(2.5 out of 5 stars)

Matthew and Kate, newly divorced, jump on a ship and search for gold, renew their marriage and love, and get chased by bad guys. Oh yeah, Donald Sutherland decides to fund the trip as well. That is your basic premise. It is fun; it is cute ; it is forgettable, but not a total waste. Into the Blue was more beautiful and more centered on a serious treasure hunt. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is tons funnier. National Treasure is much more fun. Fool’s Gold is decent, and there is no doubt that Matt and Kate (Hudson) have charm and chemistry.

Sadly, that last paragraph is really all that needs stated in a review like this, but I should say more, so I will. Kate Hudson has the cute, annoying and hard to get girl down. She probably got it from her mom Goldie Hawn, but truly, Kate is cute, can be annoying, and like any girl, likes to play games with the guys she likes. She plays this role perfectly. Matthew plays his bumble stud as usual with his bare chest, so overacted amusedness, and “aww shucks” theatrics to win his girl back, as well as elude the bad guys.

There was some unnecessary stuff in this movie, namely, Donald Sutherland. I like him, but in this movie, his sole purpose is to be the financier to the treasure hunt. He also gets to have an annoying daughter who I think was supposed to provide comic relief. She reminds me of one of those High School Musical girls. Note to screenwriters; annoying does not equal cute. The bad guys plot was also a waste. That Cosby boy Malcolm Jamal Warner got some screen time, and that was unfortunate. He brought nothing to the screen. The bad guys want the treasure, right? They should just follow Kate and Matt, who are the real masterminds. Didn’t anyone watch National Treasure or its sequel?

Speaking of the Nicholas Cage movies, they knew how to do a treasure hunt. Use a map, use old theories, and let the audience explore with you. Fool’s Gold tells the audience and does not bring them along for the ride. I was entertained, but I have no interest in telling others to see it. This movie was the afterthought and unfortunate mix of all movies mentioned here all of which excelled at these genres, whereas only a fool would tell you that this one did any more than rehash a bunch of old scripts. It truly was fool’s gold, about as fake as it could be, and you could see right through it.

Similar recommended titles: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Into the Blue