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I read the book--it was a page turner--so I am somewhat biased in my approach to the movie, having had expectations that I might not have had if I hadn't read the book first and really liked it. I would recommend the book. Because Scott Smith wrote both the book and the screenplay, I expected the movie to follow the book more closely than it did. While it was "okay" for a horror film, I found the movie less entertaining than the book and more gory than I like to watch (though toned down from the gore in the book). The ending was also changed from the book--which was another negative to me. I'd still recommend the movie--as far as horror films go, it's not bad and it's something different. The variety it offers from your typical "young adult" horror flick in terms of plot and location and "circumstance" is a factor in its favor.Read full review
From the book by Scott Smith (which I never read, and don't want to read), the Ruins is yet another in a long line of horror movies. This time the victims disturb "something" living under "The Ruins" (Gee, that sounds familiar, like 100 other films just like it perhaps). After watching horror movies for nearly 45 years you would think that someone could come up with a new idea more than they do. The movie is not as bad as many of the latest horror films, but it is not that great either. So I would rate it a 3 of 5 (if I could go 2.5 I would) Jonathan Tucker gives a good performance, so if you are into Horror films then go ahead and get this movie. Other wise skip it all together and watch something else.
If you like scary movies like I do, then you have to see this one. The whole point of the horror doesn't make itself known to the viewers until way into the film. It starts with just a smidgen of something going wrong with some girl trapped somewhere and she is dragged away screaming in the dark, but we never really know until later what happened to her. The film picks up with 4 friends sitting by the pool at a resort somewhere near the Yucatan Peninsula. Amy (Jena Malone) and Stacey (Laura Ramsey) are best friends on vacation with their boyfriends Jeff (Jonathon Tucker) and Eric (Shawn Ashmore). When Amy realizes that she lost an earring, a stranger named Mathias (Joe Anderson) finds it at the bottom of the pool and returns it to her. They all become friends over drinks and discuss plans to visit a ancient Mayan site only known to the villagers. The movie really begins when they get the ancient Mayan temple ruins and find that they are trapped by local Mayans who wind up killing one of the friends of Mathias who came with them. They are then forced up the temple face and get stuck on the top. The plants are the temple ruins secrets. Much paranoia ensues as each person is driven to fear by living plants that even mimic their voices. If you are at all squeamish about people cutting into there own flesh, then don't stick around to see Stacy go bananas. The movie keeps you interested up until the end but really never satisfies the catharsis of satisfaction of getting rid of the the culprit, which many films try and do. Although this film was adapted from a horror novel, I don't think the book's ending would leave us all hanging at the end like that. Otherwise, read the book if you are so inclined, then watch the film. I'd say it was around 80% satisfaction level for me so I'll say 4/5. IF YOU LIKE MY REVIEWS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW BY VOTING. THANKS.Read full review
Are you as tired of seeing remakes and movies about the undead as I am? Well then here's something a little different. Not original, but a change of pace. I haven't read the book, but the trailer looked good and so did the cast list. Plus instead of young people being done in one by by zombies, vampires, or a masked slasher it's a variation on the old man vs. nature idea, something not seen much recently and certainly not with so much blood and gore. Pros: A talented and likable young cast. The scenery is lush and beautiful, as is the cinematography. Instead of just jumping right into the horror, the filmmakers try to create suspense and a little build-up. Moves at a pretty good pace. Plenty of moments and images that'll make you cringe. Impressive gore and make-up effects, and plenty of the former. A good and subtle score that sounds like a creepy rumbling sound at times. Cons: As good as the actors are, the characters they play are pretty underwritten, which makes it hard to really get to know them. The CGI is pretty poor. There's really nothing we haven't already seen before. Sometimes the characters do really stupid things. A few cheap boo scares. Final thoughts: Not likely to be the best horror film of the year, but you could do much worse. It's nice to see a horror film that isn't so flashy, teen-friendly, and devoid of suspense, which is exactly what the remake of 'Prom Night,' which hit theaters a week after this, looks like. But I know you hardcore horror buffs know better than that.Read full review
The ending was kind of lame. It didn't really show up any different than my dvds so I don't think the price difference is really worth it. I hadn't bought a Blu-ray before and I have a PS3 so this was my test movie. There were a few times in the movie where it was pretty good, but I just wasn't convinced. The acting was better than some, but not by much. I would recommend to wait until the price comes down on this movie before paying full price.
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