Matthew McConaghey and Kate Hudson attempt to raise the shipwrecked Aurelia
As worthless as the title suggests, Andy Tennant's misguided romantic
comedy sends its cardboard characters on a protracted treasure hunt in
the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, with lack lustre comic
interludes to stave off our boredom.
National Treasure and its hare-brained sequel attempted a similar
melding of genres with entertaining results, but Fool's Gold isn't in
the same league, diving to preposterous depths to convince us to care
about the former husband and wife heroes and their motley crew of
sidekicks.
Leading man Matthew McConaughey wastes no time in losing his shirt to
flaunt his one redeeming feature - the washboard chest - but his
constant smug grin in the face of almost certain death soon grates.
There's no screen chemistry whatsoever with Kate Hudson, who jettisons
her usual ditzy screen persona (adopted wholesale from her mother Goldie
Hawn) to play the sole voice of reason in the midst of the on-screen
madness.
Co-stars compete to see who can create the most unintentional comedy
with their accent.
Ewen Bremner puts up a valiant fight with a comical Ukrainian twang
while Donald Sutherland's strained, plummy British tones are as
unconvincing as Ray Winstone's wandering American, which quickly
vanishes whenever his salty seadog has to scream and shout.
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By an outlandish twist of fate, treasure hunter Ben "Finn" Finnegan
(McConaughey) discovers evidence of a legendary, 18th century sunken
booty called The Queen's Dowry on the very day he is due to complete his
divorce from long-suffering wife Tess (Hudson).
When she fails to be impressed by his claims to have unearthed the one
priceless treasure that eluded them all these years, Finn blags his way
on board the luxury yacht Precious Gem owned by billionaire Nigel
Honeycutt (Sutherland), where Tess now works as a steward.
Nigel's airhead daughter Gemma (Dziena) is instantly smitten with Finn
and his rip-roaring tales of hidden Spanish riches, and she joins the
expedition to raise the shipwrecked Aurelia and its cargo.
However, archrival Moe Mitch (Winstone) is already in hot pursuit of the
prize, financed by ruthless gangster Bigg Bunny (Hart) and his bumbling
henchmen Curtis (Hooks) and Cordell (Warner).
Fool's Gold is all at sea from the opening frames, failing to remain
afloat either as an action adventure or as a frothy comedy.
McConaughey and Hudson try to keep a straight face as they follow the
trail of clues, from one uninspired set piece to the next, while looking
like they would gladly be in anyone's arms rather than each other's.
Dziena's dippy celebutante defies belief, learning that a historical
figure died of consumption then wondering aloud, "He drank too much?"
The father-daughter bonding with Sutherland's despairing paterfamilias
should have been thrown over board along with half of the peripheral
characters.
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