Nothing is as inevitable as death itself. Except perhaps load shedding, or the way that 'The Bucket List' unfolds towards its predictable conclusion.

After all, why wouldn’t a film about terminal cancer patients be written like a formulaic romantic comedy: two people meet and annoy the hell out of each other; they gradually realise there's a shared connection; the pair embark on a breathless adventure; a bust up ends the relationship; they get over themselves and see they can't stay apart. It's effectively the same schmaltzy story we've seen a million times before, but instead of Katherine Heigl and James McAvoy playing young lovers, we have Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as old codgers with only months to live.

Nicholson plays kazillionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole who, when diagnosed with cancer, falls victim of his own "one room, two beds" policy and is forced to share a recovery room with motor mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman). Cole's a stuck-up pompous ass with no friends, the blue-collar Chambers has a wife and family who love him — despite his annoying tendency to rattle off useless facts.

But the two have something in common: they’re both going to die — soon. Ho ho ho.

Just as they struggle to become friends, veteran director Rob Reiner ('When Harry Met Sally') struggles to treat a serious subject (the Big C) in broad comedy terms, resorting to Nicholson throwing up into a toilet after a heavy bout of chemotherapy for his laughs.

But the nausea subsides (and Reiner and Nicholson regain some of their dignity) as the "whirlwind romance" section kicks in. Having discovered Carter's bucket list (a list of things to do before he kicks, yes, the bucket), Edward decides to fulfil his new BFF's wishes. But instead of the usual romcom walks-along-the-beach/candyfloss-at-the-funfair/riding-bikes-in-the-park montage, we see the pair doing some serious male bonding by driving cars, skydiving, and visiting all the famous historic landmarks the film's budget (and special effects department) will allow.

And it's actually a lot of fun. Making up the bulk of the story, these (sometimes wildly inappropriate) antics see the slumming acting legends really enjoying themselves, bickering like an old married couple, and elevating the mood and pace to such an extent you almost forget that, figuratively at least, they're on a one-way trip.

But it's not long before the schmaltz creeps in as the pair gets philosophical and it's revealed that Edward has an estranged daughter who he refuses to see. Big melodramatic bust-up ensues, obviously, and the violins continue to swell as an earnest Nicholson, Freeman and Reiner lead us to the sentimental farewells that are actually quite moving — for all their contrived manipulation.

And that's the real problem with 'The Bucket List' — for a process as natural as death, 'The Bucket List' sure doesn’t feel natural.