THE MISSING (R) at 7 and 9.30 p.m. - Neptune Theatre

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (PG) at 2.30, 5.30, 7.30 and 9.30 p.m. - Liberty Theatre

BARBERSHOP2 (PG13) at 2.30, 5, 7.15 and 9.30 p.m. - Little Theatre

Capsule Review:

“The Missing” - Ron Howard is trying to channel “The Searchers” with this Western kidnap thriller, but what he achieves is closer to “The Elizabeth Smart Story”: cloying and clunky. “The Missing” is contrived and obvious, with a belabored father-daughter relationship serving as the backdrop for a perfunctory rescue mission.

When the daughter of rancher Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett) is kidnapped, she enlists her estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) to track the bad guys. Howard leaves no doubt about the creepiness of the American Indian villain (Eric Schweig), but provides no hint about the motivations for his actions. “The Missing” has no sense of danger because Howard telegraphs the story in his usual glossy style. R for violence. 130 min. One and a half stars out of four.

@bodyindent:- Ben Nuckols, AP Writer