DVD review (region 1 & 2)
Directed by Carter Smith
Starring Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Laura Ramsey, Shawn Ashmore
Release date Out now (region 1); 13 October 2008 (region 2)

Five young adults visit some isolated Mayan ruins – only to find that the locals won’t let them leave alive. And inside the ruins themselves lurks something far nastier…

This adaptation of Scott Smith’s bestseller got a pretty rough ride on its release earlier this year, with many critics mocking the beautiful-but-bland characters and ludicrous plot. While they’ve kind of got a point, The Ruins is much more fun than the plant-bashing killjoys would have you believe.

This isn’t the first murderous foliage movie of course (see Little Shop of Horrors, Day of the Triffids and The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verril story from Creepshow), and the horrible way in which the plants invade the body is reminiscent of classic Cronenberg. But it still stands out amid the current glut of Asian remakes, zombie flicks and torture porn – though the film does feature all the gore and suffering of your typical Saw movie, including one particularly horrible amputation scene.

The talented cast just about manage to rise above the shallow characterisation, while director Carter Smith squeezes plenty of tension out of the isolated locations and increasing lack of hope.

A fairly decent set of DVD extras include a commentary by director Smith and editor Jeff Betancourt and deleted scenes (including an alternative ending). There's also a bunch of ‘making of’ featurettes, the best of which cast an eye over the movie’s impressive effects and set design. James Skipp

VERDICT: 7/10
The Ruins is more silly than scary, but it delivers plenty of gruesome set pieces and pulpy plant thrills.