White sand and blue seas are awfully inviting this time of year and "Fool's Gold" delivers both aplenty.

Unfortunately, when people get in the way of the scenery, the movie finds itself in troubled waters.

Blame director Andy Tennant and his co-writers for much of the problem. This is a hybrid of romantic comedy and maritime adventure and it finds itself adrift on all counts. The first half involves talky plot explanations and the second James Bond-style action stunts.

Matthew McConaughey plays Finn, an irresponsible surfer-dude-turned treasure hunter. As the movie begins, he manages to sink his own boat while finding what he believes is the big one. Unluckily for Finn, his major investor is a felonious rapper named Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart). Bigg Bunny wants his money.

Meanwhile, Finn is due in divorce court. Tess (Kate Hudson) is his long-suffering wife and partner in the treasure business. She's a history scholar who wants to give up the chase in favor of a doctorate and an academic's life. Seconds after the divorce is finalized, Finn persuades her that he's found evidence of the 18th-century Spanish galleon they've been seeking for years. Her interest is rekindled.

Still, she wants to put some leagues between herself and her ex and she suspects her current employer will be Finn's next go-to-guy for cash. He's a wealthy yacht owner played almost apologetically by Donald Sutherland. Her instincts prove true and Finn finagles his way onto the yacht through a preposterous stunt involving the rich guy's daughter.

She's a dim-witted celebutante of the Paris Hilton variety who resents her father but gladly squanders his dough. Along with a few throw-away characters, this completes the ship of fools though there's another on the horizon.

Bigg Bunny has enlisted Finn's old rival and mentor (Ray Winstone) to help find the treasure and the race is on.

The filmmakers compensate for real wit with a lot of busy work: the tortured story behind the treasure ship, the daddy-daughter conflict, the peripheral characters hamming it up and fumbling around.

Such a desperate approach to amusement is generally reflected in the performances. Hudson is game and likable and believable. When it comes to physical comedy, she delivers the best moments. McConaughey parodies the stereotype of the lovable rascal but he's no Captain Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack wouldn't spend so much screen time shirtless. (McConaughey must have a no-shirt clause in his contracts.) The rest of the performers bring the "Gilligan's Island" approach to their one-dimensional characters.

Though the action supposedly takes place in Key West and its surrounding waters, the movie was actually filmed in Queensland, Australia. So don't expect an appearance by such venerable Conch Republic institutions as Sloppy Joe's or Captain Tony's.