The Missing DVD Review:

When her eldest daughter Lily (Wood) is knapped by renegade Apache Indians, Maggie (Blanchett) is forced to seek the help of her estranged father Samuel (Jones) to track them down. This isn’t going to be simple however, as the man they are tracking is a feared Indian witch called Chidin (Schweig) who is taking girls to Mexico to sell them into prostitution.

Oscar winning director Ron Howard returns to fulfil a dream, directing a western and The Missing is a really good one.

Based on the best selling novel by Thomas Eidson, Howard raises to the occasion to produce a movie that not only captures the essence of what makes these movie great but also injects some modern issues into the mix. Along with the usual shootouts, Indians and sprawling shots of the magnificent scenery of the west, issues such as the dysfunctional family, rebellious teenagers and empowered women are thrown into the mix creating a cocktail of the contemporary and historical.

The performances are very good. The always extremely watchable Cate Blanchett brings dignity and gusto to the role of Maggie. This is a strong female character that pulls no punches when it comes to getting her daughter back. This is the type of woman that Blanchett excels at playing and really brings out her acting strengths.

Tommy Lee Jones is his usual rugged self, bringing strength, dignity and a certain amount of humour to the role of Samuel. This might be the kind of character than he can play in his sleep but it does standout from his usual turn. He brings believability and even some tenderness to the man who has to reassess his life and his connection to family.

The support is also very good. Evan Rachel Wood continues to make a name for herself as upcoming teenage actress to watch. Eric Schweig is extremely creepy as the Indian witch Chidin, a real screen villain. Jenna Boyd is another child actress that acts way beyond her years with a standout performance. Where do they find these kids? There are also some good cameos from Aaron Eckhart, Val Kilmer and usual Ron Howard stalwart, this brother Clint Howard.

You can tell that Ron Howard really loves this genre as he injects elements from all the great pictures that have been set in the period. He throws his own touches into the mix while paying homage to the greats like Eastwood, Wayne and Cooper. Howard’s eye for detail and authenticity standout as this is one of the best looking westerns to come along in a very long time but he also accentuates the importance of strong characters against this spectacular background.

The Missing might be slightly overlong but the performances and the grandiose way it was shot keeps the interest ticking over until the invertible shoot out in the finale. This is a western made by someone with a real passion for the genre and should be embraced by anyone who loves to hark back to the days of the Wild West.

Star Rating = * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND
Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer, as you’d except from a modern film. The picture quality allows you to take in the full grandeur of the Old West and the vision that director Ron Howard and his team wanted to realise. The Dolby Digital surround track is also first rate, emphasising dialogue extremely well but also filling the speakers during the many gunfight sequences.

BONUS FEATURES

Deleted Scenes
Entitled “Maggie and Lilly discuss fashion”, “Maggie spies on Jones”, “Lilly watches Maggie and Brake from the outhouse”, “Maggie and Dot release the cattle” and “Dot gets a lesson on killing”, these scenes show more of the interaction between Lilly (Evan Rachel Wood) and Maggie (Cate Blanchett). The inclusion of a commentary or introduction to explain why these scenes were cut would have enhanced the viewing however.

Outtakes (2.32 mins)

A collection of missing lines, saying the wrong thing, witnessing how scared Cate Blanchett is of spiders and how she can’t fire a gun, come together in this short collection of amusing mishaps.

Alternative Endings (20.26 mins)

Two alternative endings called “Long Version” and “Take me home” are different edits of a similar theme. It shows that even with filming finished you can still produce different scenes from already filmed footage.

Ron Howard on…

Home Movies (5.52 mins)

After saying that he had never filmed a true western before, director Ron Howard’s father sent him the three Super-8 films his shot at High School, which where all westerns. He talks about “The Deed of Daring Do”, “Old Point” and “Cards, Cads, Guns, Gore and Death” which all starred his brother Clint Howard.

The Filmmaking Process (2.21 mins)

The director talks about getting an emotion response from his actors and the audience, no matter what the subject matter.

His Love of Westerns (1.50 mins)

Ron Howard talks passionately about his Father’s influence and how he introduced him to the genre and that way of life.

Conventions of Westerns (2.52 mins)

He talks about realistically portraying the old west and how filmmakers like John Ford and Kevin Costner influenced the way The Missing was filmed.

View Ron Howard’s Home Movies (13.05 mins)

You chance to watch the full versions of “The Deed of Daring Do”, “Old Point” and “Cards, Cads, Guns, Gore and Death”.

Photo Gallery

Cast, Production and Location images taken during the shoot of The Missing.

OVERALL

While the transfer of the movie is first rate, the extras are a little lacklustre. The lack of a Making Of… featurette and a commentary do nothing to add any value to the release but the inclusion of Ron Howard’s home movies do make for interesting viewing. The lack of bonus features should not put you off renting or buying this movie however, as it is an excellent western and a must for anyone who loves the genre.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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