THE RUINS

Bright sun, warm waters and sandy beaches beckon countless Americans every year, particularly young adults seeking inexpensive fun. Enter Amy and Stacy, two best friends who bring along their very different boyfriends--focused med student Jeff and free-spirited partier Eric. As the group's vacation nears its end, they journey into the lush Mexican jungle in hopes of seeing some ancient Mayan ruins. But when they arrive at the magnificent site, an unexpected event drives the frightened travelers to the top of the crumbling stone structure, where they confront hidden deadly horrors and engage in a brutal battle for survival.

Surprisingly, The Ruins started out as a pretty good horror flick. In fact, it was a better than average horror flick up to the last 60 seconds of the film. The Ruins provide suspense and more than enough "gross-out" scenes (FYI...I watched the un-rated version on DVD) that all good horror films should deliver. Unfortunately, I think the movie studio ran out of cash. During the climatic finish, simply stated...the movie ended. I felt short-changed, not that horror films have a reputation of finishing strong, I still expected more. Although I enjoyed a few aspects of The Ruins, especially of who/what the "bad guy" was or wasn't....the film didn't have enough bang at the end to easily recommend. Jamie says "5".