Originally published Friday, February 8, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Movie review
Treasure the chest in "Fools Gold"
Do I really need to write a review of "Fool's Gold," or would it suffice just to write a haiku about Matthew McConaughey's chest? On second thought, perhaps...
Seattle Times movie critic
Movie review
Do I really need to write a review of "Fool's Gold," or would it suffice just to write a haiku about Matthew McConaughey's chest? On second thought, perhaps "overexposed" has too many syllables.
The Chest, which long ago usurped the rest of McConaughey's body and launched a career of its own, is in fine form in this witless romantic comedy/adventure; unfortunately, nothing else is. McConaughey, employing his usual affable dudeness, is Finnegan, an unemployed fellow obsessed with finding a cache of 18th-century treasure lost in the sea off Key West. Kate Hudson, smiling gamely, is Tess, his soon-to-be ex-wife, who's working as a steward on a yacht owned by a millionaire (Donald Sutherland, hamming it up with a bizarro British accent) with a dimbulb socialite daughter (Alexis Dziena), and ...
Oh, for heaven's sake. You know how this story's going to play out. And if, in the midst of a gray Seattle winter, you really want to watch a gang of attractively tanned people frolic in the sun and model an impressive variety of swimwear (including, for Dziena, a high-concept bikini with suspenders that makes her look like a junior Bond Girl), far be it for me to stand in your way.
Be warned, however, that this is the sort of movie in which McConaughey gets hit on the head a lot (not that it seems to matter; Finn's pretty clueless even before he gets bopped), Hudson gets stuck being the sensible one who explains all the back story, Dziena mostly stands around smiling with her entire body and nobody ever gets sunburned. I kept hoping that Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow might show up, to challenge Finn for the treasure and share a bottle of rum and some eyeliner with Tess, but no such luck. This movie feels very generic and very, very long; after it's over, you might need a little sunscreen for your brain.
Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Movie review: Trite treatment sinks a tuneless 'Pirate Radio'
Movie review: '(Untitled)' paints wry portrait of gallery life
Movie review: 'Gentlemen Broncos' is weird ... in a bad way
Movie review: 'The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day': Just in case once was not enough
Movie review: 'We Live in Public' follows an online mogul's rise and fall

Girls Soccer: Mercer Island vs. Glacier Peak
Mercer Island defeats Glacier Peak, 2-1, in a 3A state playoff quarterfinal on Saturday, Nov. 14.
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
How to tell your office you're gravely ill
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sedan? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
- Homeless man, 46, arrested in Greenwood arsons
- KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
- Steve Kelley | ESPN's Bill Simmons gets us: He hates Clay Bennett, too
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
- Seattle U. Men's Hoops | Big recruit goes from Huskies to Redhawks
- Mariners sign Jack Wilson to 2-year contract
- Razor found in muffin an accident, 'mortified' baker says
- Suspect's family shaken by slaying of police officer
- Mountlake Terrace woman reports razor in muffin
- Man says he will protest city's gun ban by carrying gun into community center
- OSU game thread
712 - Seattle man to pack a pistol into community center to protest mayor's ban
358 - Kent man challenges Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' gun ban
139 - NYC trial for 9/11 suspects poses risks
137 - Band of advocates, activists now McGinn's likely insiders
114 - Belmont game thread
113 - Licata looks at boosting traffic-ticket revenue
93 - Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
84 - A politically correct — and dangerous — delicacy about the Fort Hood shooting
70 - Huskies no match for Oregon State, fall 48-21
69
- Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
- Homeless man, 46, arrested in Greenwood arsons
- Ivar's undersea billboards a hoax devised as marketing ploy
- Light rail to airport to begin Dec. 19
- Steve Kelley | ESPN's Bill Simmons gets us: He hates Clay Bennett, too
- An 802.11n upgrade could make a big difference
- KVI talk radio host off the air as of Thursday
- Washington in race for federal education funds
- Police investigate videotaped arrest
- Charles Krauthammer / Syndicated columnist | A politically correct — and dangerous — delicacy about the Fort Hood shooting








