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The Ruins (2008) DVD Review
The Ruins (2008) DVD Credits:
The Ruins (2008) Directed by:
Carter Smith
The Ruins (2008) Written by:
Scott Smith
The Ruins (2008) Cast:
Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Shawn Ashmore
The Ruins (2008) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Ruins (2008) DVD Release Date:
7th July 2008
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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The Ruins (2008) Synopsis:

Follows four American friends on vacation in Cancun who meet a German tourist who persuades them to join his hunt for his younger brother. The brother was last seen headed off with a new girlfriend toward some ruins, and the four soon regret their decision when they find themselves lost in the jungle.

The Ruins (2008) DVD Review:

It is difficult to imagine anyone being frightened of a plant. The closest example I can think of is in The Little Shop of Horrors, and that was meant to be humorous. Then again someone once said that birds weren’t frightening to Alfred Hitchcock. If only Hitchcock had been alive to direct The Ruins it may have saved the thinly constructed dialogue from overpowering anything mildly frightening in The Ruins. Mostly the Ruins mistakes horror for gore, giving us countless scenes of cutting and bleeding, and all of this is a true shame considering how promising the premise of the film truly is.

Best friends Amy (Jena Malone) and Stacy (Laura Ramsey) have dragged their boyfriends Jeff (Jonathan Tucker) and Eric (Shawn Ashmore) on a Mexican vacation together, but as the vacation comes to a close all they have done is sit at the resort and get drunk. When they hear about an undisturbed Mayan ruin off the beaten path, they decide to check it out, along with Mathias (Joe Anderson), another vacationer trying to find his brother. When they reach the ruin they are immediately accosted by a local Mayan and soon they are surrounded by them, forced to seek refuge at the top. Deep in the ruins lies something that the Mayans don’t want any connection to, forcing the vacationers to stay at the top until they die.

What is most disturbing about The Ruins is how disgusting it is. The premise alone is unexpected and intriguing, although it seems to take the protagonists far too long to figure out some very obvious clues, which can be frustrating. In fact, although the characters are not outright unlikable, they are also obnoxious and flawed enough that their peril is more torturous because once we know it is inevitable the slow pace in which the plants take over the body it is easier for them to be dead than to see the grotesque results. It isn’t the plants that are disturbing, but the damage that they do to themselves trying to get the plants out.

The Unrated DVD includes extra footage along with an alternate ending to the film, as well as the theatrical ending. There are also three deleted scenes, behind-the scenes featurettes and a commentary track with director Carter Smith, who began his career in fashion photography.

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The Ruins (2008) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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