Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of May 26, 2025
Fountain of Youth
Rated PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 38%
Streaming on Apple TV+
Director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) brings us this action thriller starring John Krasinski (The Office) as a treasure hunter/thief who has been hired by a billionaire (Domhall Gleeson) to uncover the whereabouts for the legendary fountain of youth. Recruiting his reluctant sister and museum curator (Natalie Portman), his team travels around the world, searching for clues, but is closely followed by both Interpol and a deadly team of assassins attempting to keep the secrets of the fountain forever hidden. Looking at this film on paper, you would think this could be a huge hit, given the pedigree of filmmakers and stars. But five minutes in and you immediately understand why it went straight to streaming in a time where most of the big releases from Apple are playing in theaters at least a little bit before heading home. From the very start, the project feels like a two-bit Indiana Jones with a peppering of National Treasure. The action is silly and its plans obvious. And as you move forward through the two-hour project, this tromping through the plot becomes more and more tedious. By the end, you don’t just get a poorly created Indiana Jones, but rather a direct rip-off of The Last Crusade, done with the heart, brain and soul completely removed. Apple has been delivering some of the best at-home entertainment out there with the recent releases of The Studio and Your Friends and Neighbors being possibly the two best new television series this year. And in spite of possible good intentions, Fountain of Youth does everything in its power to wreck their credibility when it comes to theatrical-style entertainment. D