Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain of Youth’ Was Criminally Underrated

Ever the industrious filmmaker, Guy Ritchie has been busier than ever in the 2020s. He has directed five movies so far in the decade, with one more on the way. Ritchie has also been active on television, making shows such as The Gentlemen, MobLand, and Young Sherlock. Regrettably, his recent fantasy adventure film, Fountain of Youth, was poorly received when it came out. But were fans and critics wrong?

Made for Apple TV, Fountain of Youth follows estranged siblings Luke (John Krasinski), a roguish archeologist, and Charlotte (Natalie Portman), a museum curator, who are reunited by a dying billionaire to locate the legendary spring of immortality. They thus embark on a globetrotting adventure, decoding clues while dodging Interpol and a secret society known as “Protectors.” Their journey eventually takes them to the Great Pyramids of Giza. But is the fountain really there?

‘Fountain of Youth’ Was Mercilessly Flogged

Apple TV+

Calling Fountain of Youth’s critical reception poor would be an understatement. The movie has a dismal 35% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with various critics describing it as nothing but an Indiana Jones knockoff. The Popcornmeter score isn’t much better. It currently sits at 38%. On IMDb, the fantasy adventure flick scored 5.7/10, suggesting that only half of those who watched it loved it. To make it worse, Natalie Portman received a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress.

However, Fountain of Youth performed extremely well on Apple TV, reaching the top of the streaming service’s charts in August. The film beat high-profile releases like The Gorge – a sci-fi epic starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller – and Echo Valley, which stars Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney. Both of these movies had generated massive buzz, but neither managed to beat the Guy Ritchie film.

So, was the movie unfairly reviewed? Does it have a haphazard narrative that jumps all over the place for no good reason? Does it have a rabid identity crisis, crying out for some form of adult restraint? Unlike Scorsese and Spielberg, Guy Ritchie isn’t the kind of person you can jump to defend in a fight without hearing the facts first. Like Ridley Scott, Guy Ritchie’s filmography tends to be extremely inconsistent. However, fans and critics were indeed wrong about Fountain of Youth. It has more high points than low ones and ticks several genre boxes perfectly. Most importantly, it’s a feel-good Guy Ritchie film.

‘Fountain of Youth’ Isn’t a Smart Film, But It Entertains

John Krasinski and Natalie Portman in Guy Ritchie's Fountain of Youth

Fountain of Youth certainly isn’t Guy Ritchie’s best film, but it is one of his most intriguing lesser works. It isn’t by accident that it stayed in Apple TV’s Top 10 for over nine months. As one of Hollywood’s most prolific filmmakers, Ritchie has a knack for delivering what the majority of the cinema-going public wants, even if it’s in the form of lowbrow adventures. His worthier and more intellectually stimulating films, especially the excursions into gangster territory, are what his staunch fans prefer, but a 10-year-old is more likely to enjoy this than Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Fountain of Youth is somewhat of a halfway house, lodged somewhere between the Ritchie classics and the type more likely to appeal to mainstream audiences. It sure looks like an Indiana Jones ripoff, but it’s more than that. The script is actually a tongue-in-cheek pastiche of various other adventure media, including Uncharted. Stylistically, the fantasy adventure flick has more in common with Ritchie’s war movies. Ed Wild’s atmospheric photography has a distinctly sun-kissed feel to it. And even though the irreverent tone of the story is evident at times. Ritchie’s direction and his stylish scene presentation compensate adequately.

What most redeems Fountain of Youth and saves it from being too corny for its own good is the amiable cast. Indeed, the glamorously demure Natalie Portman appears absent-minded here, just like the good people at the Razzies claim, but Krasinski and Laz Alonso are in top form. The rest of the supporting cast is also an ultra-smooth line-up capable of keeping any humdrum Hollywood production afloat. So, if you are wondering whether to watch the movie or not, go right ahead. It’ll likely age remarkably well and hold its own against several classic Hollywood fantasy adventure movies. For those who were left depressed by The Covenant, this is the ideal antidote. 125 minutes of bold, unapologetic lunacy.