The Ruins: Evil Plants Attack Generic American College Students

Movies tend to forget there needs to be more than "four college students" to their characters. The Ruins is one of those who forget, but manages to compensate for it for the most part, with gore, decent plot, and one moment that sent chills down spines where I - kid you not - smiled, and applauded the best twist I've seen in horror since the end of The 6th Sense.

Four American college students (two couples, of course) decide to avoid a tourist trap by following a German to an abandoned site of ruins his brother is excavating. Of course, this site is off of the map, down a long hike in the middle of the jungle, and where people will not look for them, but it still seems like a good idea. (Note: Red Tie Review does not endorse this kind of action. In fact, we endorse not going to such ruins or, as horror has show, vacationing at all). As they arrive at the ruins steps, Mayan villagers (not Mexicans, Mayans) show up and surround them. They try to warn them away from the ruins, then just point guns and shoot at them if the vacationers try to leave. Deep down inside the ruins, accessable only by an old rope down a deep dark drop, there's the sound of a cellphone ringing. Seeing as how the German's brother isn't around, they assume it's his and now they have a motivation to do something even more stupid than going to the ruins.

The propelling of the story is in the plot, not the characters. There's barely any depth or difference in them, but the suffering they go through, the psychological, physical, and mental deterioration make this worthy as a horror film. The vines do not give a reason, but they have too much movement to be only a force of nature. It is merciless, sneaking up on them in their sleep and eating at their skin in ways poison ivy and Venus Fly Trap couldn't even begin to compete. I can't tell you the full extent of what it can due without ruining the story, but it is right up there with the batteries falling out of Chuckie's box and realizing Hannibal Lector isn't in the elevator.

It would mean more if one person had more depth than the other. The fact one is a semi-recognizable name (Jena Malone) is the only clue to depth or character. One is made a future medical student for the sake of having someone with half a clue what improptu medical procedure needs to be done and to be half-smart, half-dumb enough to do it. I had to turn my head away for this, as some others will do. It's not focused on showing us the blood like Hostel and Saw, but leaves the imagination to fill up half the picture and the screams and expressions to fill the other half. It works, but these shots weren't taken seriously enough to have as much intensity as it could have had.

Is it entertaining? The pyschological element wasn't expected and a nice surprise. They make the most of it, and there is questions if it is the plants or just the survivors losing their minds. Largely entertaining, just short of 1408.

Is it marketable? Not everyone will be up for seeing vines crawl around under the skin, but it's non-showing aspects make it a cut above those relaying on piling the blood. For a limited-appealing horror, it goes for a broad audience.

Is it memorable? The ending is a cop-out, and simply isolating and torturing shallow characters isn't new. Killer plants aren't new either, but the way they crawl in, the subtle surprise of finding them under the skin isn't either. It's the characters trying to get and keep them out that is horrorifying. The single moment of realization I mentioned earlier, is the one scene that is memorable past anything else in the movie.

My suggestions: see it or rent it. I don't care where.