The Bucket List (2007/Warner Bros. Blu-ray + DVD-Video)

 

Picture: B+/B-     Sound: B+/B-     Extras: C+     Film: B-

 

 

One of 2007’s more underrated films is Rob Reiner’s The Bucket List, with two fine performances between Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, one which we covered at the time in one of our Theatrical Film Reviews.  You can read all about the film at this link in a review I strongly agree with:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6408/The+Bucket+List+(Theatrical+Film

 

 

When any good film comes to home video, I am always hoping they will get it right and I can enjoy the film over and over, made easier by the advanced fidelity of Blu-ray.  The good news is that the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image is pretty good, has limited softness and sometimes even delivers some fine shots thanks to the top cinematography by Director of Photography John Schwartzman, A.S.C., giving the picture an A-movie sheen throughout.  We get a good balance of natural locales and ones that big money brings, balancing the narrative seamlessly and the anamorphically enhanced DVD is one of the better looking new releases in that format we have seen in a while.  Sadly, only Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes are available on both formats, but it is a decent soundmix for the dated codec.

 

Extras are the same for both formats except for a trivia track on available on Blu-ray.  Both also have two separate interviews by Reiner of the leads, Writing a Bucket List featurette with writer Justin Zackham, a Music Video for Say by the underrated John Mayer and a making of featurette.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo