Plot: What’s it about?
A vacation is supposed to be serene and tranquil, but for three young Americans in Brazil, the trip is anything but calm and relaxing. Alex (Josh Duhamel) is in Brazil with his sister Bea (Olivia Wilde) and her best friend Amy (Beau Garrett), for what should be a wild, but enjoyable venture. But while on a tour bus, the three narrowly escape death when the bus slides out of control and tumbles over a steep cliff. As time passes and it becomes clear that the next ride could be in the distant future, the trio heads off to find a beach bar they’ve heard about. Soon enough, things seem to be back on track, as they meet some new friends and throw back some drinks. The group quickly forgets about the next bus and focuses on having fun, with booze and the hot locals, so the night goes by in quite a blur. When they awake the next morning however, they find themselves in a terrible situation, as their luggage, passports, and wallets have been taken. But as they begin to look for answers, they get into trouble with the locals and soon, wind up with more at stake than their carry-on bags…
I think we all knew from the previews that Turistas was produced to try to ride the cash wave kicked up by Hostel, with a similar premise of tourists in trouble. This premise has been done numerous times of course, much before Hostel, but that film seems to have revamped interest in that concept. I wasn’t sold on Hostel, it had ups and downs, but without question, Hostel is head and shoulders above Turistas. Aside from the tourism gone haywire and slight mean streak, the movies are quite different, especially when it comes to execution. Turistas boasts a cast of attractive young stars, but none of them bring much to the table here, as opposed to Hostel’s more memorable characters. The movie seems to promise unrelenting carnage too, but sadly, there is a slow build and unlike Hostel, the journey isn’t worth the destination. There is some blood as Turistas hits the home stretch, but not the kind of grand spectacle I had hoped to witness. I wanted to like Turistas, I don’t mind ripoffs as long as they’re fun to watch, but this just doesn’t cut it, so I am left to recommend it as a rental at best.
Video: How does it look?
Turistas is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a movie that varies from very bright to very dark, but the transfer here never slips, another terrific effort from Fox. The shadow depth is excellent at all times, which means detail is never obscured and black levels can shine, which is vital in those darker scenes. When the image brightens up, the colors and contrast take on a more natural scope and look good, no real complaints in the least here. I was unable to spot any compression flaws here and aside from some grain in a couple darker sequences, I can’t find much to report in terms of problems.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is terrific, lots of atmosphere and presence, as well as power when needed. The surrounds are used all the time with this one, whether via subtle background audio or more intense sequences. I was very pleased with how active this option was, as these horror tracks sometimes lack the atmosphere they deserve, not here though. The musical soundtrack is also well presented, very rich and well placed at all times. I had no problems with the dialogue either, as vocals were sharp and crisp throughout, no volume errors to report in the least. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary is available with director John Stockwell and producer Kent Kubena, but only if you choose to watch the theatrical version. The track is much better than expected, a talkative and insightful session. You will have some silence and narration at times, but overall, the two share a good deal of production information. A nice blend of technical data, especially in how certain set pieces were executed, and various anecdotes. You can also check out a brief promotional featurette, as well as some deleted scenes and an alternate end sequence.
