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Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 105 minutes
Directed by: Andy Tennant
Written by: John Claflin, Daniel Zelman and Andy Tennant
Cast: Matthew Mcconaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland
Opens: February 8, 2008

1 Mitch Slap (Based on how bad a film is 0 is great, 4 is horrible)
Fool's Gold is not a box office gamble at striking it rich!

With a cast that includes Matthew Mcconaughey (Ben "Finn" Finnegan), Kate Hudson (Tess Finnegan) and Donald Sutherland (Nigel) how could director Andy Tennant (Hitch) go to terribly wrong? He can't. For an example, please see How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days. With a film that is faintly reminiscent of Romancing the Stone, we get a lot of bare-chested Mcconaughey, and sexy women in bikinissee Kate Hudson and Alexis Dziena (Gemma). The latter of which gives a performance that comes close to rivaling Brittney Murphy's brainless turn as Tai in Clueless.

Of course what we also get is a fun, entertaining, light romantic comedy. One that makes you feel for the characters on screen as you cheer their heroics and jeer at their misfortune.
Fool's Gold takes us into the crazy world of undersea treasure salvage or undersea archaeology. Ben Finnegan is after one of the greatest treasures to have been lost off the Florida coast; the 18th century Queens Dowry made up of 40 chests of various treasures. He has dedicated his entire life to this quest, leaving his wife, Tess, wondering how in the world she threw away her quest for a history doctorate on a guy that will never grow up and never bear any responsibility.

Within this story, Tennant is able to bring to life the excitement of the hunt and the thrill of the find. He is also able to interweave an amazing number of great performances, not only by the stars mentioned above, but by just about every member of the supporting cast.

THE GOOD

This film is fun and one of the better romantic comedies of the Valentines Day season. This reviewer enjoyed 27 Dresses, but there is much more entertainment in Fool's Gold. There is enough eye candy in the movie to make men and women both equally happy and the cinematography is not bad either as the tropical islands of the Bahamas' is doubled by the gold coast of Australia.

The writers, John Claflin, Daniel Zelman and Andy Tennant (seemingly being credited for a re-write or two) do a decent job of fleshing out the relationships and characters in the movie and giving them funny things to say.

THE BAD AND THE UGLY

One of the few bad things about the film is within continuity, this is seen mostly at times when Finn is beaten to a pulp during the course of the movie, his injuries never seem to last more than a couple of frames. Are the producers hinting at the possibility that Finn is some type of superhero, or did we just not want to ruin Mcconaughey's face with make up due to all the ladies that will flood the theaters to just see him?

The other problems arise from some bad casting and bad character choices. An English baddy drops into the film in the second act and we have no reason to even care to ask why or who he is. There is also the question as to the use of Donald Sutherland. More Sutherland means better film, get it fella's, her end's the lesson.

Sure the film has its shortcomings, but I'll save the "oh my god this movie is horrible" for the reviewers that sometimes lose site that films are meant to be fun and entertaining. Ladies get your man to take you to see Fool's Gold for some much needed romance and for the guys out there that cringe at the idea of romance in a film, this one packs on just as much action, so hopefully you will both enjoy it.

Learn more about this author, Mitchell Dean.
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