It is not difficult to see why Fool's Gold was made: After the $100 million success of the 2003 romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days -- it was inevitable that the stars of that film, Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, would be reunited on-screen. Unfortunately, it seems the five years between the two films has not made either star any funnier, nor has it injected some much-needed chemistry.
As the film opens, we are introduced to Finn (McConaughey), a treasure hunter in the Caribbean. Upon discovering a plate marked with the crest of an 18th-century affluent Spanish family, Finn tries to convince his estranged wife Tess (Hudson) to help him search for the legendary "Queen's Dowry" treasure. Initially refusing to go along with his plan, when Finn finds himself upon the yacht of multi-millionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland, whose involvement in the film can only be explained by the desire of a quick paycheck), the same man for whom Tess happens to be a steward, the two band together to persuade Nigel to join the treasure hunt.
As the search for the treasure plays out, nearly every cliché in the Hollywood playbook is fit into the movie. There is a gangster rapper named Bigg Bunny, not to mention the middle-aged gay couple, an old best friend who has a grudge but turns good in the end and a socialite-heiress who plays toward every single one of Hollywood's stereotypes.
The film is able to find strength in its Caribbean setting, and despite his failure at nearly every other aspect of the film, director Andy Tennant captures the clear waters, white sands and colorful coral beautifully. However, the illusion of an episode of Planet Earth can only last so long.
Acting here is the unavoidable problem, as the total lack of chemistry between McConaughey and Hudson intrudes on nearly every scene of the film and destroys any possibility of interest in film's plot. Rarely are actors actually called upon to act when wearing a bikini, but Hudson doesn't even seem bothered to try. Never romantic enough, never funny enough and never possessing enough action to be considered adventurous, Fool's Gold is devoid of any real personality and never warrants any real acting by anyone in the film. Full of clichés, utterly predictable and horribly acted, only a fool could find something to enjoy here.
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