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Movies / On DVD / The Bucket List
The Bucket List

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The Bucket List (2007)

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Reviews Counted:160

Fresh:67

Rotten:93

Average Rating:5.2/10

Consensus: Not even the earnest performances of the two leads can rescue The Bucket List from its schmaltzy script.

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:15-02-2008

Synopsis: Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in the comedy drama "The Bucket List," directed by Rob Reiner, a touching, no-holds-barred adventure that shows it's never too late to... Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in the comedy drama "The Bucket List," directed by Rob Reiner, a touching, no-holds-barred adventure that shows it's never too late to live life to its fullest. A long time ago, Carter Chambers' (Morgan Freeman) freshman year philosophy professor suggested that his students compose a "bucket list," a collection of all the things they wanted to do, see and experience in life before they kicked the bucket. But while Carter was still trying to define his private dreams and plans, reality intruded. Marriage, children, myriad responsibilities and, ultimately, a 46-year job as an auto mechanic gradually turned his concept of a bucket list into little more than a bittersweet memory of lost opportunities and a mental exercise he occasionally thought about to pass the time while working under the hood of a car. Meanwhile, corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) never saw a list without a bottom line. He was always too busy making money and building an empire to think about what his deeper needs might be beyond the next big acquisition or cup of gourmet coffee. Then life delivered an urgent and unexpected wake-up call to both of them. Carter and Edward found themselves sharing a hospital room with plenty of time to think about what might happen next--and about how much of that was in their hands. For all their apparent differences, they soon discovered they had two very important things in common: an unrealized need to come to terms with who they were and the choices they'd made, and a pressing desire to spend the time they had left doing everything they ever wanted to do. The list wasn't just a mental exercise anymore. It was an agenda. So, against doctor's orders and all good sense, these two virtual strangers check themselves out of the hospital and hit the road together for the adventure of a lifetime--from the Taj Mahal to the Serengeti, the finest restaurants to the seediest tattoo parlors, the cockpit of vintage race cars to the open door of a prop plane--with just a sheet of paper and their passion for life to guide them. Adding and crossing items off their list while taking in the grandeur and beauty of the world, they will grapple with the difficult questions and the even more difficult answers that plague all of us. And, without even realizing it, become true friends. With humor, insight, heart...and a fair amount of attitude. Sometimes you just need a deadline to get your life in gear. --© Warner Bros. [More]

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Rob Morrow, Beverly Todd

Director: Rob Reiner

Director: Rob Reiner
Screenwriter: Justin Zackham
Producer: Alan Greisman, Rob Reiner, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron
Composer: Marc Shaiman
Studio: Warner Bros.

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Reviews for The Bucket List

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/15/08
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite a somewhat simplistic view of life ... an engaging examination of two men looking back at their lives without pity or regret.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
01/28/08
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

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Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
02/14/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
02/12/08
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
10/18/08
Times [UK]
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
10/18/08
Screen International
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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/18/08
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]
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Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
12/26/07
Hollywood.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Not every film about death needs a bald Swede and a game of chess: Sometimes, the sky-diving's enough.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
01/11/08
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson work their usual acting magic in The Bucket List, making it more entertaining than I expected.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/24/07
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Although it's certainly not on par with his best work, The Bucket List is the best film Reiner has made in a long time.

Full Review Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
Colorado Springs Gazette

While not a classic in its own right, The Bucket List displays two great actors in classic form, a sort of Planes, Trains and Automobiles for maturing audiences.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
01/20/08
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

An above-average movie elevated partly by the performances of two acting powerhouses, but mostly by the chemistry created by their pairing.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
01/11/08
Cathy Jakicic
Cathy Jakicic
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

That director Rob Reiner is often successful in eliminating the too-sweet taste of sentimentality is largely due to a pair of powerhouse performances from Freeman and Nicholson.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
12/12/07
Chad Greene
Chad Greene
Boxoffice Magazine

One of the things on our 'list' for this year was seeing this movie.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
12/29/07
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

Even if you're usually suspicious of this kind of material, I think you'll find things to enjoy.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
01/11/08
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Gets a little too Hollywood for its own good, but the biggest pleasure here comes from the moments where two of our best actors (Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) simply talk to one another about life.

Full Review Source: FulvueDrive-in.com | comment Comment
12/23/07
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
FulvueDrive-in.com

Cynics who hate life affirming films and moviegoers who would just as soon not see movies about fatal diseases can give this a pass.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
01/11/08
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

It might be a decent movie with very good performances, but it should see a quick box office death.

Full Review Source: Beaumont Journal | comment Comment
01/10/08
Danny Minton
Danny Minton
Beaumont Journal

The Bucket List gets through its list while rarely seeming a chore. Its two great stars invite us into their company, often amusingly, always humanly.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
01/11/08
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
 
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