Fool's Gold (PG-13, 2008)

By romantic comedy standards, FOOL's GOLD is actually more of a treasure-hunting action/adventure. Matthew McConaughey plays Finn, a laid-back surfer dude obsessed with finding a buried Spanish treasure off the coast of the Florida Keys. To do so, he has to get rich (and, in some cases, dangerous) patrons to fund his expeditions. Meanwhile, his estranged wife, Tess (Kate Hudson), an amateur historian with academic ambitions, is sick of the endless hunt and is about to divorce her irresponsible, narrow-sighted husband. The two collide when Finn manages to gain access to the yacht belonging to Tess' employer, Nigel (Donald Sutherland), a multi-millionaire with a shallow, tabloid-fodder daughter (Alexis Dziena). Using Nigel's money and equipment, the almost-exes go on one last mission to find the gold -- if someone else doesn't get there first.

McConaughey and Hudson reuniting isn't surprising, given the popularity of their successful 2003 romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. What's unexpected is how little chemistry they have this time around; the romantic electricity evident in the best romantic comedies is nowhere to be found. (Even anti-beefcake Billy Crystal was much more romantic in When Harry Met Sally.) Instead, there are blatant, near-constant references to Finn's "raw sexuality," his "genius" at three things ("treasure hunting, finding money for treasure hunting and, um, well, you know"), and other obvious innuendos.

Speaking of McConaughey's body, it should have received separate billing in the end credits. There are more shirtless scenes than not, making him one of the few leading men comfortable with emphasizing his physique over his talent as the main reason for his bankability. After the eighth or ninth scene of his tan shoulders, you start to wonder whether there's any purpose to this film other than to be one long eye-candy shot for swooning women. That kind of (over)exposure proves distracting in both actresses and actors, and it diminishes this already-thin film to the level of thoughtless date-night fluff.

Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Andy Tennant
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 110 minutes
Theatrical release: February 7, 2008
DVD release: June 16, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and language.