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Avg. Critic Score: 29 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 Iffy for 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 50
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    Will Finn and Tess find the treasure before the bad guys? Will they put aside their differences and rekindle their love? Yes to both questions! I haven't spoiled anything, by the way. But perhaps I've saved you some trouble. Read full review

  • 40
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    A soggy, listless affair, this would-be fun-in-the-sun sunken-treasure frivolity starts taking on water from the get-go, thanks to drawn-out exposition and languid pacing. Read full review

  • 40
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    A listless romantic comedy that, almost out of desperation, turns a little more violent than necessary near the end. Read full review

  • 38
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    The jewels in the buried treasure, once sighted, look fake. But the bigger problem is how artificial the whole story feels. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post |

    Any more than two writers on a movie usually spells trouble. On the other hand, that two of the three scribes responsible for Fool's Gold have previously specialized in horror makes perfect sense. Read full review

  • 30
    Los Angeles Times | Carina Chocano

    It's a big, cheesy, familiar bore. With its garland of set pieces featuring Matthew McConaughey in mortal danger strung together by beach-groovy musical hooks, Fool's Gold feels at times like a third-rate Bond movie set to a Jimmy Buffett album. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    A romantic comedy and an adventure story, but in this case that just means it bombs in two distinct ways. Read full review

  • 25
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    A tedious adventure-romance. Read full review

  • 25
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Kate Hudson is as blah and dazed as her costar is cloyingly enthused. If it's possible to have too even a tan, Hudson in Fool's Gold would be the poster child for it. Read full review

  • 0
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    It's early in the year, but I defy any 2008 comedy to be as stupid, slack and sexless as Fool's Gold. And I'm counting Paris Hilton's appalling "The Hottie and the Nottie," which is marginally better. Read full review

View more reviews for Fool's Gold on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Blah romcom will bore teens. Some violence.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that with its likable, attractive stars -- Kate Hudson and the perpetually shirtless Matthew McConaughey (previously paired in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) -- this romantic comedy is likely to appeal to teen girls and women in search of a little eye candy. But it isn't just a romantic comedy, it's also a treasure-hunting adventure that features a few unexpectedly violent scenes. In fact, there's more violence than romance, which is limited to a couple of scenes of passionate kissing. There's also some language ("s--t," "bitch") and drinking.
  • Families can talk about what kind of movie this is -- a romantic comedy or an action/adventure. What do you expect from each kind of movie? What parts of the film "match" with each genre? Is the emphasis on McConaughey's body -- instead of Hudson's -- a departure from most romantic comedies? What does that say about who the filmmakers are trying to target? Kids: If you had made this movie, would you have included as much violence and as little romance? Why?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Finn prioritizes treasure hunting over being a responsible adult. Gemma is a rich bimbo stereotype. Tess seems more interested in Finn's body than anything else.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Finn is held at gunpoint and thrown tied to an anchor into the ocean. Several characters are shot at, and one dies from the shooting. Another character is taken hostage. Someone is pushed out of a flying helicopter into the ocean. Moe punches Finn in the face. Another character also dies in the water, which turns red.
  • sex false3 Sex: Finn is almost always shirtless. Tess frequently mentions how good Finn is in bed and has a flashback to a library where you can hear them moaning but don't see anything. In another scene, they kiss passionately and then fall to the floor, but there's no actual love scene. Two characters discuss the power of Finn's "raw sexuality." Gemma is always in a revealing, tight outfit or bikini. Lots of cleavage; quick shots of part of a bare butt and breasts (girls flashing), from a distance.
  • language false3 Language: The usual suspects: "s--t," "bitch," "bastard," "prick," "ass," etc.
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: A few brand-names: MacPro laptop, Sidekick 3 PDA, Key West landmarks.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink beer, champagne, wine, and other cocktails with dinner or at bars.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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