REVIEW: ‘Fountain Of Youth’ Is Why We Need More Exciting Adventure Movies

Directed by Guy Ritchie and written by James Vanderbilt, Fountain of Youth follows two estranged siblings, Luke (John Krasinski) and Charlotte Purdue (Natalie Portman). Meeting again after time apart, the duo is forced to partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth.

This titular adventure pushes the two to work together and use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic quest to essentially save the life of a dying billionaire, Own Carver (Domhnall Gleeson). And do it all while being chased by police Inspector Jamal Abbas (Arian Moayed) and the mysterious and very dangerous Esme (Eiza González).

On the sibling front, Luke and Charlotte have an endearing dynamic. To put it simply, Luke is the one who followed in their father’s footsteps, chasing lost things and finding them (or stealing them) to make a living. Where Luke is the mess-up of the family, Charlotte is a mom and a museum curator with a stable life–even if she is getting divorced. When Luke’s latest job makes him steal from his sister’s museum, Charlotte is pulled into the adventure when Luek’s billionaire employer promises that she’ll be able to keep custody of her son, Thomas (Benjamin Chivers).

Fountain of Youth manages to be all-ages without catering too much to a young audience.

The quest to find the Fountain of Youth soon becomes a true family affair when Thomas joins them. While this choice was one I wasn’t immediately excited for, director Guy Ritchie makes a concerted effort not to let the film slip into a kid’s movie lens. When Thomas joins the group, the humor that comes from it is the dynamic of having a child be put into adult situations and realizing just how intelligent he is. One of the key sequences that solidifies this is when Thomas questions Carver about his life as a rich man. Ending with, “Are you satisfied?”

It’s a moment that speaks to Thomas’s acumen and understanding of the world around him. Also highlighting just how much of the conversations between his mom and uncle he understands, it makes the only child in the equation endearing. Yes, Fountain of Youth is an all-ages film, but it keeps its heading right on the balanced mark without veering into something that would alienate an older audience.

For their part, John Krasinski and Natalie Portman excel as siblings. Luke and Charlotte’s bickering and love for each other come out in equal measure. However, the best part of Fountain of Youth is probably my favorite part of any adventure movie. No, it’s not the third act Temple Run (although that’s great too). It’s the chemistry between the male lead and the woman pushing back against his bravado.

Eiza González is a standout, and the chemistry between her and Krasinski is electric.

The central “highly confident man is held in check by an equally capable and confident woman” has been one of my favorite romance dynamics. And like most adventure movies, Fountain of Youth knows how to give us just enough flirtation and romantic tension without turning the genre of the film into something different.

But while the pacing around the relationship, the dance between two explorers at the top of their game, and watching the two fight it out, it’s all good food. While Krasinski and Portman are the central protagonists of the film, one of its introductory antagonists is Eiza González as Esme. While I appreciate a nice family adventure, the chemistry between González and Krasinski is so incredibly compelling. I want to see them together, and ultimately, I’d take a sequel that is just more of them racing for a new discovery.

Still, the romantic connection between the two isn’t all that Eiza Gonzalez is there for. With the best wardrobe of the bunch, Esme is a powerful antagonist, equipped to fight and win, and ultimately solidifies just how much González deserves to be put in a central action spotlight. Where some of the third act’s focus on large CGI-heavy setpieces, Esme’s action sequences thrive on good fight choreography. Even when fighting John Krasinski, who is seven inches taller than the 5’8″ actress, Gonzalez understands how to use her physicality in action sequences to never seem at a disadvantage.

While this of course goes to the fight and stunt coordinating team, this isn’t Eiza González’s first time taking on male protagonists and holding her own in the scene. The reason this is an essential piece to why Fountain of Youth works is that it’s rare in American-produced action films to allow the women in them to perform choreography without a vertigo-inducing number of jump cuts.

Even though action is secondary to the adventure in Fountain of Youth, the execution of the fight scenes, even if they are quick, is something to write home about, and González’s Esme is the star. But Gonzalez isn’t the only great action-capable star in the film. Both Krasinski and Gleeson have moments that make them shine. If anything, John Krasinski gets to blend the Jack Ryan physicality with a quick-wit charisma that we haven’t seen him do before. And it works extremely well.

Ultimately, Fountain of Youth thrives because of its cast. Kraisnski and Gonzalez are the standouts, but Domhall Gleason is once again a scene-stealer. The rest of the ensemble, including Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Epp, and Stanley Tucci, work well and balance out the film to great effect. The only thing I needed more of was Stanley Tucci. But I mean, every film can always use more Stanley Tucci.

The only area where the film stumbles is in its final act. Once the group has made their way to Egypt, the magic of the mythology comes to life and quickly shifts the film’s tone. More frustratingly, the Fountain of Youth’s answer is more convoluted than expected. Luke’s consistent dreams about the discovery come to fruition, but in a heavy-handed way.

Fountain of Youth only has one fault. 

Throughout the film, Luke has dreams and visions of drinking from the Fountain of Youth. In return, Charlotte and Thomas fade away. It’s a heavy-handed piece of exposition that exists just as padding for the film’s final moment, where our hero, Luke, obviously refuses to drink. The lead-up to his choice feels more like writer James Vanderbilt didn’t trust the audience and, visually, like Ritchie felt the need to overdescribe the film’s climax.

Outside of that, however, Fountain of Youth is an example of the fun and excitement that the action-adventure film can offer audiences. It’s a kind of film we don’t see too often in media anymore, thanks in large part to the constant comparison of genre greats like Indiana Jones or The Mummy. Stille, the costume design we see in Fountain of Youth calls back to the greats and maintains a familiar visual style, where the script keeps us solidly in 2025.

While Fountain of Youth may not hit the highest of highs, it is still an Apple TV+ film that captures the wonder of adventure and ultimately leaves me wanting more of the characters we met along the way. We need more adventure, and on that, Fountain of Youth is a step in the right direction.

Fountain of Youth is streaming on Apple TV+ starting May 23, 2025.