Just saw Ron Howards' movie " The Missing"

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Has anyone else seen it? I am still trying to make up my mind if I liked it or not. I did think it was a bit long.

[joeybee12]

1. I haven't seen it, and am not planning on it

I like Kate Blanchett, and I hope she gets nominated, but Opie is a minimally talented director.

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3. Well the scenery was beautiful...

But there was so much of "look how beautiful this land is" going on. I think Howard wanted to make a visually beautiful movie, like an Out of Africa, but coupled with the gore, it just didn't work for me.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I'm going to see it this weekend,

cuz I wanna see if it continues Ron Howard's perfect record of fucking up every movie he comes in contact with, which in his case is a relevant thing, because he always has great actors and great stories to work with, but he manages - continually - to fuck 'em up.

They have what I call "Ron Howard Close" - that is, I think, "Man, that was close to a good movie." I said that after "Beautiful Mind" then said, "Who directed this crap that should have been incredible?" and I saw at the end it was Ron Howard, and I thought, "Dammit - that doesn't surprise me at all. This sucked in that perfect Ron Howard way of sucking. Almost a good movie, but he managed to drive all the life and character right out of it."

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4. I so agree

Sometimes the scenes in Beautiful Mind were like waiting for paint to dry....okay, okay, make the movie 1 1/2 hours and cut all of the other stuff...As comparison on The Sixth Sense, I was never bored because I thought the slow scenes had something to do with the main plot. Even if they didn't, I paid attention. I think Howard needs a time limit on his movies and a good editor.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. He doesn't need just a good editor,

he really needs to stop thinking he's a director altogether.

He just doesn't "get it" - the "it" being the "it" necessary to create a movie and do art. He almost has it, and I think that's what's annoying - he's so close, but doesn't make it. I find that much more annoying that just shitheads who don't get "it" at all and just suck. I don't feel bad with just a suck movie (cf. Top Gun, Mission Impossible), but it bothers me when it's almost-but-not-quite. I feel much more cheated then. I think to myself, "Why get these great actors together, and spend all this money, and do all this work, and not care about the movie you're making? Why go to all the trouble?"

It's like giving your kids a bucketfull of gold leaf for their crappy 6-year old art. Yeah it's shiny, but it sucks and it was a waste of money.

[joeybee12]

5. Part of his problem is that he always shoots for the common denominator

you know, get in kids crying, all the effects and scenes that SHOULD go into a movie. As a result, nothing rings true, because life and stories shouldn't always be pre-packaged.

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7. That is so true

There was one scene where the mother had to make a choice, which I felt was totally unbelievable.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. That's it! On the nose!

very cliche, very standard, very formulaic. As emotionally manipulative as Spielberg, but without the panache.

Characters that struggle don't have real struggles - they have sitcom-level struggles.

You nailed it!

[joeybee12]

9. Thanks--now I can die happy!

With such praise.

Anyway, we're probably stuck with him for a long time. I don't really care, other than I'll have to cringe at future Oscar ceremonies--they gave him one, and they are known for making the same mistake twice!

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10. Our 16-year-old daughter loved it

enuf said...

[joeybee12]

11. Well, when you're 16, you haven't seen as many movies as when you're

God-only-knows how old you are. I know when I was that age (just a few months ago) lots of movies I wouldn't dream of seeing now appealed to me--again, a lot of it has to do with quantity--Hollywood recycles the same five plots in every movie it puts out. When you're 16 and have seen that plot for the first time, it's interesting. When you're 17 (like myself--Hah!) you get bored with movies very quickly because you've seen it all before.