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| ‘Fool’s Gold’ is barely skin-deep (C) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Craig Outhier, Get Out | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| February 7, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Reuniting the “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” co-stars as an estranged married couple on the trail of lost Spanish treasure, the movie suggests “Romancing the Stone” as reconceived by Sunshine State author Carl Hiaasen (“Sick Puppy”). It’s got a little romance, a little adventure, some humor — all set in and around Florida, with kooky Floridians at every turn. If only director Andy Tennant (“Hitch”) had thought to step up the manatee pace. In the sort of sun-addled beefcake role he does best, McConaughey (“Failure to Launch”) plays Ben Finnegan, a professional treasure seeker so chronically unreliable, he can’t even make a divorce hearing on time with soon-to-be ex-wife Tess (Hudson). This, of course, is exactly what infuriates Tess about Ben — his cockiness, his lack of consideration, his disdain for routine. However, he IS great in the sack, a point hammered home again and again by Tennant and two fellow screenwriters — sort of a half-humored substitution for back story. Tess is about to pack it up for Chicago when Ben breathlessly slides up with some tremendous news. After eight years of futile searching, he finally found a clue — a plate shard, specifically — to the whereabouts of a 300-year-old cache of Spanish treasure called the Queen’s Dowry, gone missing at sea. For Tess, who also devoted her life to finding the treasure, the temptation is too great — she puts grad school on the back burner and joins Ben for one last adventure. And that would be that, if not for a plethora of subplots that prevent the good times from getting under way. First, there’s an entirely superfluous back-and-forth between Tess’ millionaire boss, Nigel (Donald Sutherland) and his spoiled, tabloid-fodder daughter, Gemma (Alexis Dziena from “Invasion”). Then there’s the Finnegans’ detailed recounting of the Queen’s Dowry legend, a convoluted mass of exposition that will prompt even the most attentive audiences to glaze over. Stretched awkwardly over several genres — comedy, soap opera, thriller — “Fool’s Gold” is already more than half over before Ben and Tess finally set sail to find their treasure and face off against the ruthless hip-hop kingpin (Kevin Hart from “Scary Movie 4”) who stands in their way. Once they do, the movie revs up with a diverting enough mixture of romantic frisson and suspense. I mean, McConaughey and Hudson are no heavyweights as co-stars. Would Hepburn and Tracy rely so heavily on protein shakes, hair plugs and tanning butter? But for an off-season popcorn fantasy such as “Fool’s Gold,” they’re easy to digest. As long as they keep their shirts off. REVIEW ‘Fool’s Gold’Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Kevin Hart Behind the scenes: Directed by Andy Tennant, from a script by Tennant, John Claflin and Daniel Zelman Rated: PG-13 (action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and profanity), 112 minutes — Grade: C Contact Craig Outhier by email, or phone (480) 898-5683 |
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