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The Ruins

Vegetation and gore

By TOM MEEK | April 9, 2008

1.0 Stars

The_Ruins1_inside

The Ruins

In Carter Smith’s adaptation of the popular novel by Scott Smith (A Simple Plan), a group of archæologically minded twentysomethings check out an ancient Mayan temple in the Mexican jungle and wind up with hell to pay. So does the audience. At first the trouble’s with the angry Indians (no English, no Spanish), who won’t let our heroes leave the confines of the temple. Then the young hotties (Jonathan Tucker and Jena Malone among the disposable) realize they’re quarantined because of the killer ivy that shrouds the ancient structure. Via spores, the vegetation can invade a person from the inside out; its buds can even emulate a cellphone call to lure a victim to his or her doom. It’s an inane and boring concept — imagine Little Shop of Horrors played straight. The scenes of impromptu amputation and self-mutilation do jolt, but that and some egregious T&A aside, Smith’s film just vegetates. 91 minutes | Boston Common + Fenway + Fresh Pond + Circle + suburbs

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Topics: Reviews , Simple Plan , Carter Smith , Jena Malone , More

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