Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold (2008) starring Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone and Kevin Hart.

Before...McConaughey hasn't got the greatest track record among the critics, however I happen to think he is actually quite a fun and good actor to watch. He has a very relaxed style that I find enjoyable to watch, and what more in How to lose a Guy in 10 days Hudson and him have a great chemistry so I was expecting more of the same in this film. The added benefit of this film is that it has the backing of Sutherland and Winstone, 2 quality actors. So even though the reviews were atrocious I was quite looking forward to this film.

Benjamin Finnegan (McConaughey) is a deep-sea treasure hunter certain he's onto the find of the century in waters near an island close to Key West owned by a murderous rap star (Hart) to whom Ben is in debt. Ben's flat broke and recently divorced from Tess (Hudson), his long-time research and diving partner whom he still loves. She's nearby, working as a steward aboard the yacht of Nigel Honeycutt (Sutherland), a multimillionaire. The rapper has hired a rival treasurer hunter (Winstone). Can Ben convince Nigel to bankroll his search, convince Tess to work with him, keep the rapper and his thugs at bay, and find a Spanish treasure hidden for centuries and rich beyond imagination?

Well...to start I found McConaughey's acting quite good, though that is maybe because he is simply playing himself. Hudson plays opposing foil to McConaughey's Finnegan equally well. Hudson and McConaughey seem to be the female and male counterpoints of each other and that is why their chemistry is so good in my view.

The plot is a little jumbled and confused but all in all it is quite an action-packed exciting film. Lots of boat chases, Jet skis, motorbikes and waterlanding planes and lots of beautiful underwater scuba diving sequences. The setting of this film is a BEAUTIFUL backdrop, sky blue water, amazing fish, and also the added bonus of lots of tanned and toned bodies on show. The concept of the movie is one that is theived from the National Treasure movies, both of which do a much better job of it than this film does.

The characters in the film are a hotchpotch of everything. We have an old bumbling millionaire, his bimbo daughter, the intelligent beauty, the hopeless romantic lead, some stupid henchmen and an idiotic bad guy. All in all it is very original in the fact I doubt there is a film out there with such an eclectic cast of characters.

It is no-where near the best film I have seen by a long shot, but it is still not that good either. Despite its faults and failures though I couldn't helped to be charmed by it, which is why I am giving this film...

★★★☆☆