91 Min • Horror • Australian/USA • R • Dreamworks • 03/04/2008
Fresh Script
Man/Woman eating plant monster
Gore
Death Count
The ruins was pretty decent. The theme was an old one (group of teens stranded in the old spooky house with a crazed slasher) but with a Fresh spin - this time the spooky house wasa Myan temple, and the slasher was a giant Man-eating plant.
Off the top of my head, I think the last man eating plant movie was Day of the Triffids circa 1962 (little shop of horrors not counting).
The Script moved along at a nice pace, and was logical within its own ruleset - applause. My only real problem with the movie were 2 things; First, why didn’t these plants grow out and take over the entire planet? Secondly, (SPOILER ALERT) I have a real problem with movies when people start dying left and right, and you say to yourself… “ok, great self - this is gonna be one of those NO SURVIVOR movies”… I mean I love it when there aren’t any survivors, but if you know thats going to happen halfway through, then I feel you detach from the characters, and the experience is a bit ruined (no punn intended).
The vine toss which hits the little kid - jesus christ that girl has an arm like Brett Favre. Ever try and throw a handful of leaves? I don’t think so. And the sound skill of the vines - I think this could have been left out… I have a feeling more was done with this in the movie but was left o nthe cutting room floor.
The Ruins starts off with a group of 4 teens celebrating their vacation in mexico.
They meet a “somewhat creepy” german tourist, who says hes going to a Myan temple dig site the next day to look for his overdue brother. (Like we all haven’t heard that one before - or used it ourselves before).
So after some heavy drinking the group agrees to go with, and they all set out to the Temple. When they arrive, they are confronted by very irate, armed locals. Eventually, the group is forced up onto the temple, where they are set siege against.
It doesn’t take long for the group to realize the temple is covered in Man-eating plant/vines. One by one the group starts getting picked off, as they face whether to try and escape through the hostile natives, starve to death atop the temple, or get eatin by the vines.
