Mikes Film Talk

2025 sees the feature film Fountain of Youth. It is a disappointment when you realise that Indiana Jones it’s not. It is also not The Mummy Returns (2001), a film it more resembles that any of the Jones franchise. Sad to say, no matter how hard you try, John Krasinski is neither Brendan Fraser nor Harrison Ford. Natalie Portman is also not a match for Rachel Weisz. Neither is the cute and precocious male child a suitable replacement for Rick and Evie’s son.

This is not to say that Krasinski brings nothing to the table. He does. Portman, a personal favorite, also manages to up the ante in Fountain of Youth.

But.

Fountain of Youth initially looks like an Indiana Jones wanna be in the first reel or so. It then slams solidly into 2nd gear with its intention of being a new The Mummy Returns retread. Okay, so there is no mummy. This time around the villain is not even paranormal.

The amount of things that can be directly correlated to the Fraser/Weisz hit film is mind blowing.

It is also disappointing.

Fountain of Youth: The Story

A quibbling brother and sister reluctantly team up to find the fountain of youth. He steals a number of valuable paintings before ensnaring his sibling into his cause. He is doing the search in aid of another man who suffers a deadly disease. Both he and his sister bond during this sometimes fantastical search.

the main cast

John Krasinski is Luke Purdue.

Natalie Portman is Charlotte Purdue.

Eiza González is Esme.

Domhnall Gleeson is Owen Carter.

Arian Moayed is Inspector Jamal Abbas.

Laz Alonso is Patrick Murphy.

Carmen Ejogo is Deb McCall.

Benjamin Chivers is Thomas.

Fountain of Youth BTS

Guy Ritchie directs the film written by James Vanderbilt. (Vanderbilt gave us the new 2022 Scream by the way.) DP Ed Wild works hand in glove with editor James Herbert. The two give us flawless frames and action sequences. Adam Brashaw, as Fight Coordinator and Stunt Coordinator Andrew McKenzie make the aforementioned sequences exciting and different.

In terms of FX, clearly CGI is used here. It seems to fit in well with the practical side of things though.

Ritchie, despite the slower pace of the film, marches the story right along. At 2 hours and 5 minutes Fountain of Youth should drag, but it does not. This is not to say that some scenes do not feel clunky; they do. Ritchie’s “pizzazz” or “mo-jo” is not on full charge here.

Some things work

The casting is good, despite the disclaimers in the opening paragraphs. Krasinski and Portman make a good team as siblings. Krasinski also meshes will with González. The calibre of the actors is top notch.

But.

The story line, despite the spot on action sequences, borrows too much from Indiana Jones territory. It also dips far too heavily into the original Mummy franchise.

Krasinski is a solid action player. If you don’t believe me; catch him in the Jack Ryan series, also on Apple. Portman is also a powerhouse on screen and she deserves better than this role.

*Side note: More Stanley Tucci please. Tucci is Krasinski’s brother-in-law. The former actor has been a personal favorite for a long time. He always delivers.

The Verdict

Fountain of Youth has, quite rightly, gotten 37 % from Rotten Tomatoes. My ranking is not as dire. 3.5 stars is the final verdict for this copy of a couple of original gems. Don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy the film. Although when writing my review I ran the film in the background. As usual. Sadly,I found no interest in even listening to the film again. You may feel differently about it.

Fountain of Youth is streaming on Apple TV and Apple+ right now.

Trailer

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