There's always something else coming along, Maggie. And that will take a man away. The Missing has Ron Howard as its director and Ken Kaufman adapted the screenplay from Thomas Eidson’s novel, The Last Ride. It features Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Eric Schweig, Evan Rachel Wood, Jenna Boyd, Ray McKinnon, Val Kilmer & Aaron Eckhart in the cast. James Horner composed the score, with Salvatore Totino as cinematographer. Set in New Mexico in 1885, frontier doctor Maggie Gilkeson (Blanchett) has to ask for help from her estranged father Samuel Jones/Chaa-duu-ba-its-iidan (Jones), after her oldest daughter is taken by Pesh-Chidin/El Brujo (Schweig), an Apache Warlock who sells girls into prostitution. The Missing resembles John Ford’s The Searchers, and it didn't get much attention from Western fans when Kevin Costner's Open Range was released the same year. It did poorly at the box office; which isn’t surprising given how few Westerns have done well recently, but to write off Howard’s film because of that is inaccurate. The story itself isn't particularly original, but it doesn't lose character development while including all the usual elements of a Western. There’s plenty for people who don’t typically enjoy Westerns as well; from the many interesting characters (including Schweig in a memorable villain role), to the wide-open landscapes and action sequences that appear throughout. Most movie fans should find something they like. The actors are also worth the price of admission. Blanchett brings depth and emotion to Maggie, who is emotionally distant but forced to set aside family problems and become a Western heroine; Wood is equally good as her character changes from an annoying child into a courageous young woman. Jones seems to be enjoying himself in a cowboy role that suits his weathered face, which looks great with Salvatore’s stark photography of the scenery. Along with Jenna Boyd's charming performance it really boils down to a broken family coming together under pressure. As a group, and with Schweig’s horrible portrayal of the story’s “monster,” they all work well together, so that each character’s journey is acted skillfully and pleasing to watch. It’s also commendable that some actors use authentic Apache language, which shows the director taking the material seriously. There are a few different endings available on DVD and elsewhere, but the one Howard chose for general release is the correct one. While it might not be shocking, given his previous work, it fits well with the story’s tone and period setting. It's a safe film, certainly, one that's very well made and tells its story efficiently in terms of structure and language. If only the script had been willing to take more chances then perhaps it wouldn't have done so poorly financially. Still, give it a try and you might find as much to appreciate as I did. 7/10

Source on TMDB