Review of The Bucket List (2007) by Steve S — 20 Sep 2010

Lyle: The Bucket List was intended to be a "heart warming story." That fact is painfully obvious. If you weren't aware that this was intended to be a "heart warming story" by the twenty minute mark, god bless you. I did not enjoy The Bucket List. Freeman and Nicholson were as charming as ever, but this "heart warming story" lacked a lot of the intelligence that I was expecting. I did not think that this was a heartwarming story. I thought that this was a film that was intended to cash in on the its premise, but failed miserably. The setups are obvious. The messages are obvious. It was just an extremely unintelligent endeavor. What you have here is a bogus journey and really flat out boring characters. Why do I need to feel attached to them? Just because they?re dying? That?s their gimmick? I felt gimmicked throughout the whole picture, and I did not appreciate it too much.

Bob: Wow. It?s going to be tough trying to defend the film after that, but I?ll try. What I?m going to look at here, and what I?m going to challenge you to look at here, is the last half hour of the film. That?s when I felt it all come together and that?s when I felt like it was a worthwhile experience. It?s maybe a little corny, but what I liked so much about it were those last few moments between these two characters who had become such good friends. I rewatch that scene, and I feel everything that this movie was about just sort of click into place.

Lyle: I didn?t. I really didn?t. And even if I were to admit that you have a point?and, surprise, surprise, you don?t?that still can?t get around the fact that I went through most of this movie without giving a darn about anything they did.

Bob: Give them a little credit, Lyle. They knew what they were doing. They tried. And, in some ways, I would even say they succeeded.

Bob?s Rating: ***.

Lyle?s Rating: *.

Overall: 30%.