Let's be realistic.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

All around a hidden gem. Haven't seen Michael Douglas around and his role is pretty good. Rachael Evan Wood definitely steals the show as miranda, but there's not many actors in this so it's pretty reliant on her. It's not your typical suburban mellow drama, those can be good but tiring, this had a pretty well established sub plot, Hidden Buried Spanish gold. The cinematography was above standard I should say, means It made the movie actually believable, up beat with some realistic dramatic father daughter scenes, or realistic family relationship dialogue, which is something that at first might seem stretched, but works in the end.Saw one goof at the end, when she has her car back, never quite explained how she got it, considering her dad sells it at one point. But oh well, good honest role for Rachael evan wood, shows she isn't a one dimensional actor. Decent film too, I'd buy on DVD for re-watching.

The movie focuses on two main characters - a mentally ill musician who believes he has discovered buried treasure and is ready to go to the extreme for it, and his teenage daughter struggling alone to make ends meet. Within 1,5 hours, we see them consenting and disagreeing, as their recent years have been so different - the parent in a closed institution leading "calm" life, the daughter had to leave school and start coping in "real", hectic life. The pace is, however, not even, some scenes are unnecessary or protracted, turns appear arduously, but thanks to Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood as leading characters, it is not boring to watch; Douglas, above all, gives a performance not customary to him, proving again that he is a strong and versatile actor.If you have followed Sundance movies, you would likely appreciate King of California as well.

I've worked at blockbuster. I've worked a Hollywood video. I've seen thousands of movies.This breaks the top 100 all time for me.Apparently my review wasn't long enough.....hm.....The acting was great, the main character was zany, the chemistry and relationship of the two (evan rachel wood and michael douglass) was sensational throughout, and the movie just felt.....i don't know....unconventional. Something new, something fresh, something that I hadn't been seen done before - not like this. I wonder if Michael Douglass hit that......

16-year old Miranda's father Charlie returns from the loony bin.Now Charlie believes there's a long-lost treasure of Spanish explorer Father Juan Florismarte Torres buried nearby their California house.Soon he's off with his daughter to go treasure hunting.She gets a job at Costco, underneath which the treasure should be located.King of California (2007) is directed by Mike Cahill and produced by Alexander Payne.Michael Douglas does amazing job in the lead as Charlie.Mr. Douglas is a fantastic actor who we in the future can call a cancer survivor, I'm sure.I'm very hopeful after having heard that his father, Kirk Douglas, told in an interview how his son is in a better shape now.So Michael Douglas really makes this movie, but I must give credit to Evan Rachel Wood, who plays his daughter Miranda.They both play their parts just brilliantly.Allisyn Ashley Arm plays Young Miranda.Willis Burks II is Pepper.Paul Lieber and Kathleen Wilhoite are Doug and Kelly.This is a very beautiful film.It offers some great drama and comedy.Like the scene where they dig around the golf course is quite funny.It's just amazing to watch when Charlie is diving at the underground river, searching for the treasure.Charlie is the most tragicomic character, and you really like him.You really hope he finds the treasure at the end.