DVD Review: Fool's Gold - BigScreen Journal: The BigScreen Cinema Guide

Front Cover Artwork Fool's Gold

Warner Home Video
112 Minutes

List Price: $28.98 (Check Price at Amazon.com)

Available 6/17/2008

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	Theatrical	This Disc
Video Format:	35mm	480i MPEG-2
Aspect Ratio:	2.35:1	2.35:1
Audio:

Disc Contents

Upfront Ads (can be skipped by selecting the Menu button)
- "Casablanca" anti-piracy ad
- "Ellen" TV show
- The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 in Theaters Coming This Summer
- Get Smart's Bruce & Lloyd Out of Control on DVD and Blu-ray
- Mama's Boy on DVD
Movie
Extras
- "Fool's Gold: Flirting with Disaster" Featurette
- Gag Reel

About the Movie

Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson pair up for the second time (the first was in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) as a mismatched married couple who finds that sexual attraction and the adventure of treasure hunting can only take a girl so far. When Hudson's Tess decides to get a divorce and move on with her life, McConaughey's slacker Finn reels her back in with the promise of the big find he's been looking for so long. With the help of a rich man, his bimbo daughter, and a cast of other characters, they race to find the treasure before Finn's rivals do and he ends up on the wrong side of a gangster to whom he owes money.

How Does it Look?

Tess and Finn are discussing their options

For a standard definition DVD, this looks nice enough. While there aren't any major flaws evident in the transfer, and the island and underwater settings are nice to look at, it's not necessarily demo material by any means. The cinematography is such that it is supporting a romantic comedy, not a drama where the scenery plays a major role in the telling of the story.

Those looking for plenty of gratuitous shots of McConaughey's physique will not be disappointed, as the camera seems to focus on him often. So much so, that you wonder if there was something written into his contract...

How Does it Sound?

The dialogue was always understandable, and the soundtrack was enjoyable. From a special effects standpoint, nothing stood out as being exemplary, but once again, we're dealing with a romantic comedy, so the attention is going to be paid most to the character interactions and not creating believable underwater scenes and island party atmospheres. That's unfortunate, because this movie could have used something exemplary.

Extras

I like to see the theatrical trailer included with movies, so I was disappointed to find that none was included here.

The gag reel is like most others you've seen. If you like seeing the actors flub their lines, this is the special feature for you. If not, you can skip it and move on with your life content that you have missed nothing.

"Fool's Gold: Flirting with Disaster" is your standard back-slapping promotional video that you see for movies. The actors all talk about how wonderful everyone else is, how good it is to be back together with the other, etc. Nothing innovative here, and pretty missable.

None of the special features adds to the movie experience in any substantial way.

Other Aspects

Some advertising for the DVD, including the Amazon.com listing, show the disc to have an aspect ratio of 1.77:1. This is incorrect, as the above screen capture from the movie clearly shows the 2.35 (approximate) aspect ratio.

Conclusion

If you're a big fan of this movie, then by all means pick it up. If you've not seen it before, I suggest renting it or waiting for it to appear in the bargain bin at your favorite retailer. The movie itself is OK but not a masterful achievement in any aspect, and the lack of any substantial extras means that the amount of time you can spend enjoying this title is limited. I didn't find How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to be all that enjoyable, and Fool's Gold is on par with that production.

If you're looking for a fun movie with Matthew McConaughey doing some treasure hunting, check out Sahara, which was much more fun. It also had the hilarious Steve Zahn to back him up, and Penelope Cruz as the love interest.

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