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The Ruins

To satisfy the spring-breakers’ jones for grade B horror, Carter Smith along with screenwriter Scott Smith created this Terror on Top of Mayan Pyramid horror flick. The story setup this time is two college couples partying in Mexico during spring break. The fair skinned nubile females (fresh meat) and their beer guzzling boyfriends are suddenly offered an opportunity to visit an archeological dig at some Mayan ruins not on the tourist maps. Well hell, why not take in some cultural experiences while getting drunk and having sex.
The Smith brothers (not the cough-drop dudes with the long black beards) hired trained actors, who do their best with the material they were given to upgrade this predictable script and make this umpteen formulaic horror film palatable. Lead actor, Jonathan Tucker (In the Valley of Elah) portrays Jeff as a born leader. Luckily he is in pre-med because during the group’s blood soaked conflicts atop the pyramid, he has to do some crude operations to save a friend. Amy, (Jena Malone) a whiney naive young woman, is Jeff’s squeeze. Remarkably, she performs bravely in the finale. Eric and Stacy (Shawn Ashmore and Laura Ramsey) are the other couple who have obviously never had to face a critical situation before. Hey, this trip was supposed to be about beer, laughs, and sex.
At the hotel pool the couples meet a German traveler, Mathias, who leads them on an off-the- beaten- track adventure to the Mayan pyramid to help locate his missing brother. With a minimum of supplies, the merrymakers are led into the jungle to find the Mayan ruins. It doesn’t take Amy long to start grumbling about being uncomfortably hot as they hike into the dense underbrush. Finally, they find a hidden path that takes them to the Mayan pyramid. It looks spectacular.
Suddenly, a cadre of Mayan villagers surround them, armed with bows and arrows and guns. Of course, they can’t understand a word the Mayans are saying. They don’t’ even speak Spanish. So, when they start towards the Pyramid, the leader of the villagers shoots Mathias’ friend dead. Now, things have escalated from fun to stark terror in a split second. The remaining group retreats up the top of pyramid where the members of the archeological dig seem to be missing.
Surrounded by armed villagers, the two couples are now stranded on the top of the pyramid. Jeff, assumes control and tells his friends that when they’re missed, a search party will find them. Sure, but no one knows where they are located. He says they should stay put. The others want to make a break for it. On the site, the archeologists have dug a hole into the pyramid to search or artifacts. The wayward hikers hear a cell phone ringing in the hole. At this point, even dumb viewers are suspicious that the cell phone ring may be a lure to get the group into the hole. Oh my, it’s scary down there. Cue horror music.
Scott Smith’s screenplay adaptation is based on a book by none other than (ta-da) Scott Smith. The high caliber of acting holds the viewers interest even when everyone has figured out the plot. Director, Carter Smith was liberal using the fake blood brought in by the 55 gal barrels. In a gruesome scene, Stacy goes crazy and starts cutting into herself with a hunting knife. Jeff has to operate on Mathias, who fell into the hole and broke his back and legs. It’s Civil War medicine 101. It’s a good thing that they found a bottle of tequila for both Mathias and Jeff to get liquid courage. The gloom and doom sets in as the dark night closes in on the group.
For what it is–cheesy horror–at least the production values were high and the acting was better than it had to be, which created an above average fright flick.