Review: Fool’s Gold

It starts off well enough with a little intrigue and fun while Finn is on a typical hunt. His partner in crime Alfonz (Ewen Bremner) and hin get lucky when he finds a plate that might very well belong to the treasure. But within minutes, Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart) wants him dead because of a debt that he can’t repay and a fire that leaves Finn‘s boat, and Bunny‘s equipment, at the bottom of the sea. This all leads to a search for a dowry long lost at sea. There are a couple other players that are watching Finns every move. First is the previously mentioned gangster/rap star Bunny who apparently needs more than he already has, and he also happens to own the island which may or may not have the precious cargo in question. And to make matters worse, Finn’s old mentor, a crusty old man by the name of Moe Fitch (Ray Winstone) wants a piece of that pie for himself.

In fact, Fool’s Gold is so convoluted that if you try and get too involved in the plot, you might as well go see something a little deeper. In one tedious scene, Finn and Tess explain to her boss about the missing treasure, and their search for it. It is their attempt to convince him to help them on their quest. Thankfully, his moronic daughter thinks it might be cool. Which is just what the unhappy couple need, Nigel and Gemma offer their boat and money to go along for the ride. The father and daughter even discover a little something about their own relationship. Is it cheesy? Hell yes. But I really liked Sutherland’s work here. He is able to bring a little heart to some of the far-fetched situations at hand.

But the real reason that, in the end, Fool’s Gold works, is because of McConaughey and Hudson. The two seem to have a terrific on-screen relationship. Obviously, they had a hit a few years ago with HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS, so why not pair them up again? And they do work very well together. No matter how clichéd the script gets, they have a connection that is a pleasure to watch. And of course, what is a Matthew McConaughey flick without a drinking game? You know the one, every time this dude takes off his shirt, take a drink. I guarantee you will be wasted by the end, especially if you double up for his dark and brief butt shot. Sadly for the guys, Kate rarely dons a bikini. But don’t worry, it does happen. Together, these two have a strong connection. Bikini or not, they are on fire together and make many of the ludicrous situations palatable.

I was really on the fence during this film as to my thoughts on it though. Yes, there is chemistry between the leads, but the story takes quite a long time to really get going. I could have done with much less of the first act. It moves slowly with little hints of something special sprinkled throughout. But in the final stretch, somehow this manages to offer up an energetic finale that makes up for the surprisingly low action throughout the first part of the film. It is fun watching all the players come together and battle it out. But is it just me…how come the real baddies here are African American? The whole “thug life” seemed to be a bit racist. I doubt that director Andy Tennant and screenwriter, Daniel Zelman had that intention, but still, even most of the bad guys that are white seem to finally end up helping our heroes.