Two young couples on vacation in Mexico go to visit some Mayan ruins not on a guidebook; there they come into contact with something deadly.

CRITIQUE

The Ruins is a horror-thriller that does tap into something primal, the fear that when one leaves civilization and goes to wild, ancient places, that something terrible can happen.  But here, the result is something of a mixed bag; though there are some interesting ideas in play, the movie is a bit too slow and static to really be a particularly sharp example of this kind of thing.  Still, this works well enough for what it is, and there is enough that is memorable and involving here to make this somewhat worth checking out.

Without giving too much away, the basic plot has two young American couples (plus a young German tourist they meet along the way) finding themselves trapped on the top of an overgrown Mayan temple, while locals surrounding the temple prevent them from leaving.  Screenwriter Scott B. Smith (working from his own bestselling novel) does a pretty good job finding mini-dramas to keep this somewhat-involving along the way, as the characters try to survive until the find a way out.

The problem is, however, that the characters never really do much for the bulk of the script to improve their situation; they spend a little bit too much time just waiting to be rescued, or reacting to things that happen.  The evil, once it is revealed, is interesting on some levels but problematic on others, while it’s not quite clear why they never test its vulnerabilities.

Still, this does work on a certain you-are-there level; director Carter Smith does have a good feel for keeping the action visceral and in-the-moment.  He is aided by a group of solid young actors, led by Jena Malone (Saved) and Shawn Ashmore (X-Men), which is important given how much of the screen time they are required to fill as the story spins into character and psychological drama. 

It’s not quite clear what this “unrated” edition has that the theatrical one didn’t, though there are a few graphic scenes of gore along the way in which I had to look away from the screen.  Ultimately this is okay, not a classic, but a worthwhile rental on a night of creepy films.

THE VIDEO

The Ruins is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 screens.  There are a few dark scenes in which it is a little hard to tell what is going on.

THE AUDIO

The Ruins is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Surround.  Dialogue, music and sound effects come through clear.  There are English, French and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

There is a Commentary featuring director Carter Smith and editor Jeff Betancourt that is pretty solid.  Betancourt has a good feel for asking Smith prodding questions throughout, and the result is informative and a good listen.

There are five Deleted Scenes with commentary, including the original theatrical ending (which has one small but major difference) and an alternate ending that continues the climax in a direction that isn’t as satisfying.

Making The Ruins is a pretty standard yet solid 14-minute making-of documentary, featuring the cast and crew (and executive producer Ben Stiller) talking about the movie.

Creeping Death is an interesting 15-minute look at the creature effects and the other special effects that come into play.

Building The Ruins is a 6-minute piece that looks at the building of the temple set, in the Australian wilderness.

FINAL THOUGHT