Kiss Kiss Bang Bang The Bucket List Goodbye
Review by Euro Geezer
Due to a favorable review, I just saw The Bucket List, written by Justin Zackham. Didn’t think it was very original. I saw every single next event or twist in the plot coming long before it happened. The only thing that I expected, but didn’t happen, was that he goes on a quiz show where he knows all the answers. I am guessing that scene was deleted. Everything, every word, every event was sooooooo predictable in Bucket List.
This was in marked contrast,with the other movie of the double-feature bill, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang starring Val Kilmer, written by Shane Black, inspired by Brett Halliday’s novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them, where you could never guess what was coming next.
Both movies are well acted. The Bucket List was a dud.
The two characters in Bucket List couldn’t have been more stereotypical. Both actors, while good, play versions of themselves, again. Jack Nicholson does his usual shtick as the ascerbic wise-guy, a natural leader and a bit crazy — all the same grimaces and funny faces he was making three decades ago in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and in The Shining. Playing the bland all-American character of Carter Chambers, Morgan Freeman (as he so often is) was likable, intelligent, and competent.
There was nothing in The Bucket List to recommend in my honest opinion.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is worth the buck.
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15 Responses to “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang The Bucket List Goodbye”
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WOW. I’m so glad I never went to see this and I haven’t spent money on it to rent, either!
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, though…I’ll check that one out!
I agree with you about The Bucket List. Okay, but not worth watching more than once and I certainly wouldn’t buy it even though I really like both actors.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang however, I’ve only seen one time, and bought it as soon as I found it on the shelf. Val Kilmer was hilarious and it was refreshing to watch something that I felt was really original. I don’t read much, so I didn’t know it was inspired by a book. I personally feel the movie is underrated/underappreciated… But then again, I never heard of the movie until I flipped by it on HBO late one night… so I don’t know, maybe it’s me.
Okay…thanks for saving me the time. I was thinking of renting the Bucket List, but maybe I’ll think twice now.
I read an interesting article in the paper a couple of weeks ago, suggesting Morgan Freeman might be getting typecast.
After all, there are only so many movie roles for elderly wise black men . (I mean, I like him, but he doesn’t play much else, does he?) .
(Are you old enough to remember him when he played Count Dracula on PBS’s “Electric Company”?).
Heh heh. He’s come a long way since then.
I saw the Bucket List back at the beginning of August, a couple days before Freeman was in a car accident. I did like the concept of making a “bucket list”, but starting off with the end made the rest of the movie too predictable. You knew Edward Cole was going to die.
I haven’t seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang yet, but will put it on my movie list to watch in October. I’m getting ready to go to TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) tomorrow morning to see The Brothers Bloom (screening, press junket and interview with director Rian Johnson) and the red carpet premiere of Warner Bros.’ “RocknRolla”. Next week I’ll be preparing for the Atlantic Film Festival, here in Halifax, NS. It’s a busy month!
By the way, yesterday I rented two Serbian movies by director/writer Emir Kusturica (Underground and When Father Was Away On Business). Started watching Underground last night but was interrupted halfway through the movie by friends who wanted to go out for a coffee. It looks pretty good up to now. Underground won the Golden Palm at Cannes in ’95 and When Father Was Away On Business won the Golden Palm at Cannes in ’85 and was Oscar-nominated in ’86.
I love Jack but you’re right, he’s grown tired. Or maybe we are of him.
If DeNiro can finally come around and make something good with Pacino, then I can only hope that eventually Jack will either blow gold over everything or just call it a career.
Freeman, on the other hand, is and has been playing himself since Shawshank. If you guys remember a little diddy called STREET SMART, in which Morgan was honored with an Oscar Nom., you’ll see a dark side of him that was slimly evident in WANTED; calling everybody “mothafucka’s” and carrying a heavy pimp hand, Morgan had a smorgasbord of personalities he could play before becoming the All-Amer Oreo. (Nice!)
KKBB kicks ass. You’ve got RDJ, Val, that spicy Sossamon (who is like a female Josh Hartnett – sexy, stylish, stoned all the time), and a story that continually leaves you guessing who, what, where, when, why and how. The humor is similar to that of the movie IN BRUGES, which Jaden suggested awhile back (Excellent!), in that it is sarcastic, dark and basically un-politically correct . A guilty pleasure for the smart-ass in you!
—t.sterling — I haven’t seen either of these movies yet, but now I really want to see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Yeah, people are saying it is one of those underrated movies that went under the radar.
—Shane! — Yay! Nice to see you again.
I love Jack, even if he is a crazy old fart with the same old expressions. He is in the top 3 favorite actors of all time. He has done so many movies, we know his moves. Lucky him.
No doubt, Morgan Freeman is a great actor too.
Maybe both actors are getting pigeon-holed in their old age and type-cast.
Shane, laughing at your KKBB review… too funny re the Soss/Josh.
—SizzlyP — You are having way too much fun!
—Steph — Glad we could save you a few bucks!
—Friar — I didn’t see the Count Dracula. Morgan Freeman is a such a good actor, maybe it is time for someone to write him a new fresh multi-dimensional role so he can go out with a big bang.
@Jaden
Morgan Freeman seems to have been typecast as a proverbial “Magical Negro” (a term popularized by Spike Lee). Where a black supporting character helps the white character, guides him and gets him out of trouble.
Morgan is a pretty good actor…you’re right. I wish they’d write some new material for him.
He played a pretty edgy crook in “Nurse Betty”. I’d like to see more like that.
Once a type of character sells big for an actor, everyone jumps on the band wagon and they try to sell the hell out of it, hence sequels and all that crap. They squeeze everything dry of all its good juice.
Glad to see that others thought Bucket List was kind of a phoning it in type o’ flick. I wanted them to do something really kooky, like the full monty strip tease for a nursing home (just kidding!)
We’ll get to the VK movie — he’s great.
Speaking of Jack N. and sequels, re-watched Terms of Endearment last evening to reconsider both script and performances (it won many awards back in 83). Apparently they made a sequel (The Evening Star) that was a bit of a lemon, to keep that juice metaphor dripping… (sorry, tee hee.) Has anyone seen this pair of films?
I saw Terms when I was a kid — depressing, but well done. Haven’t seen Evening Star and you sure aren’t selling it ,Muzz. Maybe just needs some sugar and water.
When I was a teen, I thought Val K was the hottest in Real Genius.
My favorite Val Kilmer movie to date is FELON.
The Bucket List is a feel good movie. Thats it. nothing original, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Would not add it to my DVD collection however.
Yes Jaden, I’m having tons of fun!
[...] this weird movie stars Jack Nicholson as a drunken bastard in the Navy who has to take a kleptomaniac to a military prison. For his own [...]
Val Kilmer is quite an old man today but he is still a great actor and handsome guy.
Val Kilmer is quite older now but he still got that great acting talent.