User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 116 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 96 out of 116
  2. Negative: 12 out of 116

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  1. TJW.
    Jan 5, 2008
    0
    I know we're only a few days in, but i'll be hard pressed to find a worse movie in 2008.
  2. F***ingCritics
    Jul 3, 2008
    10
    To all the critics on this page - You guys are straight f***ing crazy. To find so many negative aspects in something so simple and beautiful should be a crime. If you honestly think this movie was garbage you need to do some soul searching. Try to venture far your arrogant minds and appreciate the simple things in life. Something tells me you think way to much of yourselves.
  3. SusmitK.
    Jul 6, 2008
    10
    Beautiful and heart warming movie. Touched the cord!! Go take a hike...and rethink your life all you moronic critics!!
  4. JohnW.
    Jan 11, 2008
    2
    Normally I'm a fan of Reiner's work, as well as Freeman's. Nicholson I can take or leave; I personally feel he hasn't done a good project in a decade. This movie doesn't change my opinion of him. From their first meeting (which was contrived) to the premise (which made me wonder throughout the entire movie whether that money they spent could have been better invested in medical research, at the least!) I had trouble sitting through this one. My wife liked it better, but she's not reviewing it. Expand
  5. FraserB
    Feb 17, 2008
    8
    Slow to get going but a very powerful movie. Made me laugh through out, but guaranteed to make you cry. First time i have ever cryed in a movie! very emotional at the end but well worth the watch. In my opinion it's Jack and Morgan that make the movie so good, wouldn't be much without them.
  6. DougT.
    Feb 20, 2008
    2
    Seriously? You are dying and you tell you wife and kids "See ya!" just so you can get in some cheap thrills? Talk about sending a message about the pointlessness of life.
  7. WarrenR.
    Feb 23, 2008
    3
    You'd think that a movies starring two of Hollywood's greatest wouldn't be half-bad. You'd think that if it was directed by Rob Reiner that it would be better. The bucket list will make you think wrong. A lame premise is made lamer by cheesy dialogue and plot devices, and the jokes are just plain unfunny.
  8. agirl
    Feb 24, 2008
    10
    What a funny movie! My kids enjoyed it and thought that Jack was what made the movie even more fantastic.
  9. ElaineS.
    Mar 31, 2008
    10
    I don't understand why some crtics said that this movie was a waste of time. To me this movie is one of the most beautiful and touching story. There are laughs and there are cries. After watching this movie, I have put it in my list of favorite movies. Despite what the critics have to say, I think that this movie is definitely worth the time to watch and I think that this movie DOES indeed have alot of reality in it. It's Wonderful. I loved every minute of it. Expand
  10. ChadS.
    Jan 11, 2008
    5
    A billionaire like Edward Cole(Jack Nicholson), a man who can afford to cancel luncheons with glamorous movie stars, in all likelihood would be beyond the formality of being discreet. But there he is, being discreet, tiptoeing back to his airplane seat after f****** the stewardess. Is Edward simply being courteous about not wanting to rouse Carter(Morgan Freeman) from his mile-high slumber, or is he fearful of making his new "friend" jealous? In another scene, the two men have dinner at a restaurant Edward uses to wine and dine women. Carter is his first man. Back at the tycoon's palacial estate, Carter takes a luxurious bath in a porcerlain tub. All that's missing is the bubbles. In Egypt, Edwards asks Carter if he can call him "my main man, Ray"(a possible code for "my best girl"?). After awhile, you stop watching the official narrative(which is depressing and sentimental), because the subtext is a lot more interesting. Since 2005's "Brokeback Mountain", there hasn't been a serious gay-themed movie backed by a major studio, even though the Ang Lee-directed film was a box office success and won three Oscars(albeit not "Best Picture" as expected). "The Bucket List" is a lot like watching William Wyler's "The Children's Hour", in which audiences speculated about the nature of the friendship between Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. What does it say about major studio films in their treatment of homosexuality when virtually every scene in "The Bucket List" is fraught with a nudge and a wink like it was 1961 all over again? After returning from his travels with Edward, Carter is surrounded by his family at the dinner table. He looks happy, but given the context, you wonder if that smile is genuine, or a domesticated mask? Sometimes the true feelings of these two men aren't even all that subtle. Listen closely to Edward's eulogy, and watch with amusement at how the screenwriter prevents Carter from sharing an intimate moment with his wife. Their final resting place is practically a homage to the Ang Lee film, and Annie Proulx short-story(from the short-story collection "Close Range: Wyoming Stories"). Two good friends- wink, wink, nudge, nudge- finally, at peace. Expand
  11. PhilB.
    Jan 11, 2008
    8
    It made me laugh, cry and think and wish I could make my own "bucket list".
  12. GaryN.
    Dec 13, 2008
    10
    As I left the theater I felt I didn't need to see another movie this year... I had just seen the best. Yes it played heavily on our emotions and often turned humor to sadness. ALL the actors delivered award winning performances and the critics.... well... Think they may have over analyzed it... again proving they often don't have a clue what the audience reacts to.
  13. StephanieM.
    Jun 14, 2008
    10
    Spectacular movie! It made me laugh, and cry. It didn't feel like watching a movie, I felt I was there.
  14. patb
    Jul 18, 2008
    10
    The Bucket List- Critics are such losers; moviegoers decide for themselves. I loved this movie. I don't care if it is realistic. Jack and Morgan made me think about my best friend and what we want before we die. We often say things like: "Which ten people would you have to dinner if you want to learn something?" . Now we will make out a "bucket list".
  15. JureB
    Nov 6, 2009
    10
    In today's times when theaters and all film and video production is overwhelmed by violence - needles to say that our ancestors are becoming lost idiotic FPS slayers that often mix reality and fantasy - hat down goes to screenwriter, director, Jack and Morgan for this emotional life experience. By the way I'm 36 now if someone thinks I'm an old pathetic grandpa. And those critics - they are becoming corrupted irrelevant personas. Expand
  16. Mar 6, 2011
    10
    Once again, the critics have it all wrong. Glad we didn't rely on their rating. The movie is wonderful in every way. The only part that was over the top was the crashing of the two cars. Making a "Bucket List" is a good idea for everyone, as it is helpful to set goals and contemplate one's mortality. We will highly recommend this movie.
  17. Aug 31, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Why is this so badly received by critics? It's not terrible at all, and it's really, really good for a film starring two very well-known names. Yeah, it's predictable (in case you don't know the movie, the guys both die, and it's hinted at from the very beginning) but it's sooooo funny. Expand
  18. ErnestoB.
    Feb 3, 2008
    9
    My wife and I just viewed the movie this evening and both of us found it to be a very heart-warming movie. An enjoyable film and a typical of Rob Reiner film. We would highly recommend it. It would resonate well with anyone coming to grips with their mortality. Judging from the audience reactions, the moments of levity were spot on.
  19. PeterP.
    Jan 10, 2008
    8
    If you are 60+, you will be able to relate to it, a fantasy that is totally enjoyable.
  20. RoyC
    Apr 10, 2008
    10
    The Bucket List is a great film. Nice storyline. Very entertaining. Audiences kept filling the theater with laughter. Touching at times. The critics have got it wrong. Love it~!!
  21. GaryE.
    Apr 7, 2008
    10
    The best movie I have seen in years. The critics definitely got it wrong and need to get in touch with what most people are looking for in movies - entertainment.
  22. JayH.
    Jun 3, 2008
    6
    Surprisingly trite and over sympathetic, but it is still an enjoyable film. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman certainly make the film worth watching. Good direction, but the writing is the films main flaw.
  23. notsure
    Jan 12, 2008
    10
    A movie full of wisdom and fun. If you don't like this movie, the problem lies within yourself.
  24. Trina
    Jan 4, 2008
    10
    I think it was a great movie. It's a feel good movie, I laughed and cried but I really enjoyed it. A real clean, nice movie.
  25. MichelleF.
    Feb 15, 2008
    10
    I thought it was very funny and at the same time very touching. There was a lot of chemistry between the 2 characters.
  26. Fantasy
    Feb 2, 2008
    10
    Jack & Morgan put on quite a show together. Totally believable and each of the characters they portray is very much like we (the public) see them as great actors. They touch every emotion and present impending death in a very dignified manor. Excellent.
  27. DanW.
    Jun 11, 2008
    9
    It's a great movie with 2 fantastic actors! That some can't see the irony in this movie is not the movies issue. They should look in the mirror and start their own Bucket List! I am sure they will need it someday and I venture to guess they won't face the inevitable with such grace!
  28. ChristopherC
    Jun 13, 2008
    6
    Although the movie has been acted by two of the best Hollywood actors, the movie lacked depth of plot. There were many good scenes, but the movie didn't immerse the audience in the plot.
  29. BillC.
    Jul 18, 2008
    9
    Way better than I expected. Those who give it a thumbs down tend to be those under age 50? Rob Reiner did a fine job as did the two leads.
  30. SM
    Dec 31, 2008
    7
    Although an adorable movie, it is not stunning;still certainly much better than what the critics have said.
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 34
  2. Negative: 12 out of 34
  1. You'd think the team of Rob Reiner, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman might have had the right stuff. Alas, their labored efforts fail to lift The Bucket List out of its flatlining state.
  2. Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    60
    A feel-good film about death, a sitcom about mortality, "Ikiru" for meatheads. It's also a picture about two cancer patients confronting reality, and deciding how they want to spend their presumed last days, that has not an ounce of reality about it.
  3. Reviewed by: Julia Wallace
    60
    Turns out The Bucket List is a meta-film, mostly about how these two legendary actors interact and what it means to be an actor in your own life.