One final journey; THE BUCKET LIST Cert 12, 93 mins, Warner Home Video, Comedy/Drama, also available to buy DVD pounds 15.99/Blu-ray pounds 26.99 Starring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), July 4, 2008

Billionaire entrepreneur Edward Cole (Nicholson) has made his fortune by bleeding the American healthcare system dry. Diagnosed with terminal cancer and given just a year to get his affairs in order, Edward ends up in a shared room with auto mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman), who faces the same gloomy prognosis.

After a fractious introduction, the two men decide to embrace Carter's idea of a bucketlist: pipe dreams to achieve in the months they have left. Carter's wife Virginia (Todd) grows concerned about how little time her husband is spending with his family and begs Edward to curtail their round-the-world expedition, but the men's newfound lust for life brings them ever closer as they face the demons of the past.

Terminal cancer proves an unlikely catalyst for self-discovery in Rob Reiner's shamelessly sentimental road movie. The Bucket List is sporadically amusing and inoffensive; heavy on the sugar in bittersweet.

Nicholson and Freeman seem to be having fun, the former relishing the choice oneliners in Justin Zachman's script. The film's budget evidently didn't stretch to visiting most of the places on Edward and Carter's death list and the green screen work is almost laughable in places. A tear-jerking finale leaves no hoary cliche unturned.

DVD Extras: "Writing A Bucket List" screenwriter featurette, John Mayer "Say" music video, DVD-ROM content including additional scenes and "Jack & Morgan: All Seriousness Aside" and more.