Fool’s Gold Parent Guide

For eight years, Tess Finnegan (Kate Hudson) and her husband Ben (Matthew McConaughy) have spent their lives searching for the legendary Queen’s Dowry. These chests of gems and gold, destined for Spain, were lost at sea during a violent Caribbean hurricane in 1715. Digging through ancient writings in dusty libraries and searching out written clues in cryptic correspondence, they followed the trail to a sunny tropical locale.

Presently however, even the thrill of the hunt and the idyllic surroundings are not enough to keep Tess happy. Tired of Ben’s irresponsible ways, she files for divorce and takes a job as a steward on a billionaire’s (Donald Sutherland) yacht until the papers are finalized. Then, just as their court date arrives, Ben discovers an encrusted artifact from one of the sunken ships on the bottom of the sea. Using his typical charm, he convinces Tess’s employer to become their benefactor and provide the funds to finance a recovery operation.

With the location of the famous shipwreck now unearthed, a myriad of treasure hunters descend on the spot. Among them is Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart), a black rapper who hires gun-toting goons to do his dirty work while he rakes in the money.

Not opposed to the use of unethical methods for securing his wealth, Bigg’s employs severe beatings, kidnapping and the use of high-powered weapons to get his way. But this onslaught of unexpectedly graphic violence forces the comedic tone of the film onto a sandbar, particularly when he exercises his dominance by ordering one man to be shot at close range and another one thrown overboard with an anchor around his legs.

Yet the increasing violence on the tiny, tropical island isn’t all that wrecks this beachfront tale. Operating under the influence of alcohol, a group of young boaters drive recklessly through the water before one female passenger fully exposes her breasts to a stranded man—and the audience. An onslaught of moderate profanities and a torrent of innuendo also muddy the waters, along with overheard or implied sexual activity between heterosexual and homosexual couples.

After riding out the storm for nearly two hours, even the hopes of family reconciliations between the billionaire and his spoiled, teenaged daughter (Alexis Dziena) or the chance of a marital bliss for Ben and Tess are poor lures to keep viewers in their seats. With a sluggish script and waves of content concerns, most families will discover this high-sailing adventure is anything but a real gem.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.