My quick rating – 5.9/10. I’m always a sucker for globe-trotting, secret-revealing, treasure-hunting adventures. You can blame Indiana Jones for that one. Something about watching a team race through ancient ruins, decipher cryptic clues, and uncover long-lost legends just hits that sweet escapism nerve. Fountain of Youth delivers a lot of that surface-level fun with exotic locations, booby-trapped temples, and a few dusty artifacts tied to centuries-old myths. But while the ride is scenic, the script never quite figures out how to shift into gear.
John Krasinski plays Luke, a smooth-talking mastermind who assembles a team to track down what may be the actual Fountain of Youth. But as the danger ramps up, he reluctantly enlists the help of his estranged sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman), the only one smart enough to stay two steps ahead of the riddles and the rivals. It’s your classic sibling tension formula, and Portman plays Charlotte with a cool intellectual edge. Their dynamic has potential, but the writing never gives it much weight beyond a few sarcastic jabs and eye-rolls. There’s a subplot involving Charlotte dragging her young son along for the ride through actual, life-threatening scenarios, which feels less like bold character development and more like baffling decision-making.
Guy Ritchie’s direction gives the film a sleek visual polish. From the sun-soaked streets of Marrakesh to an underground chamber beneath the Great Pyramids (bucket list!), everything looks incredible. If you’re in it just for the spectacle, you’ll get your money’s worth. The choreography, especially in the few hand-to-hand sequences between Luke and the mysterious protector played by Eiza González (fresh off her cosmic turn in Ash), brings just enough flair to keep the action engaging.
But where Fountain of Youth starts to sink is in the script. Ritchie didn’t write it, and it shows. The story is painfully by-the-numbers. You’ve got your team of specialists, a globe-trotting trail of clues, a predictable double-cross, and emotional beats that feel more checkboxed than earned. There’s never any real character growth, and Luke’s team is essentially just window dressing. They follow his orders, have maybe one defining trait apiece, and fade into the background the second they’re not on-screen.
And yet, despite all that, the movie still kind of works. It’s fun in that watch-it-on-a-Sunday-afternoon way. The cast is strong, the locations are beautiful, and it scratches that adventure itch. But it’s hard not to see what Fountain of Youth could have been with a sharper script and stronger emotional core. All the ingredients are there—just not in the right proportions.
Still, if you’re into ancient secrets and sand-covered mysteries, it’s worth a look. Just don’t expect it to rewrite the map.
This is an AppleTV+ original for now, but you can check JustWatch for other options later.