The Bucket List (2007)
I feel like an ass for not really liking this movie (as it is about sick people dying and fulfilling their dying wishes). I had been putting off seeing the film for a long time because I thought it was going to be a real downer. The good thing is, it wasn’t overly sad, the bad thing is, it wasn’t that great of a film. Let me get out of the way how annoying the green screening was. Even if you aren’t someone who pays attention to those things, the scenes in Egypt had me cringing. For a film that positions itself about the journey of two dying men, the dialogue was not all that great. The prototypes of the character were rehashed and unimaginative. Nicholson’s character came a long way from greedy corporate toad to….guy who has feelings, but you could see that coming from the beginning of the film. The monkey wrench in the film is weak, which leads to a bunch more weak plot devices. The one really annoying part of the film happens right near the end (which I won’t spoil), but part of the film leads up to it, viewers are waiting for it, then it’s as uneventful as watching a rock, or two rocks through a window (if you’ve seen it, you may get the reference). There were parts of the film I enjoyed, mostly on the conceptual level, but the “twist” at the funeral I found to be endearing and worthwhile as well. Overall, if you are looking for a sad movie, find something else (might I suggest, “Evening”, which was all around a better film). If seeing this film is on YOUR bucket list, just save yourself the trouble and cross it off now.
