The search for treasure is on for Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson in ''Fool’s Gold.''

By Bob Polunsky
Movie Critic

“Fool’s Gold” is a romantic adventure that makes the most of the chemistry between Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson as a married couple who have trouble showing how much they love each other.

Tess (Hudson) wants her husband Finn’s (McConaughey) full attention, but he seems more interested in being a daredevil swimmer, seasoned boatman and, when the occasion arises, hunting for buried treasure.

Because of his macho interests, Tess feels that he takes her for granted. She doesn’t know how to handle it, but it’s fun watching her try.   

Matthew McConaughey is in his element as Ben “Finn” Finnegan. He’s an adventurer first and foremost, so he’s like a kid at heart. He loves his wife. After all, he married her, didn’t he? But he ignores her when he learns that a long-lost sunken Spanish treasure may have surfaced and, if he acts quickly, could be his.
The legendary treasure consists of 40 chests of baubles and beads called The Spanish Queen’s 18th century dowry. According to legend, it was lost at sea in 1750, but rumors of recovering it somehow have persisted.

Finn is not the only adventurer hoping to claim it some day, and it’s important that he finds it and claims it before anyone else does. That thought, together with his macho confidence, is the reason why he spends more time looking for the sunken treasure than romancing his wife. She can wait. Finding and claiming the treasure can’t wait. 

But Tess is impatient. She’s also determined to assert herself as Finn’s wife and helpmate by proving that he will miss her if she goes a separate way and upstages Finn at the same time.  That’s why she decides to go to work on  wealthy Nigel Honeycutt’s (Donald Sutherland) luxury yacht while Finn has to sail his decrepit salvage boat that’s appropriately called Booty Calls.

Tess is going to hurt his pride, or so she thinks, by elevating her station and living in the lap of luxury. But she underestimates Finn. He knows his own boat isn’t good transportation. He also knows that he can call on Honeycutt’s daughter, Gemma (Alexis Dziena), to help him get aboard her father’s boat if he needs better transportation. Gemma is one of his admirers.

Besides, being aboard her father’s yacht would put him close to Tess. He knows she is jealous of Gemma, and that feeds his ego. It also means he wants to keep his eye on Tess while she is watching him. Finn still has strong romantic feelings for her and doesn’t really want to be separated from her while he hunts down the Spanish Queen’s long lost treasure.

In other words, he’s not changing his goals. He’s just making sure he gets everything he really wants.

“Fool’s Gold” is primarily a romantic comedy punctuated with adventurous escapades so it follows established Hollywood formulas for romance, comedy and adventure.

Thanks to its likable cast, it covers all the bases and reaches a satisfying ending without shortchanging laughs, suspense, adventurous action or personalities. Those elements keep the movie moving even though they don’t enable the film to offer anything new. It relies the most on its personable cast, and they, in turn, make good use of their talents. Not all romantic comedy-adventures can make that statement.

“Fool’s Gold” makes it easy to identify with the two leads because the chemistry between them is combustible. You can almost see sparks light up the screen when they are scenes together, and that’s a basic ingredient for romances as well as infectious comedies and outlandish adventure films. The personalities involved make them seem different from other films in the same category.

”Fool’s Gold” is advertised as a sea adventure like “Treasure Island” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but doesn’t parody either of them nor does it rip-off their formats or characterizations. It’s closer to the romantic movies about a married couple reviving their feelings for each other when one of them calls it quits too hastily, and yes, there are other characters involved in “Fool’s Gold” romance and adventure.

Supporting players wind up helping Finn and Tess get back together, and the fate of the sunken treasure leads to a slam-bang finish that gets a good laugh. 

The point is that the performers have a good time, and we get to share their adventurous escapade with them.

It won’t win any awards, but it could lead to more pairings of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.  And that would be a treasure worth finding.

Studio rating: PG-13
Bob says: “A good date movie”
3 Stars