Cinema
Fool’s Gold (12A) **
AS worthless as the title suggests, Andy Tennant's misguided romantic comedy sends its cardboard characters on a protracted treasure hunt in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, with lack-lustre comic interludes to stave off our boredom.
National Treasure and its hare-brained sequel attempted a similar melding of genres with entertaining results, but Fool's Gold isn't in the same league, diving to preposterous depths to convince us to care about the former husband and wife heroes and their motley crew of sidekicks.
Leading man Matthew McConaughey wastes no time in losing his shirt to flaunt his one redeeming feature - the washboard chest - but his constant smug grin in the face of almost certain death soon grates.
There's no screen chemistry whatsoever with Kate Hudson, who jettisons her usual ditzy screen persona to play the sole voice of reason in the on-screen madness, whileco-stars compete to see who can create the most unintentionally hilarious accent.
By an outlandish twist of fate, treasure hunter Ben "Finn'' Finnegan (McConaughey) discovers evidence of a legendary, 18th century sunken booty called The Queen's Dowry on the very day he is due to complete his divorce from long-suffering wife Tess (Hudson) and he blags his way on board the luxury yacht Precious Gem owned by billionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland), where Tess now works as a steward.
Fool's Gold is all at sea from the opening frames, failing to remain afloat either as an action adventure or as a frothy comedy.
McConaughey and Hudson try to keep a straight face as they follow the trail of clues, from one uninspired set piece to the next, while looking like they would gladly be in anyone's arms rather than each other's.
See it at Odeon, Empire
11:13am Friday 18th April 2008
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