Ruin (2011)

Lone Post-Apocalyptic Explorer Race A Robotic Drone

Ruin (2011) – In a future where cities have crumbled and been reclaimed by nature we join a lone man exploring the ruins of the company Haven Nanosystems. Recovering a locked container he seems to have found what he was looking for, which is information relating to the quarantined Facility B. Unfortunately just as located by a robotic drone and the race to escape is on.

“Ruin” barely looks animated. Aside from the few close-ups of the hero’s face and hands, he looks like a real person—largely because he’s moving so fast and is so close to getting killed at any second that there’s not much time to think about how he and everything around him is computer-generated. (Besides, most live-action blockbusters these days have CGI-heavy action sequences anyway.) “Ruin” is a polished spectacle, putting the viewer in the place of a desperate man who’s in mortal peril—and in constant, rapid motion. While the film shows nothing of Ball’s skill with actors, dialogue, or storytelling, it does show a rare grasp of action choreography and effects. Once the film kicks into gear, it rockets off, hugging every curve tightly.

Wes Ball from OddBall Animation has completed the RUIN project, a stereo short he has been working on for six months. A graduate of Florida State film school, Ball has had a solid background of live action. In fact, his final year thesis film ended up being his first animated film, in fact the school’s first animated film project. Wes Ball went straight into working for himself after he left film school and had been using NewTek LightWave, and Luxology’s modo ever since. Wes Ball is known for his work on The Maze Runner (2014), Beginners (2010) and A Work in Progress (2002).

Directed by Wes Ball