The Bucket List
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Metascore
42 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 34 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 113 Ratings

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  • Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman
  • Summary: Carter Chambers, an auto mechanic, and corporate billionaire Edward Cole find themselves sharing a hospital room with plenty of time to think about what might happen next--and about how much of that is in their hands. For all their apparent differences, they soon discover they have two very important things in common: an unrealized need to come to terms with who they are and the choices they've made, and a pressing desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do. 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, from the finest restaurants to the seediest tattoo parlors, and from the cockpit of vintage racecars to the open door of a prop plane--with just a list 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, they'll become true friends. Sometimes you just need a deadline to get your life in gear. (Warner Bros.)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 34
  3. Negative: 12 out of 34
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    88
    Actors tell us that dying is easy, comedy is hard. But comedies about dying are hardest of all.
  2. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    The movie's sincerity helps it get over some of the most difficult hurdles and the feeling after leaving theater is one of having experienced something worthwhile albeit unremarkable.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Angie Errigo
    60
    The script is weak and obvious and the direction disappointingly unimaginative. But stars are stars, and the old boys are terrific - enough to make this a funny and sometimes moving buddy picture.
  4. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    38
    The entire undertaking feels like a waste of time and talent.

See all 34 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 48
  3. Negative: 6 out of 48
  1. BMFSLP2
    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.… Expand
  2. Spielberg00
    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
  3. ChadS.
    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
  4. WarrenR.
    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.… Expand

See all 48 User Reviews

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