April 11, 2008
Movie Review: "The Ruins"
By Stan Dyer
After seeing a string of "PG-13" movies, I was in the mood for something just a bit more shocking and a bit more adult. This movie appealed to me because of its "R" rating and its story of exploring ancient jungle ruins; something I would like to do. The trailer looked creepy enough, so I bought a ticket and went inside.
The movie begins with a pair of young couples enjoying a tropical vacation at a location that could be any number of places in Mexico, Costa Rica, or Central America. Enjoying beverages and lounging by the pool, Amy loses an earring. The earring is found and returned by another hotel guest, a German named Mathias, who ends up joining the group.
Mathias tells the group of some little known ruins off the beaten path that are visited only by people in the know. The group already passed on a visit to the
tourist ruins, but their sense of adventure is piqued by this new discovery, and curiosity gets the better of them. They decide to join Mathias and another man, Dimitri, to visit the ruins tucked deep inside the jungle.
Ignoring a variety of warnings along the way, the group arrives at the ruins. Almost immediately, they are greeted by angry locals carrying pistols, rifles and bows. Although the locals speak neither English nor Spanish, it is understood that the locals will not allow the exploration group to leave and wants them to climb up a pyramid at the location. In a show of force, Dimitri is first shot with an arrow and then has the back of his head shot off with a pistol. The group gets the message and starts their ascent.
Once on top of the pyramid, they discover the camp of a group of archaeologists, but no one is around. They try to use cell phones to call for help, but cannot get a signal. From a well in the center of the pyramid, they hear what sounds like a different cell phone ringing and decide to retrieve it. Mathias is put on a rope and slowly lowered into the opening. Unfortunately, the rope is no good, it breaks, and Mathias falls all the way down, breaking his back.
Since the girls are not strong enough to raise anyone out of the hole, one of them, Stacy, is sent down to help Mathias. The repaired rope they use to lower her is not long enough and she has to jump part of the way. During the jump, she cuts her leg on broken glass. Eventually, both girls end up in the pit and the group is able to raise Mathias out of the hole. That night, while they sleep, something very strange happens. The ivy-like vines that fully surround the pyramid wrap around the bloody legs of Mathias and, at the same time, burrow into the cut on Stacy's leg. Trapped on top of the pyramid by the locals with little food and water and no way to contact the outside world, they hear the cell phone again from down in the pit. They decide on one more attempt to recover it. At this point, I am about to reveal the spoiler. If you do not want to know the twist, do not read the next two paragraphs.
Down in the pit, the girls discover that the sound they believe to be a cell phone is not a cell phone at all. It is coming from the flowers on the ivy. Apparently, the flowers can vibrate and mimic any noise they hear. The ivy is one, huge, carnivorous plant that uses its flowers to lure in victims. The natives keep the plant at bay and contained to the pyramid by sprinkling the ground around the base with salt. No one who touches any of the plant is allowed to leave because the plant can grow inside a host.
To save his life, the group cuts off the infected legs of Mathias, but the plant hauls off the severed limbs for consumption. Later, the plant suffocates Mathias and claims the rest of his body. Stacy, who was also infected, discovers the plant is growing inside of her and driving her crazy. They try to cut the plant out of Stacy, but they cannot get it all. In a crazy fit, Stacy tries to cut the rest of the plant out by herself. When Jeff and Eric try to stop her, she cuts Jeff's hand and stabs Eric in the heart. The plant claims both Eric and Stacy. Of the six who came, only Jeff and Amy remain.
In an effort to trick the natives and attempt escape, Jeff and Amy devise a ruse to distract the locals. Jeff covers Amy's body with the blood of their friends, and carries what appears to be her lifeless body down the stairs of the pyramid and lays her on the ground. The locals think she is dead. He begins talking to them, distracting them and walking to his left. They follow him ready to shoot if he should try anything. When he has lured the group far enough away from Amy, he gives her a verbal cue; she stands up and runs for the jeep. The locals shoot Jeff with arrows and finish him off with a bullet to the head before chasing after Amy. Amy makes it to the jeep and escapes. It is assumed she escapes to freedom, but the movie is not quite over. The last scene of the movie shows the two friends of Dimitri arriving at the ruins looking for him. The whole audience is left knowing that the pair are about to encounter the same fate as group who came before.
Personally, I kind of liked the movie and I rate it a "B+". It fits together nicely, and I was not expecting that plot twist at all. There is definitely room for improvement, but, overall, it is good for a movie of this genre. Be prepared for shocking scenes of death, mutilation, blood and gore. There is not a lot of that, but enough to get your attention and an "R" rating.
Title: The Ruins
Director: Carter B. Smith
Rating: R, Genre: Horror/Thriller, Run Time: 1 hr., 31 min.
Cast: Jonathan Tucker as Jeff, Jena Malone as Amy, Shawn Ashmore as Eric, Laura Ramsey as Stacy and Joe Anderson as Mathias