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Fool's Gold
Warner Bros. Pictures


4.0

based on 29 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 47 votes
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and language

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland, Ewen Bremner, Alexis Dziena, Kevin Hart, and Ray Winstone

Ben "Finn" Finnegan is 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. Just as Tess has begun to rebuild her life, working aboard a mega-yacht owned by billionaire Nigel Honeycutt, Finn discovers a vital clue to the treasure's whereabouts. Much to Tess' consternation, Finn maneuvers himself aboard Nigel's yacht and, using his roguish charm, convinces the tycoon and his celebutante daughter, Gemma, 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 are not the only ones after the prize. Finn's one-time mentor, Moe Fitch, and a ruthless local gangster named Bigg Bunny are intent on beating Finn to the trove. Let the treasure hunt begin. (Warner Bros.)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Adventure \| Comedy \| Romance
WRITTEN BY:	John Claflin Daniel Zelman Andy Tennant
DIRECTED BY:	Andy Tennant
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: June 17, 2008 Theatrical: February 8, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	110 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Engaging though flimsy, lively though occasionally tone-deaf, it's a movie that thrives on the strength of its affable co-stars and a sense of adventure that provides just enough brio to get audiences through some energy-sapping rough spots.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The movie isn't entirely successful as a romance or as an adventure, which makes the experience of watching it feel shallow and hollow, sort of like the stars and the plot.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Tennant keeps his extravagantly stupid new comedy breezing along affably on the strength of photogenic locales, obscenely beautiful stars, a laid-back soundtrack, and a wholesale unwillingness to take itself the least bit seriously.

Chicago Tribune Sid Smith

A movie that keeps reminding you of its antecedents, all the way back to 1984 and the comic adventure “Romancing the Stone.”

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

The script is fatally stupid, most of the gags fall flat, the secondary characters add little, Hudson fails to make anything interesting out of the exasperated heroine, and the endless references to McConaughey's sexual prowess finally become revolting.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Will Finn and Tess find the treasure before the bad guys? Will they put aside their differences and rekindle their love? Yes to both questions! I haven’t spoiled anything, by the way. But perhaps I’ve saved you some trouble.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Just how long will it be before Matthew McConaughey finally fulfills his destiny by dropping out of Hollywood and opening a chain of nudist colonies? His heart clearly isn't in acting right now, so when it was time to make Fool's Gold, he asked his abs to do the job for him.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Fool's Gold isn't so much a film as an opportunity to pay homage to Matthew McConaughey's impressive physique.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

The treasure hunt in Fool's Gold is, of course, meant to be about more than money. But the only reason for this movie to exist is to make money.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

A soggy, listless affair, this would-be fun-in-the-sun sunken-treasure frivolity starts taking on water from the get-go, thanks to drawn-out exposition and languid pacing.

Variety Brian Lowry

A listless romantic comedy that, almost out of desperation, turns a little more violent than necessary near the end.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Of COURSE it's bad. It was always going to be. But it's worse than necessary.

TV Guide Ken Fox

We already knew Hudson and McConaughey weren't exactly Gable and Lombard from their first romantic pairing in "How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days," but director Andy Tennant's complete lack of inventiveness comes as a surprise.

USA Today Claudia Puig

The jewels in the buried treasure, once sighted, look fake. But the bigger problem is how artificial the whole story feels.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

No doubt conceived as an underwater version of "National Treasure," Andy Tennant's film plays like a Three Stooges movie with scuba gear.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Sorry deep-sea adventure.

Washington Post John Anderson

Any more than two writers on a movie usually spells trouble. On the other hand, that two of the three scribes responsible for Fool's Gold have previously specialized in horror makes perfect sense.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

Fool's Gold could easily have been released in 1977, and there's a sort of laid-back, timeless, Gerald Ford feel to the movie: the resolution is never in doubt, the villains are comedic rather than menacing, and no one involved seems to care one way or the other that their names are attached to this indifferent mess.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Sutherland is the only actor in Fool's Gold who isn't trying too hard, perhaps because he doesn't have to. He's the movie's only treasure, hidden in plain sight.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

It's a big, cheesy, familiar bore. With its garland of set pieces featuring Matthew McConaughey in mortal danger strung together by beach-groovy musical hooks, Fool's Gold feels at times like a third-rate Bond movie set to a Jimmy Buffett album.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

A romantic comedy and an adventure story, but in this case that just means it bombs in two distinct ways.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

A tedious adventure-romance.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Kate Hudson is as blah and dazed as her costar is cloyingly enthused. If it's possible to have too even a tan, Hudson in Fool's Gold would be the poster child for it.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Excruciatingly lame and laughless romantic comedy.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Fool's Gold starts flat and then deflates because of torpid pacing and flailing performances.

Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt

Fool’s Gold is the latest romantic comedy from Tennant, who is very possibly the worst director working in Hollywood today. "Fools Rush In." "Ever After." "Sweet Home Alabama." Hitch: I ask you, has anyone done more in the last 10 years to make love seem totally unappetizing?

Empire Simon Braund

Absolute tosh. A ridiculous, unerringly tedious plot is weighed down by listless performances from a cast who clearly wished they were somewhere else, despite the sumptuous locations.

Village Voice Scott Foundas

Fool's Gold is the sort of movie that makes you look more kindly upon the WGA strike. It isn't merely bad--it's so desperate that the actors can scarcely conceal their contempt for the material.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

It's early in the year, but I defy any 2008 comedy to be as stupid, slack and sexless as Fool's Gold. And I'm counting Paris Hilton's appalling "The Hottie and the Nottie," which is marginally better.

The average user rating for this movie is 4.0 (out of 10) based on 47 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
This is the worst film I have ever seen in my life. It is not funny in any way. I'm no longer friends with guys who I watched this film with. I lose my temper when I think about this "film". By the end I started to believe the people who made it were having a laugh. I'm glad someone was. I'm offended that a strange mixture of zaney, unrealistic mishaps, and matt m taking his shirt off (presumably to make up for his lack of any real talent).. I'm almost certain a child came up with the plot. I'm enraged.

Bill G gave it a0:
More completely mind numbing garbage. If my friends werent such dorks for having this , I never would have let myself been tortured like that. When this kind of hollywood schlock ceases to exist the the world will have improved.

Anonymous gave it a0:
They have the potential to be good actors but Matt and Kate have clearly become those type of douchebag actors who now rely on theor looks, need I mention their other really really bad romantic comedies they have ever made?

Morgan F gave it a3:
Totally laughless. The chemistry between McConaughey and Hudson wasnt there. It totally relied on McConaugheys bod (hes shirtless 80% of the time). More action than a romcom.

Rick J. gave it a6:
Better than I expected. Funny, though it could have been better.

Dee O. gave it a2:
This movie sucked -- I hated it! I was hoping for the same chemistry that sizzled between MM & KH as in How to Lose a Guy, but was totally disappointed to find that their sizzled just simply fizzeled on my flat screen!

Jeremiah C gave it a6:
What is wrong with critics these days, they're so damn nit picky. Anyways this movie wasn't great and it was a little cheezy in some parts. However, the acting was great, the storyline was good, I think that this film was worth the $7 movie ticket and don't let the critics tell you otherwise. Let me name off 2 great movies that have been shot down by the critics, Kinky boots and the bucket list these were both really good films but the critics just shoot them down with their negative attitudes, They just need to lighten up. And I hope some of them see this comment

Fool's Gold Warner Bros. Pictures

Fool's Gold
Warner Bros. Pictures