Review: The Missing (* 1/2)

THE MISSING
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2


THE MISSING, by Academy Award winning director Ron Howard (A BEAUTIFUL
MIND), is, surprisingly, just an overly long, Western snoozer. Set in New
Mexico in 1885, the story concerns the kidnapping of a teenage girl, Lilly
(Evan Rachel Wood), from her home by a group of renegade Indians,
accompanied by a few white men. Once the Indians get into Mexico, they plan
on selling Lily and several other girls.



Hot on their trail -- well, "hot" probably isn't the best term to use for
any part of this lifeless production -- is her mother, Maggie (Cate
Blanchett), her younger sister, Dot (Jenna Boyd), and her grandfather, Jones
(Tommy Lee Jones). Jones is a white man who has spent so much time with the
Indians than he can and does pass for one. Maggie hates Jones since he
abandoned her mother, but she is forced to rely on him because of his superb
tracking skills. The movie is one long, relatively uneventful chase as
Maggie and Co. try to find and rescue Lilly.



About the only thing unusual about the story, written by Ken Kaufman and
based on a Thomas Eidson novel, is the identity of the villain. The head of
the group of Indians is a witch, who briefly puts a spell on Maggie. But
the curse doesn't last and isn't much worse than a very brief case of the
flu, so the impact of this supernatural aspect of the film is minimal.



Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, who can usually be relied upon to give
memorable performances, both give subdued performances that are quickly
forgotten. Evan Rachel Wood, who was devastating as the rebellious teen in
THIRTEEN, barely registers a pulse this time. There isn't much wrong with
THE MISSING. The problem is that there is almost nothing right with it
either. None of the characters are well developed, so that, when they are
danger, we just don't care.



You should take a hint from the title and miss this movie. If you do see
it, there will probably be only one line that will resonate with you -- when
Maggie proclaims, "Let's go home!"



THE MISSING runs a very long 2:10. The film is in English and in Chiricahua
and Spanish with English subtitles. It is rated R for "violence" and would
be acceptable for teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday, November 26,
2003. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the
Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



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