Fountain of Youth is a new action-adventure from Apple TV+ with the makings of National Treasure, The Mummy, and Indiana Jones all together. The potential for a solid adventure film was there, and the cast was remarkable. Honestly, what could go wrong?
The film had John Krasinski (The Office, Jack Ryan), Natalie Portman (Black Swan, V for Vendetta), Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars, Harry Potter), Laz Alonzo (The Boys, Power Book II: Ghost), Carmen Ejogo (Selma, Fantastic Beasts), Eiza González (3 Body Problem, Baby Driver), Stanley Tucci! (First Avenger, Lovely Bones). All under the direction of Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch). Well, this film feels like the 2nd cousin to the disjointed sequels of the aforementioned films. I’m saying National Treasure 2, The Scorpion King 2, and Indiana Jones, the one where there were aliens for some reason. It only had potential. SPOILERS BELOW – but really it doesn’t matter, you could read this and watch it and still have a unique experience.
Adventure Awaits
I fancy myself an action-adventure film connoisseur. I have seen all of The Mummy movies, was raised on Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park; I even dabble in the romantics like Romancing the Stone. I love the original Jumanji and the reboots. My favorite films of all time are The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Needless to say, adventure films are not made to be critically acclaimed (although some really are). They are made to excite and create a childlike sense of wonder, laughter, and imagination. Fountain of Youth had all of the structure, but it lacked the contents. Here’s why and some of my Black Nerd Problems to boot.
The film stars John Krasinski playing Luke Purdue (yes, like the chicken company – although there is no relation in this film, I don’t think…). Luke is in Thailand running from what seems to be thugs who are upset Luke has stolen their boss’ painting. We continue to see Luke on a Vespa evading these gangsters in a crowded Thai city center. Right off the bat, a classic adventure beginning. Unfortunately, the film continues to use an outline of an adventure film and forgets to fill in the very crucial foundational (hehe) elements, like character development and plot.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” – Helen Keller
Luke gets away with his stolen item and cut to we are at the World Museum in Liverpool, where we meet Luke’s sister Charlotte Purdue, played by the talented Natalie Portman (Jane Foster in Thor). We find out right away that they have not spoken in quite some time. I believe a year or two. They have a witty banter that you have to get used to, which I was never able to get used to. While the two actors have a fun chemistry, the writing feels a bit forced. With a lack of a really strong backstory, you are not invited into the banter with them. The only thing we really know is that their father was an adventurer, and Luke and Charlotte followed in his footsteps until Charlotte stopped because she had a kid. We don’t know much about this father, no name, no face, no purpose. Luke harps on the fact that Charlotte, I guess, betrayed herself by becoming a boring curator at THE WORLD MUSEUM in Liverpool. Maybe it’s just me, but she seems fine.
Their witty banter never stops, it happens in every single scene, and this will she, won’t she join the team also continues while she is fully on the team. This team consists of Luke – the leader and thief. Then Patrick Murphy, played by The Boys’ Laz Alonso, who seems to be comms?? Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina Picquery in Fantastic Beasts), who is the gadgets gal, I believe—finally, the whole operation is bankrolled by the billionaire business mogul Owen Carver, played by Domnhall Gleeson (General Hux in Star Wars, ). Owen is terminally ill and seeking the Fountain of Youth to heal himself.
As the “plot” continues, it holds onto just the idea of this fountain. The folklore is so mysterious, actually too mysterious. As the lore unfolds, we meet Esme, played by Eiza González (Auggie Salazar in 3 Body Problem). Esme is behind the Purdue team at every step, trying to thwart their mission. She is revealed as an ancestral protector of these ancient mystical relics (whatever they are we’re not really told). She simply wants them to stop searching. She, of course, ends up being the swashbuckling romantic interest, but in a playful cat-and-mouse way. We don’t get much more about her or her lineage. She is the desert protector as seen in The Mummy.
Escape the Ordinary
The film is terribly predictable. I mean, I figured out the film from the first two scenes. Each Act is a copy and paste of the previous Act. We find a clue, we travel to the next spot, witty banter. Rinse and repeat. The writing is topical, the actors are doing their best with what they have. This is the first fun adventure film I’ve seen Krasinski in. It is clear all of the actors are having a blast. It’s a nonsense adventure with little to no stakes, really. You never feel like the “hero” won’t win. Which brings me to my Black Nerd Problems.
Problem 1: Luke Purdue is a classic American white character who is a criminal. He steals priceless paintings for the thrill of the hunt. He gets away with every crime he commits and fails up so fast and so far that he’s looked at as the righteous one. It’s confusing because you are not sure why you’re being led to agree with him. His sister points these things out, but then does the same things, and it’s supposed to be their family dynamic. Don’t get me wrong, this follows the average adventure film tropes, but because you are not invested in the plot, characters, or the hunt, you don’t feel like you can let him off the hook.
Problem 2: In the story, the clues to the location of the Fountain of Youth are embedded in only European artifacts like Rembrandt paintings and the Bible… BUT it leads everyone to Giza in Africa… If we are sticking with the history of colonization, I guess it’s accurate that European countries would try to lead more people to steal things that don’t belong to them. But if we can make a movie about anything – why don’t we do something different?
Problem 3: Every BIPOC character was ancillary. Patrick Murphy (Laz Alonso) is literally told to wait outside at every location, which would be fine if he were the guy in the chair. Half the time, he just throws earpieces at them and waits in the car. I love Laz Alonso; he could have had such a stronger role. It wasn’t even explained what he does for the team. It’s inferred that he does comms because he’s always at a computer and being the lookout. The same goes for Carmen Ejogo’s character, Deb McCall. The only time we see her in action is at the Austrian Library in Vienna, where she fashions a precise explosive to assist in their escape. In Egypt, both Deb and Patrick are left sitting outside the pyramid, waiting to see how everything pans out. They were involved in a firefight, which I don’t even think they, as characters, knew why. It feels like their scenes were either heavily cut or the writers had no idea what to do with them.
All in all, I’ve heard reviewers call it “paint by numbers” (Variety), and that is spot on. It feels almost like Guy Ritchie’s attempt at an American adventure movie, which only includes white American tropes as its roadmap.
“Not All Who Wander Are Lost” – J.R.R. Tolkien
The best moment of the movie is 30 minutes of the last act. Our adventurers reach the hidden catacombs underneath the pyramids of Giza. Our young adventurer, Charlotte Purdue’s son, Thomas, played by Benjamin Chivers (Eugene I in Napoleon), is a musical genius who solves their “uncrackable” puzzles on several occasions. In the pyramid, Thomas unlocks the entrance to the fountain with his musical ingenuity and the rhythmic sounds of steel drums. Chivers does a wonderful job. His character felt nuanced and fleshed out, even with his minute screen time. I was fully invested in Thomas.
The pyramid scene was clever, moving, and deeply intriguing. It was shot well and hooked me from the moment they entered the tomb. That scene should have been the crux of the whole movie. The story should be rooted in the lore, the characters – scoundrels but misunderstood and redeeming at their core, all because of the undeniable ancient powers of the item. Fountain of Youth did all of this on the surface, but never had any real weight.
The formula for these films is important, but madlibbing through it is not how you make a classic adventure film. I am all for reinventing the genre. I truly hope the next generation gets to grow up on the thrilling adventure films that ignite exploration, imagination, and an appreciation for the cultural importance of our ancestors. I give it a 5.5 out of 10. This one might be flashy and excite you with its magnificent locations, but I don’t think it’s the resurgence of the National Treasure, Indiana Jones-esque films we’re looking for.
John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza González and Domhnall Gleeson star in Fountain of Youth – now streaming on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/-FoY
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