Customer Reviews

Fool's Gold

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

"Fool's Gold" Directed by Andy Tennant and Screen play by John Claflin.

Unlucky treasure hunter Benjamin Finnegan (Mathew McConaughey) has been on the trail of a treasure for years at the expense of everything including his marriage to soon to be ex-wife Tess Finnegan (Kate Hudson). Finn has recently uncovered a new clue that has reinvigorated his desire to find the treasure however it took the destruction of his last and most important possession, his boat, to find this clue. His debts to the islands local "Gangster" have been called in because it has been discovered that Finn has no means by which to repay what he owes. Finn winds up getting Tess re-interested in hunting for the treasure with his new clue and with the help of Tess's new boss multi millionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland), they just may have a chance of finding it.......

I actually enjoyed "Fool's Gold". It should be obvious that this isn't a movie that is seeking Oscar Gold but merely something intended to be fun to watch. As far as the mood or tone of the movie I would say it is a cross between or somewhere in the middle of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Full Screen Edition)" and "Sahara (Widescreen Edition)" or a less serious "Into the Blue (Widescreen Edition)" and if you like any of those you will likely like this as well.

The Good: There were some enjoyable if slightly hokey comedic moments. The story, although full of plot holes, was enjoyable. Mathew McConaughey and Kate Hudson were good on screen together again. Maybe not quite as "on" as they were in "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days", but still good.

The Bad: If you cant get with the fact that the movie isn't really intended to be taken seriously most of it won't work. The comedy will likely seem forced or trite, the plot holes will likely bug you and the lack of believability will probably finish it off for you. None of these were a problem for me.

Overall: Is this movie full of plot holes? Yes. Is it believable? No. Is it likely to be an Oscar contender? No. Is it fun to watch? If you take this movie for what it is, an action/adventure/comedy and just go with it you will likely enjoy it. Give it a try!

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Matthew McConaughey goes shirtless
2. Kate Hudson channels her mom
3. He's irresponsible
4. She's determined
5. They're divorced
6. They're going treasure hunting
7. You can guess the ending before watching the opening credits

In other words, there's nothing new about this light and ditzy treasure hunting romp that plays heavily on stereotyping and McConaughey's shirtless bod.

The legend behind the treasure is interesting enough. Forty chests of gold and jewels, destined to be a dowry fit for an eighteenth century queen, was lost without a trace during the hurricane season of 1715. Finn (McConaughey) and Tess (Hudson) had been searching for it for years, until an accidental discovery clues them in that they're finally on the right track.

With the exception of Donald Sutherland, the movie loses momentum whenever the supporting actors are on-screen and the burden of the caricaturized characters sink the movie even deeper than the plotline.

The action scenes were good, especially at the end, and although there is violence, most of it is off camera. A couple of swear words and a few naughty scenes make for a PG-13 movie that should be found guilty of breach of promise.






Amanda Richards, June 7, 2008

Benjamin "Finn" Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) is a beach bum with an interest in treasure hunts. He's also hardly responsible, which is why he sets his boat on fire and sinks it not too long after we meet him.

Tess Finnegan (Kate Hudson) has had enough. She's taken a job aboard millionaire Nigel Honeycutt's (Donald Sutherland) yacht. And she's divorcing Finn.

Finn's latest quest is the Queen's Dowry, a treasure lost almost 300 years ago. In fact, he's found a piece of it. Now all he needs is financial backing. His irresponsibility has left his last backer rather mad at him. So he decides to get Nigel's help, completely unaware that Nigel is Tess's new boss.

Unfortunately, the shipwreck is somewhere around the island owned by dangerous rapper Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart). As in Finn's last investor. Can they find the treasure without Bigg getting his hands on it? Can Finn win Tess back in the process?

Let's be honest, this is mindless, predictable entertainment. Especially since the previews gave away many of the key scenes. But it is fun.

It's trying to be a action comedy. It had some laughs, but there weren't as many as I had hoped. The funniest scenes involved Nigel's daughter Gemma as played by Alexis Dziena. Anytime she was on screen, I was guaranteed a laugh. Most of the action in the film was played for laughs as well, and is over the top. Then again, what action movie isn't over the top? Even the exposition scene near the beginning that is key to understanding how Tess and Finn got started on this trail wasn't that great. I couldn't follow it, and I tried.

So why did I like it? Because of the characters. I really did care for all of them. Well, the good guys anyway. Credit for this obviously goes to the actors who are obviously having so much fun making the film. Frankly, they made it hard for me not to like it.

It may make me a fool, but I enjoyed this movie. You may not want to rush out and watch it, but if you get a chance, I bet you would enjoy it.

There are a certain number of events you can count on in any McConaughey movie. Among these are:
- his shirt will be off for at least 60% of the movie
- he'll be the rebellious, troublemaker to balance the determined, down
to earth female lead
- the "action" will be less than spectacular
- humor is mild and watered down to the point that you'll wonder if
they're even attempting to make you laugh
- he'll take his shirt off at the most inappropriate times... wait did I
do this one already?

Anyways, "Fool's Gold" is a mediocre at best action / "comedy" with a big cast that largely fails to deliver. Formulaic and uninteresting, the movie might be watchable on a dull sunday afternoon if shown on TV, but I would stay away from buying or renting the DVD.

Fools Gold is a delightful romance comedy with adventure and mild violence thrown in to attract all types of movie-goers. One person wrote that it is a silly movie.....I always thought that silly was synonymous with comedy. You ever watched a serious comedy?????? No, there is no sex, very mild violence and to say this is a "romcom" well that is sure part of the plot but it also understates the flexibility of the movie, the players and the plot 100%! What they neglected to state was that this fun-film is also an adventure movie with History of piracy thrown in.......and they never have to use the "F" word to get a laugh. When the movie concluded me, my wife and 50 other theater goers stood and applauded the movie. What more need I say than, don't listen to the nay-sayers, trust your own intuitiveness and see the movie for yourself. You will be enchanted with the underwater scenes, riveted to your seat during the mild violence scenes and happy and weepy-eyed when Matthew and Kate finally do reconcile their differences and guy proposes marriage to gal, who just a few days before had divorced him. Now for the kicker, Donald Sutherland is in this movie...........need I say more. A seasoned comedian though lately lowered to the level of sinister villian roles, he has returned to the role of comedian and is just as bright, spontaneous and funny as ever. Try it, you might like it!!! Regards to all-Walter

Benjamin Finnegan (Matthew McConaughey) in search a ship wreck with gold and other treasure alienates his wife Tess (Kate Hudson,) defaults on a loan from the local bad guy Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart) and misplaces a boat.

Yet he finds a clue to the treasure and must placate Bigg Bunny, regain the appreciation of his wife, find a sugar daddy to finance his expedition and beat a rival to the claim. The sugar daddy turns out to be Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland). Nigel is on his own quest to regain if he ever had it the affection of his flibbertigibbet daughter Gemma (Alexis Dziena.)

Who will find the treasure (if there really is one)?
Will love or at least lust reappear to our forlorn treasure hunting couple?
Will daddy ever get the respect of this daughter?
Will we get board watching this formula movie that tries too hard?

I watched the Blu-ray version and even though it could not save the movie, they did a terrific job on the seascape and other visuals.


The Skeleton Key (Full Screen Edition)

It was actually a pretty good flick to pass a couple of hours despite the bad reviews, sure it's a forgettable movie and a cliché story but it's entertainment and it kept me entertained, that's fine with me. I think it's good for us to watch a silly movie like this every now and then, keeps you lighthearted. Good action and some really funny parts so it gets 4 stars from me.

As a curious side note, how did this get a PG-13 rating?! There's some strong curse words, violence at times and some boobs lol, doesn't bother me but I was curious about that.

This is one of the worst movies I have seen in recent years. I really like both stars, but they should be embarrassed to be part of such a poorly written & executed movie. The fake scenery of "Florida"...who knew the keys had mountainous terrain....looks like the Virgin Islands to me! C'mon that's just a basic that the setting should at least be realistic. The story line is weak and the humor is so predictable. This movie overall is just a waste of time and energy.

If you like How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days you'll love this movie. A bit slow at one point but it picked back up. My husband and I laughed at the silly comedy in the movie. It was fun seeing two people and how different they were at times but the relationship still works. Great Flick.

"Fool's Gold" is great! This is how the story goes: Ben "Finn" Finnegan is a good-natured, surf bum-turned-treasure hunter who is obsessed with finding the legendary 18th century Queen's Dowry--40 chests of exotic treasure that was lost at sea in 1715. In his quest, Finn has sunk everything he has, including his marriage to Tess Finnegan and his more-rusty-than-trusty salvage boat, "Booty Calls." Just as Tess has begun to rebuild her life, working aboard a mega-yacht owned by billionaire Nigel Honeycutt, Finn discovers a vital clue to the treasure's whereabouts. Certain that his luck will change with the newfound information, Finn maneuvers himself aboard Nigel's yacht and, using his good-natured charm, convinces the tycoon and his Blackberry-wielding, celebutante daughter, Gemma, to join him in the pursuit of the Spanish treasure. Against Tess' better judgment, the search rekindles her love... of discovery. But they are not the only ones after the treasure. Finn's mentor-turned-nemesis Moe Fitch has also set out to claim the prize. The cast led by Matthew McConaughey (as Finn) and Kate Hudson (as Tess), both who also starred in "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days" (2003) is great! The directing by Andy Tennant (who also directed "Hitch" (2005) & "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002) is great! The story by John Clafin & Daniel Zelman is great! The screenplay by Clafin, Zelman, & Tennant is great! The music by George Fenton (who also did the music to "Hitch" & "Sweet Home Alabama") is great! The cinematography by Don Burgess (who also did the cinematography to "Enchanted" (2007) is excellent! The film editing by Troy Takaki & Tracey Wadmore-Smith (both who also did the film editing to "Hitch" & "Sweet Home Alabama") is great! The casting by Juel Bestrop & Seth Yanklewitz (both who also did the casting to the upcoming "Drillbit Taylor" (2008) is great! The production design by Charles Wood (who also did the production design to "Amazing Grace" (2007) is excellent! The art direction by Damien Drew (who also did the art direction to "Superman Returns" (2006) is excellent! The costume design by Ngila Dickson (who also did the costume design to "Blood Diamond" (2006) and won the Oscar for her work on "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" (2003) is excellent! This is an great blend of romantic-comedy and action-adventure that works. McConaughey and Hudson still have chemistry together even after a 5-year gap.