Fountain of Youth

I went into Fountain of Youth expecting lightweight fun and that is exactly what I got. From the very first frame, the film makes its intentions clear. This is escapism first and foremost. Guy Ritchie kicks the door down with funky needle drops, slick editing, fast talking characters, familiar gangster energy, and a full throttle car chase that sets the tone immediately. The pacing is relentless, the dialogue is snappy, and the movie barely pauses for breath, which works perfectly for the kind of adventure it is aiming to be.

Looking at the lukewarm scores on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Letterboxd, I genuinely have to ask, have we all forgotten how to enjoy ourselves? Somewhere along the way, glossy big budget adventure films started being judged as if they were supposed to deliver thematic depth and emotional gravitas on the level of prestige drama. Fountain of Youth is not interested in that conversation, and it should not be punished for knowing exactly what it is.

Is it anywhere near as iconic or expertly crafted as the first three Indiana Jones films? No, of course not. Does it reach the clever puzzle driven highs of National Treasure? Again, no. But that comparison almost feels unfair. This is a fast paced globe trotting swashbuckling adventure with a charismatic lead at its centre, and it is not chasing awards. It is chasing entertainment. On that level, I would argue it succeeds far more often than it fails.

There is also a surprisingly solid emotional backbone beneath all the chaos. John Krasinski and Natalie Portman play estranged siblings whose late father was an archaeologist, with Krasinski’s character continuing in his footsteps while Portman’s has chosen a different path. She has stepped away from the world of adventure, settled down, and started a family, only to be pulled back in when her brother returns. Their search for the Fountain of Youth is not just about myth or immortality, but about honouring their father’s legacy, it is not deeply explored, but it provides enough grounding to invest in the characters beyond the spectacle.

Where the film really shines is in its individual set pieces. The car chase through Thailand is slick, energetic, and pure blockbuster fun. The sequence involving the recovery of a section of the Lusitania from the seabed is easily the film’s standout moment and my personal favourite, balancing scale, tension, and visual flair. Stealing the Wicked Bible from the Austrian National Library is another highlight, leaning fully into pulpy adventure territory. These moments remind you just how enjoyable this genre can be when it commits to the bit.

John Krasinski is a genuinely strong lead here. He is effortlessly charismatic, comedic without trying too hard, and carries the film with real ease. Within ten minutes, I realised I was constantly comparing the movie to Uncharted, largely because Krasinski slips so naturally into a Nathan Drake esque role. Add a few more puzzles, ancient mechanisms, and riddles to solve, and you would basically have a fully formed Uncharted movie on your hands.

That said, the third act is where the film noticeably stumbles. The villain is bland and underwritten, with motivations that feel pulled straight from the genre’s most generic playbook. The story suddenly leans hard into overtly fantastical elements after spending most of its runtime relatively grounded, and the tonal shift is jarring rather than thrilling. The ending, in particular, feels rushed and abrupt. I genuinely had a “wait is that it” moment as the film cut to black. It is a disappointing finish to what had been a consistently entertaining journey.

Still, can we please stop dismissing movies like this as AI generated or cynical just because they are cheesy, over the top, and unashamedly fun? Fountain of Youth is not a great movie, and it does not pretend to be. But it is an enjoyable one. I had fun, I was entertained, and when the credits rolled, I was glad I had gone along for the ride. Sometimes, that is more than enough.