The glittering stream of Apple TV+ has delivered Guy Ritchie’s latest cinematic escapade, “Fountain of Youth,” a globe-trotting adventure that plunges audiences into a familiar world of ancient relics, sibling rivalry, and the age-old pursuit of immortality. The digital ether, with an almost knowing sentience, now carries this tale of archaeological intrigue, where the promise of eternal life beckons amidst a flurry of bullets and betrayals. Creativitys.UK will tell you whether this star-studded quest, featuring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman, truly discovers the elixir of entertaining cinema or merely sinks under the weight of its own ambition.
A tangled family affair
The narrative centres on Luke Perdue (John Krasinski), a quintessential treasure hunter, seemingly cut from the same cloth as countless cinematic adventurers before him. He re-enters the life of his younger sister, Charlotte (Natalie Portman), a museum curator who has deliberately distanced herself from the perilous world of their late archaeologist father. Their father, tellingly named Harrison – a clear nod to Ford and his iconic Indy – was lost to them a decade prior, prompting Charlotte to forsake adventures for a more conventional life of family and academia. However, her domestic bliss is crumbling amidst a divorce and a looming custody battle for her son, Thomas (Benjamin Chivers). Luke’s re-emergence is characteristically disruptive; he brazenly pilfers Rembrandt’s “Head of Christ” from his sister’s museum, believing it holds a crucial clue to the legendary Fountain of Youth.
This audacious theft sets the stage for a reluctant reunion. Charlotte, despite her initial reservations, is drawn back into the fold, persuaded by Luke and his team, which includes Carmen Ejogo and Laz Alonso. Their quest is bankrolled by the enigmatic billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson), a man teetering on the brink of death, for whom the fountain represents a desperate last hope. As is customary in such tales, their path is anything but smooth. They find themselves entangled with a shadowy ancient order, personified by the formidable Eiza González, pursued by determined Interpol agents led by Arian Moayed, and navigating the treacherous currents of Thai gangster territories.
Vanderbilt’s curious legacy
An intriguing, if somewhat incongruous, historical thread is woven into the narrative through the figure of Alfred Vanderbilt. The script, penned by James Vanderbilt – a great-grandson of the famed New York dynasty scion – incorporates the tragic fate of his ancestor, who perished heroically in the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat. Eyewitness accounts paint Alfred Vanderbilt as a figure of immense courage, surrendering his own life vest to a young mother despite being unable to swim himself, knowing no lifeboats remained. His body was never recovered.
Over a century later, “Fountain of Youth” rather peculiarly memorialises this event. A key plot point involves the protagonists exploring the sunken Lusitania, where, according to the film’s lore, a Vanderbilt safe containing a vital artefact rests. The irony, as some critics have sharply observed, is that James Vanderbilt’s screenplay arguably does to “Fountain of Youth” what the German submarine did to the Lusitania: sends it to a watery grave. This rather heavy-handed attempt to inject personal family history into a high-concept adventure feels somewhat laboured, a curious footnote rather than an integral thematic pillar.
Ritchie’s directorial choices
Initially, Dexter Fletcher was slated to direct, but the captain’s chair ultimately went to Guy Ritchie. A contemporary master of the British crime caper, Ritchie has carved a distinctive niche with films like “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Snatch,” and “The Gentlemen,” showcasing his signature blend of stylised violence, rapid-fire dialogue, and colourful, often morally ambiguous, characters. However, when venturing outside his established wheelhouse, Ritchie’s directorial Midas touch has often proven less consistent. His recent foray into wartime action-comedy, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” a riff on Tarantino-esque historical revisionism, received a decidedly mixed reception.
With “Fountain of Youth,” Ritchie attempts to channel the spirit of classic adventure serials, most notably “Indiana Jones” – particularly “The Last Crusade,” though with undertones of the futility found in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Echoes of “The Mummy” (the Brendan Fraser iteration), “National Treasure,” and “The Da Vinci Code” also ripple through its DNA. The film aims for that blend of archaeological puzzle-solving, exotic locales, and swashbuckling action that has long captivated audiences. The challenge, however, lies in imbuing these familiar tropes with fresh energy and genuine excitement.
A mummified adventure?
Despite the star power and Ritchie’s kinetic directorial style, many critics have found “Fountain of Youth” to be a somewhat anaemic affair. The screenplay, often described as convoluted and uninspired, struggles to generate genuine suspense or emotional investment. John Krasinski, an actor typically lauded for his affable charm, has been singled out by some for a performance that veers into an “anti-charisma,” failing to imbue Luke Perdue with the necessary roguish appeal. The humour, a Ritchie trademark, often feels strained and fails to land with its intended impact. Consequently, the film has been likened to a “mummy of adventure cinema,” a hollow imitation of its more vibrant predecessors, with Apple TV+ serving as its grand, if somewhat sterile, mausoleum.
The film often struggles to evoke the “tremulous excitement” essential for the genre. Instead of a thrilling rollercoaster, it can feel like a somewhat perfunctory procession through a checklist of adventure movie clichés. However, some find a perverse pleasure in its shortcomings, particularly in its unintentional satirical elements. Domhnall Gleeson’s billionaire, Owen Carver, can be read as a thinly veiled parody of real-life biohacking tycoons like Bryan Johnson, whose obsessive pursuit of eternal youth, including controversial practices like transfusing his son’s plasma, finds curious parallels in the film’s narrative.
Unintentional comedic moments
Indeed, there’s a certain manic, almost unhinged, quality to the film’s pacing and characterisations that can be, in its own peculiar way, entertaining. The purported charming hero, Luke Perdue, often comes across as a reckless, almost sociopathic, individual, whose actions frequently endanger those around him. The film also bafflingly telegraphs its already predictable ending from the outset and relentlessly hammers home the platitude that “the journey is the destination,” even as the on-screen journey itself often feels more like an endurance test.
Yet, for all its perceived flaws, there are moments where the Ritchie magic flickers. The action sequences, though perhaps not groundbreaking, are competently staged. The supporting cast, including the ever-reliable Stanley Tucci in a smaller role, adds flashes of quality. And then there’s the soundtrack. As the credits roll, the iconic strains of Oasis’s “Live Forever” fill the air, a musical choice so perfectly on-the-nose for a film about eternal youth that it almost redeems the preceding two hours. It’s a moment of anachronistic, anthemic power that might just leave audiences with a fleeting, perhaps entirely unearned, sense of exhilaration.
Star power’s gravitational pull
The presence of Natalie Portman and John Krasinski undoubtedly lends the project significant star wattage. Portman, an Oscar-winner known for her versatility, brings a degree of gravitas to the role of Charlotte, the more grounded and reluctant adventurer. Krasinski, transitioning from his beloved everyman persona in “The Office” to action hero in “Jack Ryan,” certainly possesses the physicality for the role, even if his performance here has divided opinion. The chemistry between the two leads, crucial for a sibling dynamic at the heart of an adventure, is a key element that audiences will either connect with or find lacking.
The supporting cast, featuring talents like Domhnall Gleeson, Eiza González, and Carmen Ejogo, adds layers of intrigue and menace. González, in particular, has carved a niche playing formidable, action-oriented characters, and her presence promises a degree of stylish antagonism.
Ultimately, “Fountain of Youth” presents a curious case. It arrives with a high-profile director, a star-studded cast, and a premise steeped in classic adventure lore. Yet, early critical reactions suggest a film that struggles to escape the long shadows of its influences. It’s a cinematic concoction that attempts to blend Ritchie’s signature stylings with the tropes of a family-friendly treasure hunt, a combination that proves, for many, to be less than alchemical. Whether viewers find its frenetic energy and occasional flashes of wit enough to overlook its narrative shortcomings and a central performance that has failed to universally charm will determine if this quest for eternal youth finds an enduring place in the streaming landscape or fades into the digital mist. The journey, as the film itself insists, might be the point, but audiences will have to decide if this particular expedition is worth embarking upon.
