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	8:00 AM	HBO
Sun. July 5	7:00 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

Color:

Color

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:

Continuity: At the end, flaps on the sea plane's wings go from extended to retracted and back several times.

Quotes:

Alfonz: [to Finn] It's difficult to maintain enthusiasm for your leadership when you keep getting beat up by that old man.

Movie Connections:

References The Rescuers (1977)

Soundtrack:

You Can Get It If You Really Want

An excellent, grossly underrated adventure/comedy

I don't typically give a comedy a rating any higher than 6, because I think that higher ratings should be reserved for more serious movies. But I make an exception for Fool's Gold, because it is one of the best adventure/comedies that I have seen in a long, long time. I watched it on DVD, and the only reason that I did not go to see it in the theater is because it didn't get a very good user rating in IMDb. Yet, the people who rate movies on IMDb gave "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", which was one of the absolute worst, least funny movies that I have ever seen, a rating of 8.0, which has since slid to 7.6. The explanation for this is either that some people have figured out how to cheat the ratings that show up on IMDb, or else the people who are taking the time to rate movies at IMDb are predominately a bunch of brainless teenagers.

Fool's Gold is a well scripted, well acted adventure/comedy that will keep you interested and chuckling from start to finish. I expected more of a romantic comedy between McConaughy and Hudson, and I was pleased to discover that it was not that at all. I was pleased about this because I just don't like those old Doris Day - Rock Hudson style of comedy, and much prefer a good action-adventure with a comic undertone, which is what this movie really is. It is a treasure hunt, and a very good one at that. Not quite as good as the "National Treasure" movies in some ways, but definitely a lot funnier.

Donald Sutherland is one of the all-time great comedic actors, and his talents are on full display in Fool's Gold. He plays the role of Nigel Honeycutt perfectly. Alexis Dzenia is delightful and charming as his bimbo daughter, and she shows once more that she has a long career to look forward to. McConaughey and Hudson play their parts as professionals, which is to say that they acted to perfection notwithstanding that they were not challenged by the roles. The lesser actors all play their parts very well.

All in all, it was an action/adventure/comedy of very high caliber. It is unfortunate that it did not get a higher rating than it did by the IMDb users, because that rating is a gross misrepresentation of the true quality of this movie. It is far, far better than what you will anticipate judging from that rating. If you are prone to enjoy movies of this variety, then unless there is something seriously askew in your psycho-emotional makeup, you will almost certainly enjoy this movie. I intend to buy a copy and add it to my collection.