...sentimental, simplistic, and almost shamefully manipulative, yet I found it absolutely charming.
"The Bucket List" is short on plot, which is simply a series of travels the men take, and weak on characterization, as what you see is pretty much what you get. Sure, Nicholson plays a caricature of himself, and Freeman plays his usual buddy role. But we wouldn't want it any other way. What the movie's got is heart. And it isn't afraid to wear it on its sleeve.
"Do you hate me?" asks Cole.
"Not yet," responds Chambers.
And so it began.
Video:
Warner Bros. continue their recent practice of offering a film in two formats: a standard full-screen and the film's original theatrical widescreen. The full-screen (their word, not mine) is a 1.33:1 ratio rendering that cuts off a part of the image left and/or right. After making comparisons, I watched the movie in its 1.85:1 ratio widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 televisions.
The video quality is quite good, nicely detailed, with strong, rich colors. Definition is slightly on the soft side, but maybe it's because I've been watching too much high-def content lately. There is a trace of natural film grain to give the picture texture, very little color bleed-through, and not a hint of haloing or pixilation.
Audio:
About 99% of this movie's soundtrack is dialogue, which the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio renders cleanly. When background music makes an occasional appearance, the audio handles it appropriately. There is very little surround sound except for a faint musical ambience reinforcement. In all, the audio is quiet, gentle, and pleasant, like the movie.
Extras:
I suppose WB figure the main bonus is having the two screen formats on the disc because they offer precious little else. There is a five-minute featurette, "Writing a Bucket List," with screenwriter Justin Zackham, and an equally brief music video, "Say," with John Mayer, and that's it. The extras conclude with twenty-three scene selections but no chapter insert; a series of trailers at start-up only; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; French and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Parting Thoughts:
"There was a survey once," says Chambers. "A thousand people were asked if they could know in advance, would they want to know the exact day of their death. Ninety-six percent of them said no."
"The Bucket List" is not really about dying. It's about living life to its fullest with the people you love the most. It's about the joy we find in others and the joy we bring to others. With Nicholson and Freeman in full command of the subject matter, it's a film that can bring joy to anyone with an open mind and an open heart.
"Do you hate me?" asks Cole.
"Not yet," responds Chambers.
And so it began.
Video:
Warner Bros. continue their recent practice of offering a film in two formats: a standard full-screen and the film's original theatrical widescreen. The full-screen (their word, not mine) is a 1.33:1 ratio rendering that cuts off a part of the image left and/or right. After making comparisons, I watched the movie in its 1.85:1 ratio widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 televisions.
The video quality is quite good, nicely detailed, with strong, rich colors. Definition is slightly on the soft side, but maybe it's because I've been watching too much high-def content lately. There is a trace of natural film grain to give the picture texture, very little color bleed-through, and not a hint of haloing or pixilation.
Audio:
About 99% of this movie's soundtrack is dialogue, which the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio renders cleanly. When background music makes an occasional appearance, the audio handles it appropriately. There is very little surround sound except for a faint musical ambience reinforcement. In all, the audio is quiet, gentle, and pleasant, like the movie.
Extras:
I suppose WB figure the main bonus is having the two screen formats on the disc because they offer precious little else. There is a five-minute featurette, "Writing a Bucket List," with screenwriter Justin Zackham, and an equally brief music video, "Say," with John Mayer, and that's it. The extras conclude with twenty-three scene selections but no chapter insert; a series of trailers at start-up only; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; French and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Parting Thoughts:
"There was a survey once," says Chambers. "A thousand people were asked if they could know in advance, would they want to know the exact day of their death. Ninety-six percent of them said no."
"The Bucket List" is not really about dying. It's about living life to its fullest with the people you love the most. It's about the joy we find in others and the joy we bring to others. With Nicholson and Freeman in full command of the subject matter, it's a film that can bring joy to anyone with an open mind and an open heart.
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[release]23458[/release]