‘Fountain of Youth’ Movie Review: John Krasinski and Natalie Portman’s Treasure-Hunting Adventure Channels ‘Indiana Jones’ With Very Mixed Results (LatestLY Exclusive)

Fountain of Youth Movie Review: Ever wondered what it’d be like if Guy Ritchie made an Indiana Jones movie? No? Not even for a fleeting millisecond? Well, don’t fret if that thought never crossed your mind - Apple TV had it for you. Enter Fountain of Youth, where Ritchie trades snarky gangsters and gritty crime stories for snarky treasure-hunting siblings on a globe-trotting quest for - yes, you guessed it - Fountain of Youth. It’s all suspiciously familiar. But hey, déjà vu wasn’t a dealbreaker, was it? The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Review: Critics Are Impressed With Henry Cavill's Spy Actioner Helmed by Guy Ritchie.

Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) is an archaeology expert who doesn’t mind using his skills to nick artefacts and track down treasure for all the wrong reasons. His sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman), once an archaeologist and now a museum curator, holds the opposite belief. She’s also in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody battle over her son Thomas (Benjamin Chivers) when Jack ropes her into his latest mission - finding the Fountain of Youth.

Watch the Trailer of 'Fountain of Youth':

Jack’s not alone. He’s assisted by former teammates Patrick (Laz Alonso) and Deb (Carmen Ejogo), while billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson) is funding the expedition in hopes that the mythical water can cure his liver cancer. They’re also being pursued by Esme (Eiza González), a member of a secretive cult trying to keep the Fountain hidden. Oh, and yes—Interpol, led by Inspector Jamal Abbas (Arian Moayed), is also on Jack’s tail for stealing priceless paintings.

‘Fountain of Youth’ Movie Review - What Works

In the opening paragraph, I mused on what would happen if Guy Ritchie made an Indiana Jones movie. Let me rephrase - Fountain of Youth is what you get when Guy Ritchie, once known for Snatch and more recently for Aladdin and The Gentlemen, tries to make his own National Treasure. Don’t worry, there are Indiana Jones vibes, particularly from The Last Crusade, with a dash of The Mummy thrown in. Jack feels like a blend of Indiana Jones and Rick O’Connell, with a Ritchie twist - self-serving, quippy, and capable of decency when it counts. Esme, trying to protect the Fountain’s secret, might as well be Ardeth Bay’s spiritual cousin from The Mummy.

The genre itself is built for excitement. There’s something undeniably appealing about chasing forbidden treasures - especially when we can do it from our couches. It’s the same reason videogame franchises like Tomb Raider and Uncharted have stayed relevant. That’s one of Fountain of Youth’s advantages. The other? Ritchie’s slick direction. Even in autopilot mode, he knows how to stage a thrilling chase. The editing, especially in the action scenes, keeps the pace brisk and energetic.

That said, the editing sometimes acts as a magical fix. Characters are plucked out of peril without explanation - like in Game of Thrones when someone somehow survives a brutal battle off-screen. When Jack’s leg gets stuck underwater, the next scene has him and Charlotte safely back on land, no questions asked. Another character appears to drown, only to be alive a few scenes later with zero explanation.

The treasure-hunting, the heists, the puzzle-solving - it all makes Fountain of Youth a decent enough watch. Even Charlotte’s teenage son - who happens to be a musical prodigy - joins in to solve a couple of puzzles because, well, why not? Meanwhile, Deb and Patrick mostly loiter, waiting for moments to prove they’re still relevant to the plot.

‘Fountain of Youth’ Movie Review - What Doesn't

But after a point, the film becomes so steeped in its influences - and the clichés of those influences - that it starts to feel humdrum. If you don’t predict what Owen Carver has been up to, then: one, you still think billionaires care about you; and two, you haven’t watched enough movies yet.

The drama between Luke and Charlotte feels more staged than a natural outcome of their ethical differences. It’s hard to take them seriously when Charlotte keeps walking out only to return to Luke immediately, thereby validating his beliefs about her. There’s one scene where she’s held at gunpoint, and he hesitates to bargain for her—this should have sparked real tension between them. Instead, the conflict is resolved in a single, underwhelming conversation.

Also, who brings their teenage son along when you're globe-hopping from Thailand to Vienna to London to Egypt - with cultists and law enforcement after you?

The grand finale, set in Cairo (10 points to Gryffindor if you guess which monument), is a letdown. The influences are too obvious, the action underwhelming, and the final twist predictable. You can’t watch it without thinking of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides even creeps in for good measure. You’ll know it when you see it.

The trouble with drawing from such films is that it reminds you of their truly cinematic quality (yes, even On Stranger Tides) - their rich colour grading and dramatic lighting created immersive worlds. While Fountain of Youth boasts lavish production values and the VFX is pretty good, its straight-to-OTT origins show through in its lack of that distinctive visual sheen, failing to deliver that grand old-school sense of adventure. Guy Ritchie Birthday Special: From Snatch to Sherlock Holmes, 5 Best Movies of the Director Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Fountain of Youth’ Movie Review - The Performances

John Krasinski does what he can, playing the goofy action lead in a role that’s probably funding his next directing gig. Natalie Portman is fine, but the sibling bond the film aims for never fully materialises - they feel more like ex-colleagues squabbling over a bad business deal than family.

Eiza González makes do with a role that’s mostly there to slow the heroes down and give Jack someone to flirt with. Domhnall Gleeson, Laz Alonso, and Carmen Ejogo are serviceable. Stanley Tucci shows up for one scene as Esme’s mentor, and then vanishes.

‘Fountain of Youth’ Movie Review - Final Thoughts

If you’re in the mood for a watered-down mix of The Mummy, Indiana Jones, and National Treasure with a Guy Ritchie gloss, Fountain of Youth might just do the trick. It's watchable, occasionally fun, and ticks enough genre boxes to keep your attention for two hours. But it’s also the cinematic equivalent of reheated leftovers. Nothing more, nothing less.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2025 09:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).