THE RUINS (2008) ** DVD capsule by COOP

A generic story from a generic book. College kids vacationing in Cancun take a side trip to a newly discovered Mayan temple only to get trapped there when the locals surround the temple with weapons, killing anyone who tries to escape. Turns out the locals are the guardians of a very carnivorous plant that covers the temple. This plant is attracted to blood and it infects and eats people from the inside out.

Lots of plot holes here. Doesn’t make sense why the plant doesn’t attack and kill all the kids at once. Instead it attempts to lure them closer with eerie voice mimicking. Never mind everyone is stepping all over them and sleeping next to piles of the vines. You know the protagonists are doomed from the start because of the nature of the plants (and how the locals execute one of their own children after coming into contact with the weed). Also, the locals take great pains to keep the plant from spreading via human contact… but what about animals and the wind? Isn’t that how all plants spread their seed? The story reminded me of “The Blob” except this time the blob is stationary. Pretty lame idea.

There are some pretty horrific parts, especially when the kids start discovering the vines crawling underneath their skin. I also have no qualms with the acting, save for “Little Miss Melodrama,” Jenna Malone. Her overacting grows tiresome with each film she appears in. Otherwise, I can’t fathom why this became a major release. Seemed pretty predicable and boring to me.

Have a look at the trailer and tell me it doesn’t look all that exciting…