Treasure hunter Ben "Finn" Finnegan has sunk his marriage to Tess and his trusty boat in his obsessive quest to find the legendary Queen's Dowry. When he finds a vital clue that may finally pinpoint the treasure's whereabouts, he drags Tess and her boss, billionaire Nigel Honeycutt, along on the hunt. But Finn is not the only one interested in the gold; his former mentor-turned-enemy Moe Fitch, hired by rapper-turned-gangster Bigg Bunny, will stop at nothing to beat him to it.
Matthew McConaughey
Ben 'Finn' Finnegan
Kate Hudson
Tess Finnegan
Donald Sutherland
Nigel Honeycutt
Alexis Dziena
Gemma Honeycutt
Ewen Bremner
Alfonz
Ray Winstone
Moe Fitch
Kevin Hart
Bigg Bunny
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Cordell
Brian Hooks
Curtis
David Roberts
Cyrus
Michael Mulheren
Eddie
Adam LeFevre
Gary
Rohan Nichol
Stefan
Roger Sciberras
Andras
Elizabeth Connolly
Precious Gem Crew Nurse
Harli Ames
Precious Gem Crew Member 1
Tom O'Sullivan
Precious Gem Crew Member 2
Edwina Ritchard
Precious Gen Crew Woman
Duncan Young
Jim
Luke Pegler
Young
Xavier Fernández
Petruchio
Ra Mel El
Moe's Diver
Nicholas Cooper
Moe's Diver
Andrew Allen
Moe's Diver
Glenn Suter
Moe's Diver
Peter Whitford
Judge
Laurence Coy
Finn's Attorney
Linda Cropper
Tess' Attorney
Clementine Heath
Co-Ed Girl 1
Ashley Cheadle
Co-Ed Girl 2
Jason Dundas
Frat Boy 1
Todd Lasance
Frat Boy 2
Ray Bull
Vicar
Valentino del Toro
Barman - Key West
Frank Turner
Old Man 1
Bill Watson
Old Man 2
Henry Browne
Bartender - Topsail Cay
Hannah Hutchins
Hannah (uncredited)
Director, Screenplay
Andy Tennant
Screenplay, Story
John Claflin
Screenplay, Story
Daniel Zelman
February 19, 2019
6
***Fun island thriller, but a little too long***
Released in 2008, "Fool's Gold" stars Matthew McConaughey & Kate Hudson as a couple on the verge of divorce in the Bahamas, the former a treasure-seeker. Donald Sutherland plays Hudson's new rich boss and Alexis Dziena his bimbo-ish daughter. Ray Winstone and Kevin Hart also factor in as potential villains.
If you can imagine serious island-thrillers like "The Deep" and the two "Into the Blue" flicks mixed with a heavy dose of comedy and cartoonish action you'd have a good idea of "Fool's Gold." It's basically "The Goonies" as adults in the Bahamas.
Kate and McConaughey look great and are great together, and everyone else is likable, even the villains (sort of). The problem is the movie is too long at 1 hour, 52 minutes. A silly, fun film like should limit the runtime to around 85-100 minutes.
The story takes place in (or near) the Bahamas, but the film was shot on the east coast of Queensland, and you can tell. The coast of Queensland is gorgeous but it lacks the lushness of the Caribbean. Regardless, the film is worth watching just for the locations, especially on a cloudy fall day or a cold winter night.
So this is a fun island flick with romance, treasure-hunting and adventure, but it’s a little too long for such goofy antics. For the real deal in oceanic thrillers check out 2009's "Into the Blue 2: The Reef," which IMHO is way better than the original "Into the Blue" from 2005.
GRADE: B-/C+
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$70,000,000.00
Revenue:
$111,231,041.00