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Fool's Gold (2008)

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80 comments in total

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87 out of 110 people found the following comment useful :-
Cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder, 9 February 2008

Author: Emily Taylor from Utah

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this movie is getting as lousy reviews as it is. I walked out of the theatre quite pleased; even if this movie will not get an Oscar, it earned the price of my ticket. It's campy, silly, and bright, and there is nothing like a fluffy romp around the sunny islands to cure those winter blues.

Admittedly, it's a contrived, predictable mystery, but that proves to be the focus rather than the romantic comedy that was promoted. But in the spirit of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, it's a spunky predictable mystery. No, the characters were not all complex, but at least the powers that be went to the trouble of making them entertaining and personable.

I liked the idea of looking for sunken treasure. I liked the upbeat island soundtrack. I liked the funny characters. I liked the pretty scenes and the silly lines. I liked the random explosions and fight scenes, as pleasantly ridiculous as they were.

Kate and Matthew have the chemistry they had in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". They have the sunny dispositions to pull off a mindless-but-fun storyline and to work with a wacky cast.

It's mind candy in all its fluffy goodness.

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71 out of 102 people found the following comment useful :-
Not as horrible as everyone says, 9 February 2008

Author: Lark_Pash from United States

I found this film "cute" and "silly". Don't go to it and expect the best film of the year, but rather something fun to watch during a date. I went and saw this last night with a friend who did not want to see it...at all. In the end he said he did enjoy it after all.

There is a little bit of a "Dupree" feeling towards the character Finn who is irresponsible and far from mature. His character is charming in a goofy way. He seems to mess everything up, but somehow in the end it all work out.

I did not care too much for the character Gemma, but nonetheless I laughed at her idiotic comments because I have met people as naive as her. She's basically a miniature Paris Hilton at sea who knows nothing about the sea.

I wouldn't describe this movie as thrilling, but it was entertaining. The comedy is shallow here and there. However, there are some incidents that will make you laugh and laugh. If you want to see a light hearted film that'll make you smile and giggle then I'd recommend seeing this.

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58 out of 89 people found the following comment useful :-
Disappointing and irritating., 9 February 2008

Author: bond_girl_0076 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This movie was unbelievably disappointing, after the great chemistry and comedic timing of Hudson and McCounaghy in "How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days", I expected something at least marginally as funny or cute. The writing and the dialogue were insipid. Scenes which should have been hysterical were instead so poorly timed that it left me scratching my head. This movie was in dire need of some ruthless editing; for instance, the scene where Hudson and McCounaghy are explaining the history of the shipwrecked Aurelia to Sutherland. That was some of the most boring, long-winded, convoluted dialog I've ever heard in a so-called adventure movie, and it went on for several minutes. The entire scene should have been cut.

The comedic timing was off...way off. For instance, the scene where Hudson tells the Gemma character, "There are other ways of getting attention besides acting like a bimbo," and then there is an awkwardly long pause before the "Ukrainian Sidekick" character says, "Like what?" This scene is followed by another awkwardly long pause where the characters stare at each other; presumably this is to allow the audience time to laugh at this "brilliant" piece of wit.

And why in the name of all that is holy did the writer feel the need to introduce the Gemma Honeycutt character to this story? I felt like the writer was trying so hard to tell the audience, "This character is supposed to be stupid, do you get it everyone? This character is stupid," I felt like saying, "We get it, already. She's an idiot." The writer, in trying to convey that Gemma is a moron, underestimated the intelligence of the entire audience. The character was so annoying that I literally wanted to punch her. Anyone who claims that the character was realistic because they have, in fact, met people that stupid needs to seriously re-evaluate their associates.

I felt like this movie was a complete waste of my money, and I lament that I paid the premium price for the ticket instead of going to the matinée. Not that I think the movie was even worth $6.50.

I don't blame the actors, since I've seen Hudson and McCounaghy in movies that I really enjoyed, where I thought they were top-notch. I blame the writing and the directing. A major overhaul of both would have saved this movie.

Obviously this movie was supposed to be light and fluffy, and I certainly don't expect "light and fluffy" movies to be Oscar-worthy. But I do expect them to be entertaining. Look at movies like "Romancing the Stone", and "You've Got Mail." Sure, they're fluffy, but they're not retarded. They're entertaining movies that reasonably intelligent people can sit back on the couch and enjoy with a glass of wine and a plate of lasagna on a Sunday night, and not feel like they've just sacrificed several hundred brain cells.

"Fool's Gold" was not even entertaining, and to me, that's it's biggest flaw.

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42 out of 74 people found the following comment useful :-
A Confused Movie..., 13 February 2008

Author: Jay Addison from United States

Fool's Gold's biggest problem comes in the form of confusion. While employing two game lead actors, one notorious for making bad films sellable (that's you Matt!), neither Ms. Hudson or Mr. McConaughey could save this film that can't seem to decide whether it's a comedy or an action film.

When an estranged couple meet mere hours after their divorce on board a privately owned super-yacht (she's working, he's slumming), their romance is instantly rekindled by a new clue into the treasure that has been their goal for years. Once they recruit the stupid and rich boat-owners, nothing's left but to be inspired by random things to each new unbelievable clue along the way.

Kate Hudson positively glows on-screen here, but that radiance doesn't resonate with the rest of the film. Fool's Gold delivers very few laughs, relying mostly on slapstick and a dumb-girl character. And the whole plot doesn't even work that well. Many subplots that are put in place are never completed, and the dialogue doesn't go over well. All in all, this wasn't even a good romantic comedy OR an action movie- largely because it wouldn't commit to either genre mixing both elements unsuccessfully. Skip this one... 4/10 stars.

Jay Addison

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11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Balmy Escapism from the Winter Doldrums? Let's See…, 17 February 2008

Author: enli101 from United States

"Fools Gold" centers on an almost divorced, or newly divorced, or still madly-in-love couple (all 3 apply) searching for Spanish treasure that was sunk in a hurricane in 1715. Does the movie succeed as balmy escapism from the winter doldrums? Let's see…

Is there action?: Yes, the action was there, fun at parts, but broken up by a lot of talking that really didn't advance the plot, but worked well to confuse it (I mean a lot of talking). There was also the sound of crickets chirping that at some points was so loud it drowned out the dialogue. On purpose perhaps?

Did the actors have chemistry?: Yes, in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" they did. However, both Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are likable enough off-screen and in other films that you want to root for them, despite the flaws of this film.

How 'bout the location?: I was never quite sure where the story was supposed to be set. The real 1715 fleet went down off the Eastern coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral. At one point in the movie they said they were in Key West, but I've been there enough times to know that those mountainous islands in the distance weren't anywhere near Duval Street. The movie "The Deep," which also involved treasure hunters searching for the 1715 treasure, also suffered from a lack of appreciation of history, setting the wreck in Bermuda. But who can complain when you have a salty Robert Shaw and Jacqueline Bisset in a wet T-shirt?

Funny?: The laughs were few and far between. Theo Huxtable from "The Cosby Show" was one of the baddies, and I think his pal in the film might have been Cockroach (no word on whether or not their knowledge of the 1715 treasure was based on "Cleland Notes"). I remember laughing at parts, and then waiting to laugh again, and I was still waiting when the lights came up and the usher rolled a trashcan in. I was still waiting when I got in my car. I'm still waiting.

All bad?: What the movie does well is gets you out of the cold for a couple hours. There were picturesque vistas of the tropics, girls in bikinis, palm trees blowing in the breeze, and Bob Marley music in the background. You may fool yourself for a moment into believing that you're actually in the Caribbean, if you sneak in a Pina Colada or two, or three.

Post Script: If you want to read a real thrilling, funny, and sexy adventure story about treasure hunting for the 1715 fleet, try reading Tom Ryan's novel "A Sword for Pizarro."

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19 out of 33 people found the following comment useful :-
Pretty mindless, 19 April 2008

Author: paper-15 from United Kingdom

An utterly mindless action comedy. No real substance, but it's no crime to cinema, as some reviews seem to feel. It's full of pretty. Just don't bring your brain to the cinema with you.

McConaughey and Hudson carry the whole thing. Their chemistry and skill make this a far more watchable movie than the script and direction might otherwise deliver. I've no complaints about them, but I'll avoid this director in future.

The script needed a heavy, critical edit. Unfortunately, it didn't get it.

here were a number of directional choices that I just didn't get. I'm not sure what the point of Gemma was, and the money shot with the sword was deeply tacky - I got the feeling the director wanted to see how long he could point a camera directly at the crotch of a teenage girl without it becoming too explicit for the rating. The nominal bad guys were so ineffective and stereotypical it was painful, and the racial aspect was both blatant and offensive, and it was this that truly sunk the movie for me. All of the actors involved can do better than to be involved with things like this.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Another gold-digger story... but with a vein of good humor, 2 July 2008

Author: raimio from Vilnius, Lithuania

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It looks like, that searching for gold, is most biggest dream of Hollywood screenwriters at last years... I don't mind, but... Can You watch all those movies? I guess not... Why? My experience in "treasure hunting" said: First movie interesting, second probably interesting... tenth already boring... I lost rating, which was "Fool's gold", but someone says... "It's pretty good... Why? Goddamit, I don't know. You should see it" Yeah... Nice sense of humor, i thought. Accidental help me see this movie, and I make sure, that nice sense of humor has THIS movie. Probably, if you want find the way back into heart of "gold-diggers", you must suggest something new or unusual. Has "Fool's gold" that, decide on your own, but Raimis, that's me, says, it has. At least beautiful hostess Kate Hudson, and real man, Matthew Mcconaughey. Could be more sweet?

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16 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
Just a fool's comedy of errors..., 5 February 2008

Author: janyeap from Washington, DC

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This film attempts to offer a wild and silly escapist's fling before ultimately getting the audience to a happy, happy Hollywood ending.

It basically relies on a script that throws in a cash-strapped and irresponsibly reckless beach bum with his bubbly, female sidekick; a wealthy English gent whose home and life, leisure and pleasure extend no further than his yacht would allow; a gang of violent scums, popping up in a helter-skelter manner, as if unsure of what they're supposed to do; a supplement of fable spin about some 1715 Spanish sunken ship carrying 40 chests of gold just waiting to be uncovered… all crammed into events circling no further than the ocean and beach span. It comes off as being unsure of relying on the focus of romance or actions, sometimes having scenes drag on, or suddenly having them interrupted by cut-and-paste scenarios, just to get them to link.

There's really nothing, in this film, to challenge one's brains, except for a nice splash of catchy, witty and humorous lines and phrases, especially those shot out of the mouth of Ewan Brenner's character, to provoke laughter. Yep, nothing unpredictable! Character and event links are oft provided awkwardly by insipid jesters like Alexis Dziena's Cemma. Yet, there are moments I really did enjoy with this film. Oh yes, the enormous chemistry oozing out of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey's characters, his facial skits (despite his portrayal of an absurd, one-dimensional-minded devil-may-care character) that summon up memories of the articulated facial contortions and distortions of Charlie Chaplin's 'Tramp", and Hudson's ever so delightfully sweet and expressive face, plus the fabulous shots of the deep-sea scuba diving treasure hunt are worthy of capturing.

As I'm a great Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey fan, I'd be willing to throw my dollars for a tix to see this flick. This film may work really well for the young teen viewers.

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50 out of 97 people found the following comment useful :-
A comedy so predictable there's no point in watching it, 9 February 2008

Author: mgayles2005 from United States

"Fools Gold", is being annihilated by critics and movie fans alike, but it's a movie that's kind of fun, but it's predictable nature ruins most of the fun.

Matthew McConaughey, plays Ben Finnegan, a loser who hunts for treasure, and has never found any. He's married to Kate Hudson, and in the beginning of the movie their marriage is dead in the water. However, a failed treasure hunt gives McConaughey a clue that will kick start a treasure hunt, and possibly restart his marriage to Kate Hudson.

The problem with "Fools Gold", is it doesn't try any thing new. It's just so painfully predictable. You can even see in the trailer how the movie ends. There's not a good reason to blow ten dollars to see it in the theatres, besides the pretty scenery on a big screen. I counted down to when the villains were going to show up in the third act, and to my semi surprise they showed up right on time.

The villains are another problem. Kevin Hart, the star of the racist cinematic travesty known as "Soul Plane", plays a silly un-intimidating rapper who owns the island where all the treasure is. Why not cast a Ice Cube, Ice T, DMX, or some acting rapper who can actually pull of being villainous? Kevin Hart is short and has a whimpy voice. There's no way he would sell a single gangster rap album.

And it's strange that a rapper would own an island and hunt treasure, but what's even more strange is the hired guns. They're complete idiots, and miss very easy opportunities to kill McConaughey. They have guns but they don't fire them when they should. The question isn't why are they dumb, it's why would a guy with so much money hire worthless idiots to do his dirty work? Maybe buying the island consumed all of his money.

Another rich character is Donald Sutherland as Nigel Honeycutt, the man who funds the entire treasure hunt. He has an annoying Paris Hilton like daughter, who's more annoying then the real Paris Hilton, and gets way too much screen time. She added nothing to the movie, besides pain and humiliation. It's never made clear how old she is, but she looks like she's 16, and flits with McConaughey, who I think is in his late 30's. Very creepy.

And last but not least is the romantic story, which doesn't get a lot of attention, and dosetn make a lot of sense. Hudson has no chemistry with McConaughey, and there's more sexual tension between McConaughey and the younger girl.

Their entire relationship is based on money. When McConaughey is a broke loser, she hates him, and when he's closer to finding the treasure she loves him again. I couldn't stand McConaughey's character and I hated Hudson's even more. She's just a self righteous gold digger, and there's no reason to like her.

There are some funny moments, some of which appeal to the lowest common denominator. The movie looked great, with nice camera work, gorgeous scenery, and beautiful colors. After five minutes I was ready to hit the beach. I can't recommend this movie, but it's the cheapest way to get to the Bahamas.

Don't turn your hard earned dollars into dare I say it...Fools Cash...lol 5/10

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining, especially those accents!, 15 June 2008

Author: k-forshami from United Kingdom

Fools Gold is exactly how you would expect it to be. We have all heard the story before in SAHARA and dare I say it, Into the Blue, although this movie is obviously a comedy/adventure.

As for the story's strength and the actors performances, again, it's exactly what you would expect. McConaughey, Hudson and the other supporting characters deliver more than adequate performances and Donald Sutherland is as brilliant as he can be considering the overall quality of this movie.

Last but not least, pay attention to the accents, It seems like everybody has a fake (funny fake) accent. I'm not sure why they chose to fake the accents when everybody does a terrible job, but hey.. I guess it makes the movie even more entertaining.

Definitely watchable

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