With all of the hysteria over pirates in the past few years,
and with many films on the subject to boot, the prospect of another entry in
the genre doesn?t sound too appealing. Only the most zealous pirate fan could
have eagerly awaited this past weekend?s new release, ?Fool?s Gold.?
But don?t be fooled. Though the basic storyline is one that
has been used repeatedly in the past, the movie takes a fresh look at the
subjects of love and money.
Marriage is idealized as a union between those who wish to
spend every waking moment with one another, but Benjamin ?Finn? Finnegan (Matthew
McConaughey, ?Failure to Launch?) and Tess Finnegan (Kate Hudson, ?You, Me and
Dupree?) claim no bond other than mutual physical attraction. But who?s to
blame them, anyway? These actors are both spectacularly good-looking human
beings.
Tess and Finn have a long history together, with past lives
as treasure hunters searching for a mysterious fortune known as the Queen?s
Dowry in the 18th century. This quest not only tore apart their marriage but
left poor Finn desperate for money. So desperate, in fact, that he sinks to
being ?employed? by one of the baddest men of the seas, Bigg Bunny, artfully portrayed
by Kevin Hart (?Extreme Movie? and ?Celebrity Rap Superstar?). Don?t let his
name fool you ? this man is one of the leaders of the most deadly ?mafias? of
the
While attempting to settle a debt with Bigg Bunny, Finn finds
a spectacular piece of treasure that rekindles not only his desire to find the
Queen?s Dowry, but in turn his flame with recently divorced wife, Tess. This
newfound clue leads Finn on a frantic chase to find the rest of the treasure and
a desperate quest to keep his faltering marriage together.
You can see how this is bound to lead only to formulaic
trouble. As the plot unfolds, the audience falls into a trance. Their hearts
will go out to Finn and his daring attempts to win back the love of his life.
The nonstop action will also keep the men in the audience content, and in doing
so redefines the meaning of the word ?hero.? ?Fool?s Gold? mixes the fast-paced
swashbuckling of ?Pirates of the
with the traditional romantic comedy.
While the film is generally well-constructed, it does
display a few typical
scenes are often severely overdone, and at points, Finn and gang almost seem to
take on supernatural powers in some of their fighting stunts. By overcoming all
prejudices and teaming the stereotypical daddy?s girl and the ever-willing-to-please
billionaire with your average surfer bum and rowdy friends, the protagonists
form an unlikely crew. And what
comedy is complete without a standard, boring storybook ending?
?Fool?s Gold? is definitely no exception, but nonetheless
the story is, for the most part, believable and entertaining. With all said and
done, it is still well worth the money and the drive. As the tagline says,
?This February true love takes a dive,? and it surfaces with a smile.
3 stars out of 5
