Dennis D. McDonald (ddmcd@ddmcd.com) consults from Alexandria Virginia. His services include writing & research, proposal development, and project management.

Ron Howard's THE MISSING

Ron Howard's THE MISSING

Dennis D. McDonald
Action, Another Time & Place, Western

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

If you need a “western” fix (as I do occasionally) this one might do the trick.

It’s a bit of an odd film but the familiar story elements and characters are given enough of a unique twist so it seems a bit fresher than it really is.

We do get to see two professionals at work, Kate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones. They provide energy and gravitas in a tale that might have otherwise been a standard violence-spotted kidnapping and rescue mission.

Plus, there is one hell of a gunfight at the end that I’ll put right up there with the one in Kevin Costner’s OPEN RANGE. Recommended.

Added bonus: Val Kilmer pops up in a brief but significant cameo. You keep expecting him to come back later in the movie but [SPOILER ALERT] he never does.

Review copyright (c) 2015 by Dennis D. McDonald

Kevin Costner's OPEN RANGE

Kevin Costner's OPEN RANGE
Ridley Scott's "THE MARTIAN"

Ridley Scott's "THE MARTIAN"