“Although the premise isn’t very original, Fountain Of Youth does enough to entertain and amuse throughout.”
Fountain of Youth is the new film from acclaimed British director Guy Ritchie. It is an action-adventure movie for the whole family, featuring a cast led by John Krasinski and Natalie Portman. It is scheduled for release on Apple TV+ this Friday before the bank holiday weekend. Also featuring Eiza González, Domhnall Gleeson, Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, and Stanley Tucci, the film follows a pair of estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who team up and embark on a journey to find the famed Fountain of Youth. Can the film become another smash hit movie from Ritchie, or is it simply old hat?
PREMISE
“Fountain of Youth” follows two estranged siblings (John Krasinski and Academy Award winner Natalie Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives. And possibly lead to immortality.
THOUGHTS
If you look at the film as kind of an updated Indiana Jones movie, you’ll have a lot of fun. Although the film isn’t nearly as good as the first three movies in the Indiana Jones franchise, it is still a worthy watch. It does share a few tropes with that franchise, but it is better than Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny. Ok, so maybe that’s a very low bar to clear, but I’d be doing Fountain Of Youth a disservice if I compared them to those two awful movies. It contains enough action and comedy to keep the audience invested, even if at times, we’ve seen it countless times before.
At the very least, it is a roller coaster ride with chases and fight scenes galore. Many of the action sequences have a nice comedic edge, even though we know none of the main protagonists are in any real danger. Throw in a climax similar in many ways to the climax of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, and you know where you’re headed. Knowing Guy Ritchie directs this is also a surprise. This is Ritchie’s version of the classic Saturday morning pictures adventure. No strong language, extreme violence, blood and gore or gangland influences here. This is a restrained Ritchie, giving us a PG-13 adventure. And it works for the most part.
JOHN KRASINSKI
John Krasinski steps into the modern Harrison Ford role as Luke Purdue. And he comes across as a weaker but funnier version of Indiana Jones. It works brilliantly throughout the film. Krasinski is known as a great writer, director and actor. Here, he is simply in acting territory, giving us a performance that endears him to us from the start. As Luke, Krasinski gives us thrills, laughs and a few moments to cheer him on before he almost becomes Indiana Jones in the finale. None of that character’s nastier side is on show here, but the rest of the traits shine through. Krasinski is on top form here and is strong when he needs to be, tender when called for, and has a great sense of comedic timing. He brings us a character that we ache to see again if a sequel is to be made.
NATALIE PORTMAN
Natalie Portman, as Charlotte Purdue, Luke’s younger sister, sadly looks like a fish out of water here. Although her character is vital during the proceedings, the actress doesn’t fit in as well as could be expected. That’s not to say she performs badly; she doesn’t. She’s trying her best with the material she has, but it lets her down. The role doesn’t suit her, even though she is excellent in the film. Charlotte knows what her brother is like, what he gets up to and his motivations for doing it. But the sense of extreme outrage the character should display isn’t on show here. Instead, the actress gives us a character who comes across as a scolding parent rather than an able sidekick. On par with her brother.
The side story of her on the verge of getting divorced and the custody battle she faces for her son is brought up a little too much. It does become a plot point that is needed in the film. But it is a little too much for the audience to accept. Her character isn’t fleshed out enough to hold our attention for too long. And that is a shame, as with better material and a little more thought, her character could be vital instead of being someone we can quickly tire of. That isn’t Natalie Portman’s fault, though. The byplay between her and Krasinski is, at times, brilliantly played by both actors. If a sequel gets made to the film, I’d be happy to see her and Krasinski play off each other again. Just dial down the divorce and custody elements and give her better material to work with.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast delivers, none more so than Eiza González as Esme. Recall the Kazim character in The Last Crusade. We get a similar character here from the actress. Her motivations for her actions are not explained until midway through the proceedings (in a small scene with Stanley Tucci, wasted in such a tiny role). But throughout, the actress impresses and amuses us. Again, the playing off between her and Krasinski is a real highlight of the film. Also, the actress can handle the fight and action scenes with ease. Her performance elevates the movie from interesting to highly enjoyable. The same can be said for Laz Alonso. His character, Patrick Murphy, feels like a toned-down version of Mother’s Milk in The Boys, without the swearing and violence. But once the action starts near the climax, Alonso comes into his own. And we can’t help but cheer.
Carmen Ejogo as Deb McCall, Benjamin Chivers as Thomas, and Domhnall Gleeson as Owen Carver all make an impression. All three are vital to what we see on the screen, give tremendously enjoyable and funny performances, and fit into the narrative well. Carmen Ejogo even gets to try her hand during the action scenes, which has us cheering her on. Benjamin Chivers’ character of Thomas, Charlotte’s son, is vital in what’s to come, becoming a hugely enjoyable character. Domhnall Gleeson’s character, however, we can’t get a handle on until the finale. And that’s how it should be. The actor’s scenes alongside Chivers are enjoyable, often hilarious, and show his prowess. Although he is supposed to be a supporting character, Gleeson feels like he is the main attraction here. And we can’t help but enjoy every second he is on screen.
DIRECTION
Guy Ritchie’s direction is up to his usual standards. Not a single frame is wasted throughout, and Ritchie shows his visual flair from start to finish. He makes his locations (Bangkok, Vienna and Liverpool) shine in every shot. The colour palette he uses makes everything seem vibrant, shiny, and incredible to look at. He directs the cast brilliantly, drawing out performances that really resonate. But he also proves that he can easily handle more restrained affairs. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise from the man who brought us Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows and the live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin. But here, he has given us an action-adventure that we will return to repeatedly with our families.
VERDICT
Although the premise isn’t very original, Fountain Of Youth does enough to entertain and amuse throughout. The power behind the film being so enjoyable is also its greatest weakness, which is James Vanderbilt’s screenplay. Mostly, it takes us on a rip-roaring ride that we enjoy. However, we feel we have seen it all before. It sometimes comes across as if Vanderbilt took elements of the Indiana Jones franchise, threw in many aspects from Universal’s rebooted Mummy franchise, shook them up and then wrote what was created. While it is entertaining enough, it makes us think of those other movies. And that isn’t a good thing. The film should stand on its own feet, its own merits. Sadly, it drags the film down somewhat into what could be considered parody. It isn’t, but it could be thought of that way.
However, we can’t help but enjoy what we have been given with the film. Great performances, some decent adventure sequences, some winning and welcome humour, and something that we will return to again and again. At the very least, it is miles better than other movies that copy the successful formula but hand us something without heart. Fountain of Youth contains more heart, panache, and thought than those direct-to-streaming/ DVD films combined. Indiana Jones may have hung up his hat, but with this film, we could get a franchise, set in the modern day, that could pick up the slack. Flawed but enjoyable entertainment.
Fountain Of Youth premieres on Apple TV+ this Friday.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
