Fool's Gold - Preview & US reaction
Preview by Jack Foley
ON THE face of it, Fool’s Gold boasts plenty of potential. Director Andy Tennant helped turn Will Smith-Eva Mendes vehicle Hitch into a massive hit, while Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson have already proven an amiable couple in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
But although the romantic comedy adventure debuted at number one in the US last week (February 8-10, 2008) with a healthy $22m (£11.3m) haul, critics were less than impressed and roundly slated the film.
The story follows Ben “Finn” Finnegan (McConaughey), an affable, modern-day treasure hunter, who is obsessed with finding the legendary 18th century Queen’s Dowry – 40 chests of priceless treasure that was lost at sea in 1715. In his quest, Finn has sunk everything he has, including his marriage to Tess (Hudson).
But just as Tess has begun to rebuild her life, working aboard a mega-yacht owned by billionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland), Finn discovers a vital clue to the treasure’s whereabouts. And much to Tess’ consternation, Finn maneuvers himself aboard Nigel’s yacht and, using his roguish charm, convinces the tycoon and his celebutante daughter, Gemma (Alexis Dziena), to join him in the pursuit of the Spanish riches. Even Tess can’t resist the lure of finally uncovering the treasure that had eluded them for so long.
But they’re not the only ones after the prize. Finn’s one-time mentor, Moe Fitch (Ray Winstone), and a ruthless local gangster named Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart), are intent on beating Finn to the trove.
The fanfare of disapproval was led by the Hollywood Reporter, however, which wrote that it “could have been called How to Lose an Audience in 10 Minutes“, while USA Today lamented: “Not only do we not care about the lost treasure, their characters aren’t developed enough for us to give a hoot, so nothing about this story strikes gold.”
Newsday wrote: “An ‘as-if’ romantic adventure reunites How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days lovebirds Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson in a sun-soaked treasure hunt that squanders everybody’s time, including yours.”
And Variety opined: “Fool’s Gold offers small compensation – a listless romantic comedy that, almost out of desperation, turns a little more violent than necessary near the end.”
The Miami Herald, on the other hand, wrote: “Fool’s Gold isn’t so much a film as an opportunity to pay homage to Matthew McConaughey’s impressive physique.”
The final word, however, goes to Entertainment Weekly, who had this piece of advice to impart: “Let’s just say that enjoyment, even trashy enjoyment, is not to be sneered at. Boredom, on the other hand, is – and that’s the real crime committed by the dead-in-the-water Fool’s Gold.”
Fool’s Gold opens in UK cinemas on April 18, 2008. Watch the trailer