Fool's Gold (2008/I)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Andy Tennant

Writers (WGA):

John Claflin (screenplay) &
Daniel Zelman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

This February True Love Takes a Dive.

Plot:

A new clue to the whereabouts of a lost treasure rekindles a married couple's sense of adventure -- and their estranged romance.

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Rapper | Rap Star | Island | Yacht

Awards:

3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 5	7:00 PM	HBO
Fri. July 10	12:30 PM	HBO

Cast

Matthew McConaughey	...	Benjamin Finnegan
Kate Hudson	...	Tess Finnegan
Donald Sutherland	...	Nigel Honeycutt
Alexis Dziena	...	Gemma Honeycutt
Ewen Bremner	...	Alfonz
Ray Winstone	...	Moe Fitch
Kevin Hart	...	Bigg Bunny
Malcolm-Jamal Warner	...	Cordell
Brian Hooks	...	Curtis
David Roberts	...	Cyrus
Michael Mulheren	...	Eddie
Adam LeFevre	...	Gary
Rohan Nichol	...	Stefan
Roger Sciberras	...	Andras
Elizabeth Connolly	...	Precious Gem Crew Nurse

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and language.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43987) | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:U | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 | UK:12A | Netherlands:6 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Finland:K-13 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Bahamas

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Production of the film was delayed due to a deadly form of jellyfish that prevented actors Matthew McConaughey and 'Kate Hudson' from going into the water.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Finn removes the grid laid out by Moe's men, he produces no bubbles while breathing from a SCUBA tank.

Quotes:

Tess Finnegan: Your uselessness is epic.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-02-09)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Love And Affection

A Confused Movie...

Fool's Gold's biggest problem comes in the form of confusion. While employing two game lead actors, one notorious for making bad films sellable (that's you Matt!), neither Ms. Hudson or Mr. McConaughey could save this film that can't seem to decide whether it's a comedy or an action film.

When an estranged couple meet mere hours after their divorce on board a privately owned super-yacht (she's working, he's slumming), their romance is instantly rekindled by a new clue into the treasure that has been their goal for years. Once they recruit the stupid and rich boat-owners, nothing's left but to be inspired by random things to each new unbelievable clue along the way.

Kate Hudson positively glows on-screen here, but that radiance doesn't resonate with the rest of the film. Fool's Gold delivers very few laughs, relying mostly on slapstick and a dumb-girl character. And the whole plot doesn't even work that well. Many subplots that are put in place are never completed, and the dialogue doesn't go over well. All in all, this wasn't even a good romantic comedy OR an action movie- largely because it wouldn't commit to either genre mixing both elements unsuccessfully. Skip this one... 4/10 stars.

Jay Addison