Overview: In 19th-century New Mexico, a father (Tommy Lee Jones) comes back home, hoping to reconcile with his adult daughter Maggie (Cate Blanchett). Maggie's daughter is kidnapped, forcing father and estranged daughter to work together to get her back.

Verdict: Basically a B-Western jumped up out of its category, 'The Missing' is a thorny and even compelling story, yet there's a vast, empty gulch where the affecting dramatic element should have been found. More realized than even that perhaps, is the fact that this film is basically a mushy tale of paternal redemption and self-sacrifice - with Academy-nominated (and winners!) actors getting down and dirty! That all said though, 'The Missing' has an acidic period tone, a respect for the reality of violence, and a refreshing dearth of superhuman heroics and easy triumph and is, quite simply put, a good movie.