I’m not going to take apart Fountain Of Youth, the latest in the 2025 movie schedule that you can check out with your AppleTV+ subscription. I do think it’s a fun movie, in a “movie of the week” kind of way. I love that the movie is at least trying to be something new and not relying on existing IP, something Hollywood doesn’t take enough chances on these days. The Guy Richie film delivers in being an enjoyable adventure movie perfect for a Sunday afternoon. It also tries to set itself up for a sequel, or even a franchise, and on that front, I’m not so sure it works.
Fountain Of Youth Seems To Be Inventing The Next Indiana Jones
John Krasinski and Natalie Portman star as brother and sister Luke and Charlotte Purdue, the children of a famed, late archaeologist. Luke is the charming adventurer in the family, going so far as to commit daring art heists to find the clues he is looking for to discover the mythical Fountain of Youth. Charlotte is the more pragmatic sibling, working as a curator in an art museum that Luke burglarizes.
Luke eventually convinces Charlotte to join him in his quest, and the adventure begins in full. I won’t get into too many spoilers here, but the movie trots along at a decent clip, with some completely unrealistic things happening to get to the answers they seek, very much akin to some of Indiana Jones’ adventures, especially from the last couple of movies (not a ringing endorsement, I know). Throw in a dash of The Da Vinci Code’s faux intellectualism, and it seems clear that Richie and Co. are hoping to build a franchise.
The Ending Of Fountain Of Youth Is Especially Heavy-Handed
Once the adventure is over and our heroes have saved the day by making the correct moral decision, and the villain, played Domhnall Gleeson, who is given far too little to do here, is vanquished, Charlotte and Luke have a back and forth that is about as subtle as a lost ark to the head.
Charlotte is ready to team up with her brother again to seek other lost treasures. They trade friendly barbs about what they could look for next, while giving no answers (and the cast isn’t letting on, either, about a potential sequel). There are, of course, dozens of potential artifacts or mythical places to search out in a franchise. That doesn’t mean there will be one, though.
Fountain Of Youth Just Isn’t Strong Enough To Launch A Franchise
Krasinski is great in the movie, and he’s much more realistic as a reluctant action hero than, say, as Jack Ryan in the Amazon show of the same name, which he starred in. Portman is, as always, great, but something doesn’t work here. The dialogue is a little cheesy, and the plot, while a great idea, doesn’t hold together. There is no villain that we know of until the end, and even that feels forced, despite Charlotte’s foreshadowing.
Then there is the sort of ham-fisted dialogue at the end, trying to set up a sequel. It’s all just a little too presumptive and, frankly, cheesy, the way they do it. Sure, movies have long set up franchises and sequels, but usually that’s once they are established. Fountain of Youth isn’t there yet. I’d be all for giving the characters one more chance, but will audiences and Apple agree? I just don’t know.
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