The greatest movie ever!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

I'm one of Cate Blanchett's biggest fans because she hasn't disappointed me in any movie until I saw this one. Please check out such Blanchett gems as Kieslowski's "Heaven" her two QE 1 movies or the well-deserved Oscar-winning performance in "Blue Jasmine".The Missing is an overly long, cliché-ridden pointless pseudo-western. Did everybody else watch the same version I did? Is the theme of this movie father/daughter reconciliation or is it to demonstrate that aboriginal shamanism is more powerful than Christianity? Both themes have been explored better in other films. You can pick out right at the beginning of the film who will still be living at the end and who won't be standing. No spoilers needed.I am particularly annoyed by the portrayal of Christianity in the film as one of bitterness and prejudice. This particular movie cliché dismisses the loving acts of committed Christians over the centuries.Nothing redeeming.

I feel the need to say right off the top that there was a lot about "The Missing" that I actually liked. I thought that Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones were both very good. Blanchett played a mom whose daughter gets kidnapped by Apaches, who've been stealing girls in raids to sell (presumably into prostitution) in Mexico. Jones was her estranged father, who abandoned her when she was a girl and suddenly showed up at her farm all these years later (after having "gone Indian") looking to make amends. Both Jones and Blanchett were believable in their roles. The basic story served to bring forth a feeling of sympathy for these poor girls who've been kidnapped (since we know what their fate is going to be if they're not rescued) and it makes us root for Blanchett and Jones as they set out to rescue them. The climactic confrontation at the end is pretty well done and pretty exciting. All that worked pretty well here. So, what was the problem with this?First was the pacing. It just seemed off. The first 1:45 or so was uneven and probably spent a little too much time (especially near the beginning) telling us that the mom and her estranged father were - well - estranged. I got the point. I wasn't sure, either, about the focus that ended up being put on the "Indian spirituality" (for lack of a better way of describing it) that Jones' character had picked up, basically because, this being Hollywood, I doubted that much of it was authentic anyway. It looked more like an attempt to remind the viewer that - hey - there are Indians in this movie. And, frankly, the movie was a half hour too long. It's true enough that most of the excitement in this was in that last half hour. But most of what happened in that period could (in my opinion anyway) have been integrated into the earlier part of the story, which some of the unnecessary material cut out) and that would have resulted in a decent and more compact (and more focused) movie. As it was, this seemed a little bit all over the lace, and I really think the movie should have simply ended with the rescue of the girls, rather than with the unnecessary last half hour (and, as I said, what happens in the last half hour could have easily been moved earlier, which would have made for a better movie.)As it is, it's a decent movie - and it does keep your attention, because you do want these girls to be rescued. So, it's very watchable in spite of its problems. It's just not great. (5/10)

I'm shocked that Ron Howard could put together such a poorly paced, grim and dark waste of time. At times, this movie was even incoherent. (Ex: The need arises to run from the bad guys and out of nowhere we see shooting and mass confusion for the viewer. Later, we learn that it's just two old pals of Tommy Lee's character that happen to show up out of nowhere.) The quick camera cuts and poor story telling made the few action sequences hard to follow. The mystic avenue touched on at times in this movie was asinine and even silly. It seemed so tacked on and unnecessary. This was truly a mess of a movie and it looked like Ron Howard just shot this thing on the fly. It is brutal just for sake of being brutal. The tedious set up proves that the bad guys are truly despicable yet the climax and resolution is so very unsatisfying. This is truly Ron Howard's and Tommy Lee Jones' worst effort of their fabulous careers.

This movie is a must see especially for any western buffs. It kept me on the edge of my seat and the entire cast should have gotten some type of award for their most excellent and intense performances. As one critic pointed out, Eric Schweig did not receive half the credit he should. He is way underrated and is deserving of better, challenging roles than he has had in the past. Tommy Lee Jones & Cate Blanchett are each relentless in their pursuit of positive and negative. She is determined he will not be a part of her life since he has not been since she was a child. He is determined to let her know in a discreet way that he wants to be in her life and does not say he is sorry but you know he is and tries in every way he can to prove it to her. The movie kept me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time the first time I saw it. The other actors/actresses were equally as effective in adding character and intensity to the movie. I think Jenna Boyd was a pleasant surprise in the movie because of her youth and the intensity she put into her character. James Horner outdid himself as well this time with the music score. In every single aspect of Oscars this movie should have been at the top of it's class. Brilliant acting,casting,setting,location, production, writing, costume...you name it it was perfect in my opinion. I cannot believe I did not see this movie until 8 years after it was released. Ron Howard's very best to date and it goes without saying that anything Brian Grazer attempts turns to gold automatically. I would recommend this film to everyone except maybe children since it is a rather violent movie. All of which adds to the impact it has on the audience. I watch this movie every time it is on and will continue to do so. I never tire of watching it. I plan to purchase it in the very near future. Do not miss this movie if you have not seen it if you like this kind of film. JMHO