamalan’s plodding self-importance). There is some nudity early in the script, but the nudity is likewise straightforward and natural. By not condescending to the material, the director elevates the quality of the final product.

I last saw Jonathan Tucker in a movie several years ago in something called 100 Girls, which was a so-so teen comedy with the usual sex raunch. Tucker was quite a surprise in The Ruins. He does a very good job playing an intelligent young man who tries his best to think his way out of an unwinnable situation. Even his portrayal of the character’s sense of American entitlement is believable and not “Rah Rah” clichéd. Every night that he is trapped on that Mayan pyramid, Tucker’s character descends to the base and stares off against his captors. His defiance is based on reason and appeals to humanism, even if he and his captors don’t exchange any words.

Ultimately, the movie is a bit slight, which keeps it from joining the top tier of horror thrillers. We don’t know much about the main characters, though I would argue that they’re not flat stock creations. Also, even though the male lead is obviously very smart, neither he nor the Mayans figure out the best way to contain the villain (just set it on fire). On the whole, though, I’m recommending at least a rental for those who are curious about The Ruins.

Video:
Much of the movie takes place in bright daylight, so the 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has bright yellows and oranges. However, as shot by Darius Khondji, the hues are very rich and deep (as opposed to the over-lit palette that you usually get with comedies). The transfer is fairly sharp and detailed.

Audio:
The DD 5.1 English track is very atmospheric. There are several terrific surround-sound effects (the movie is set deep in a jungle), and the music is effectively deployed to maximize the viewer’s sense of creepiness. With the exception of a few gunshots, though, most of the “loud” sounds are “Gotcha!” music cues, so don’t expect a lot of bass presence.

Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

Extras:
In their audio commentary, Carter Smith and editor Jeff Betancourt talk about various aspects of the production as well as the editing process, which got them an R rating as well as what they were able to do for the movie’s home-video release. They discuss their rationale for giving the story more/less “hope” in order to intensify the sense of dread.

“Making The Ruins” is a brief introduction to the production. “Creeping Death” sheds light on what practical and computer effects were used to create the villain. “Building The Ruins” focuses on the physical production design.

There are five deleted/alternate scenes with optional audio commentary by Carter Smith. The disc includes the original theatrical ending, which is the most hopeful of the three endings that you get (the Unrated ending, an alternate ending, and the original theatrical ending). The alternate ending is very similar to the Unrated’s ending but also provides a possible set-up for a sequel.

Finally, you get the theatrical trailer as well as previews for other movies.

--Miscellaneous--
If you want the R-rated theatrical cut, then you have to buy a separate DVD. However, it looks like that disc is bare-bones.