Apple TV+ continuously provides subscribers with unrivalled original streaming television, redefining the entertainment experience. ‘Severance’ Season 2 had audiences itching for the mind-bending weekly releases and broke social media, whilst Seth Rogen’s ‘The Studio’ received unanimous praise for its satirical lens on Hollywood via long one shot takes. After securing Guy Ritchie (‘Snatch’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’) to direct the latest straight-to-streaming film, along with the star-studded additions of Natalie Portman (‘Star Wars’), John Krasinski (‘The Office, ‘Jack Ryan’) and Eiza González (‘Ash’), audiences were expecting ‘Fountain of Youth’ to be a thrilling adventure, but does it deliver?
‘Fountain of Youth’ follows estranged siblings Luke (John Krasinski) and Charlotte (Natalie Portman) who reunite on a globetrotting adventure to locate the titular mythological shrine. With a vast historical and archaeological knowledge, they must put their previous experience to the test, unravel clues and discover the secret to potential immortality. Funding their daring adventure is ill-stricken billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson), who spares no expense to ensure their journey is successful. Along the way a mysterious agent, Esme (Eiza González), does whatever she can to thwart their plans and beat them to the Fountain of Youth.
One could be forgiven for assuming the advertised A-List cast, of which includes Stanley Tucci (‘The Hunger Games’) in a laughably wasteful role, automatically ensures an enticing level of quality, as the final product falls below even that. Guy Ritchie’s latest flick is absent of all his usual charm, choosing instead to confidently boast a bland plot that remains incredibly safe, delivering a completely inoffensive and risk averse product describable only as ‘fine’. Audiences are given little prelude to the world, unaware of mythological history and potential past discoveries. Dialogue (that comes too late) hints at past adventures but fails to enlighten audiences as to the gravitas of their circumstances. Unable to tell if the characters are newly experiencing such delights or if this is an average Wednesday, thus losing sense of the stakes in the process.
‘Fountain of Youth’ fundamentally lacks enough unique elements to differentiate this 2-hour long escapade from any action-adventure in the last 50 years, at times playing like an Indiana Jones parody written by someone who had never seen the films. Painful levels of exposition and cringey ‘well that just happened’ dialogue don’t help the reputation this film quickly gathers. Unfortunately, Krasinski, Portman and co fail to deliver performances expressive enough to rescue ‘Fountain of Youth’ from itself. Krasinski is largely miscast as the charming, but playful, older brother, only gaining a likeable momentum when embracing his witty Jim Halpert from ‘The Office’ side, albeit with a refreshing directness. Portman is given nothing of note to work with, and Eiza González even less. Both women have backstories gently touched upon, but never explored below a surface level depth, of which ironically is where most intrigue and mystery lies.
With an estimated budget of $180 million, Ritchie at least manages to make this Apple TV+ release look worth the cost, admittedly with a rather uninspiring colour palette. Shooting on location in Bangkok, London, Vienna and Cairo encourages audiences to remain seated and delivers action sequences that feel bold and encouragingly intuitive. By no means are they revolutionary, but they can be entertaining. Glimpses of adventurous cinematography appear fleetingly in such scenes and suggest that under the rubble there is a superior film begging to be freed. Alas, we never see it. Instead, a dreary plot is driven forward by Natalie Portman’s bewildering child endangerment that allows an 11-year-old to best the world’s finest adventurers and somehow uncover ancient secrets.
‘Fountain of Youth’ carries many of the stereotypes associated with low-quality action movies. Villains seemingly dying only to re-appearing unscathed, a sub-plot that fails to become fully explored and a desire to replicate the best elements of such genre, opposed to reinventing the wheel. Audiences will get the sense ‘Fountain of Youth’ doesn’t stem from an area of passionate filmmaking, but rather contractual obligation. It’s frustratingly forgettable and has 2 leads lacking a necessary chemistry but offers just enough to be watchable. Although general audiences may find enjoyment in its barren simplicity and ‘turn your brain off mentality’, which at least flows well. Without even watching ‘Fountain of Youth’, audiences will have seen this film before, just try to act surprised at supposed revelations and twists.
‘Fountain of Youth’ is Available Now on Apple TV+
