“Look out! Killer Plants!” Though not an actual quote, it could have been from the horrible 2008 film “The Ruins.”

This is that week where there just isn’t a good film to be found in the box-of-fun at Movie Magic. I settled on “The Ruins” mainly because Jena Malone was in it and I thought that would amp up the quality of the production. I have liked her performances in the past and hoped this would be as equal or better than those. Man, I was wrong!

Jeff (Jonathan Tucker), Amy (Malone), Stacy (Laura Ramsey), and Eric (Shawn Ashmore) are away on a Mexican Holiday enjoying the pool and the local fair of the resort they are staying at. Jeff, looking to do something memorable before they go, mentions going to see some of the Mayan temples in the area. This catches the interest of Mathias (Joe Anderson,) a German tourist looking for his brother Heinrich. His brother has gone with an archeologist to a dig at a remote, unmapped temple, away from tourist traps.

Because his brother hasn’t returned, Mathias is concerned and is looking to find people to go with him to the site. Due to the obscurity and wanting to find something out of the ordinary, Jeff and his gang jump at the chance to go with Mathias to see the ruins. Once there they will face horror they never thought possible on this earth. Killer plants!

Yep, killer plants!

There was a lot wrong with this film. For one it wasn’t scary or even terrifying, it was boring. Once trapped at the ruins, the group just sits there and lets the intruding foliage take them one at a time. Did they not know that plants and flames don’t mix together well? Burn the suckers. They had plenty of matches.

The acting was pretty atrocious. No one played a part that was believable. Jena Malone as the girl that gets around was horrible casting. She just didn’t pull it off. Not that it was all her fault, her co-stars didn’t really give her a lot to work with and the script was horrible.

All in all a pretty unpleasant experience that should be avoided at all costs. Bad casting, bad script, and laughable villians do not add up to a super film. Look for something other than this film. Your hard earned money should be better spent in other areas. I would rather watch all the “Ernest” films again than this garbage.

Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!