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Matthew McConaughey finds a legitimate excuse to flaunt his shirtless body in the new movie "Fool's Gold." But neither his physique nor co-star Kate Hudson's hot bod can salvage this film.

"Fool's Gold" marks the second pairing for McConaughey and Hudson who first teamed up in the far less obnoxious "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." But the problem is these two good-looking stars just don't have the right chemistry to make a romantic comedy work.

McConaughey stars as Ben "Finn" Finnegan, a dreamer and a genial modern-day treasure hunter who is obsessed with finding the fabled 18th century Queen's Dowry. According to legend, it's a shipload of priceless Spanish treasure believed to have sunk in Caribbean waters in the early 1700s. Finn is so consumed in finding the lost fortune that he has neglected his marriage to Tess (Hudson).

The story begins on the very day that their divorce is to become final. As Tess is trying to nurse her broken heart, Finn finds a new clue to the treasure that has eluded many for hundreds of years. And as you can predict, Tess becomes so impressed with Finn's new discovery that she finds herself drawn back into the hunt.

Romantic comedy auteur, Andy Tennant, has crafted good films ("Hitch," "Ever After") and bad ones ("Fools Rush In," "It Takes Two"). "Fool's Gold" falls in the second category. The direction is trite and the script, co-written by Tennant himself, is unfunny. The result is a film with uneven tone is it a comedy? Romance? Thriller? The answer is none of the above.

Just like many contemporary romantic wannabes, "Fool's Gold" has a passable supporting cast in order to save us from the sinking film. Donald Sutherland makes an appearance as Nigel Honeycutt, Finn's billionaire financier, who agrees to fund his expedition because of the wishes of his celebutante daughter, Gemma (the scene-stealing Alexis Dziena).

Completing the cast is Ray Winstone ("Sexy Beast," "Beowulf") as Moe Fitch, Finn's foe who used to be his mentor, and comedian Kevin Hart as Bigg Bunny, a ruthless local gangster turned rapper who will do anything to find the treasure first.

Romantic comedies about treasure hunting are like finding buried fortunes themselves it's either hit or miss. When the filmmakers hit the jackpot, it's really quite magical such as "Romancing the Stone." But when the production is uninspired, it truly is atrocious like the movie "Allan Quatermain and the Lost of City of Gold."

Unfortunately for the makers of "Fool's Gold," they didn't quite find the treasure within the movie. Warner Bros. Pictures spent a booty making this high-seas adventure. The director of photography is Don Burgess from "Forrest Gump" and the musical score is by the multiple Oscar-nominated composer George Fenton ("Dangerous Liaisons," "Gandhi"). Heck, even the costumes, or lack thereof, are designed by Ngila Dickson from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

The end result is an empty-handed film with good production values. Hudson, who has squandered any credibility she gained from her Oscar-nominated turn in "Almost Famous," is a good actress still waiting for a good movie. Same can be said for McConaughey who is still in search of a great treasure of a role. And for that, "Fool's Gold" gets 1 Don't Be Fooled kisses

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