Croc d'or

OK, mega-stores wreck mom'n pop businesses, perhaps, so yeah there's "a message".

Biggs and Centineo are sweet, and you can see they tried hard.

Everything else about the movie is so feeble we found ourselves pitying them for having been tricked into working on a movie that they'll be ashamed of for the rest of their lives.

When the moronic bad guys fall in a stream and you see the plastic sheet that kept the water there you realize that the crew had given up on the movie altogether.

I suppose you could show it to six and unders, but you might do permanent damage to their ability to distinguish quality from trash.

Josh (Noah Centineo) and his single-parent dad are having a crisis. Their small store is being driven out of business by the new Ultramart in town, run by another divorced, solo father (Billy Zane), who is having a difficult time with his own daughter Ana (Courtney Briggs). Josh's father has informed him that they will have to move, will be apartment dwellers for a spell and will not be able to keep Josh's faithful golden retriever. Josh is distraught beyond measure. However, a legend exists in their California setting that a conquistador once left a hidden fortune in gold. What if Josh finds the treasure? He and his dad could start anew and keep their beloved canine. A chance meeting between Ana and Josh gives the young lad a new friend and gold-hunting partner. Trouble is, two petty criminals, Wade (Steve Guttenberg) and The Professor (Curtis Armstrong) have also been seeking the treasure for years. When Josh finds a significant clue, they are there watching the two young teens every move. Can Josh and Ana find the loot or will the two bungling thieves locate it first? And, since Josh's dad has forbidden him to wander in the neighboring woods, where the treasure may be, will Josh get into further trouble by defying his dad's orders? If you are searching for another family-friendly film, this one is good choice. It has adventure, history, and a darling dog, after all. The acting is a bit weak, with Guttenberg exhibiting too much ham, albeit still humorously, and the rest of the crew, Zane excepted, doing a merely average job. But, the sets, costumes, camera work, script, and direction have some winning ways and zest. So, while the movie is not "solid gold", it most likely will please most family members, young and old. Look for it.

Basic plot: two kids search for a lost treasure in the hope of getting out of some debt issues, to fulfil their tasks they must follow the clues and avoid the traps and pursuing 'bad guys'. Who with the added adult humour are dumb red necks,

cliché. Kids of all ages will enjoys this film and want to watch it again i plan to recommend this to a few of my friends and their children.

One favourite of mine in this film is that of the terrible acting even though it will entertain kids, and even the cheesy storyline which i could do without but kids seem to enjoy

OK so my initial impressions of the film was that it was going to be a modern day goonies so had high expectations for a really good family movie.

Much to my disappointment this wasn't in the same school let alone class as the goonies,brief plot 2 kids go treasure hunting with a couple of badguys in tow.

The acting from all characters was terrible and the props and locations were appalling, this must have been a low budget film to say the least.

Do yourself a favour pass up on this one and get the goonies if your after a good family movie.

This film will never win any awards. It is predictable and borrows so many tropes from other family movies that there is nothing original about it. You will guess what is going to happen and how the movie will end in the first 5 minutes. That being said, this movie isn't too bad. The two young leads are enthusiastic and enjoyable and there is a cute dog and hidden treasure to be quested. Anyone less than 10 years old will love it and their parents won't be bored out of their minds either.

One interesting point for older viewers is the appearance of a couple of 'big' stars from the eighties. Billy Zane plays a parent of one of the kids and Steve Guttenberg is almost unrecognisable as one of the villians. These two villians, by the way, are the worst part of the movie. They are so dumb that if they existed in real life they would have to be institutionalized. Both actors playing the roles are so over the top in their portrayal that older viewers will be cringing in their seats. I guess this is the kind of movie you do when your career is on the downhill slope. Still, this type of movie has to have a villian and at least these two won't scare your younger offspring.

Despite its many flaws and its predictability, this movie is harmless but goofy fun. Your kids will enjoy it and you might too.