Despite critics, 'Fool's' may be golden

"Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey light up the big screen in the first great romantic comedy of the year," gushed Heather Newgen of ComingSoon.net.

Mark Seman of Sirius satellite radio declared, "The adventure comedy is back!"

When last weekend's newspaper ads for "Fool's Gold" quoted kudos from these and other obscure reviewers, discerning moviegoers could tell this wasn't going to be a critics' darling.

Warner Bros., which describes the film as "Romancing the Stone" meets "National Treasure," isn't sweating it any more than a shirtless McConaughey.

The studio, which financed the $65-million production with longtime partner Village Roadshow, believes it has a formula for commercial success: sexy stars reunited for the first time since 2003's hit "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," an ideal release date leading up to Valentine's Day and the Presidents Day holiday, and enough action to lure boyfriends and husbands into theaters.

"It's fluffy fun," said Dan Fellman, Warner's president of domestic distribution. "He's crashing planes. The bad guys are blowing things up. There is something for everybody."

"Fool's Gold" would seem like an ideal date movie for adults, although it won't be helped by the harsh reviews from major critics. RottenTomatoes.com said only 7% of total notices were positive.

Most box-office analysts expect the PG-13-rated movie, opening today at 3,125 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, to top the weekend charts with ticket sales of $20 million or more. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" opened to $23.8 million on almost the identical date five years ago.

Consumer tracking surveys, however, point to a three-sided coin toss that also includes the new Martin Lawrence comedy "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" from Universal Pictures and the defending champ, Walt Disney Co.'s shrewdly marketed 3-D holdover "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour."

If the two newcomers open reasonably well and the premium-priced "Hannah Montana" hangs tough after its $31.1-million Super Bowl weekend, the overall box-office trend could remain well ahead of 2007's pace despite a shaky economy.

"Roscoe Jenkins," co-starring James Earl Jones and Cedric the Entertainer, has drawn keen interest within the African American community, so it could win the weekend even without much "crossover" business from white patrons.