They had pushed those lives to the limit by the time the film begins.  Interpol is pursuing Luke for many art thefts, while Charlotte's once-friendly divorce has soured and is now threatening to lose custody of her kid.  They are reunited when Luke enlists his reluctant sister in his most recent quest, which is to find the fabled fountain of youth on behalf of Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson), a billionaire who is terminally ill. However, their journey is about more than just getting there.  They become closer to one another as they approach their objective. 

One of Fountain of Youth's better instincts is this one.  Although Carver's objective serves as sufficient motivation to forward the plot, the movie often returns to the reasons why Luke finds this journey so crucial, letting viewers into his persistent subconscious through his dreams.  This spine prevents the film from toppling over, even though it wobbles a lot.  The big conclusion only has the emotional significance it does because of it. 

Generally speaking, however, the pieces of the adventure set are not in need of assistance.  Although he obviously treated himself to a buffet of antecedents, including a startling amount of The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, and Indiana Jones, screenwriter james Vanderbilt has structurally mapped out an intriguing path for the main characters.  Additionally, Arian Moayed's Inspector Jamal abbas and Eiza González's enigmatic agent of the fountain's fabled guardians are pursuing them separately, which welcomes any carefully thought-out schemes. 

However, Fountain of Youth's numerous issues constantly managed to drag me out of the experience, no matter how much I wanted to relax and enjoy the journey.  Though it's difficult to pinpoint who is to fault, the dialogue is the most common offender, as it frequently catches the ear awkwardly.  The script was obviously written with a thesaurus too close at hand, yet what might have been meant as lighthearted intellectual posturing is simply not natural, and the delivery's rhythm is also startlingly off.  The way this was written was not well received by the director, the majority of the cast, or both. 

In addition, Ritchie would be implicated by the stylistic flaws.  Visual flourishes have long been a favorite of his, and when they work well, they exude real cool.  However, a lot of his decisions here are pointless.  For instance, his use of slow motion in Sherlock Holmes was based on Sherlock's brilliance and slowed down the world to give viewers a sense of how quickly he thinks.  It feels more like a put-on than a genuine concept when he tries the same trick once with Luke.  Such moments abound in Fountain of Youth. 

Krasinski's terrible miscasting doesn't help either.  I get the reasoning: maybe you get a lovely adventurer if you blend his action character with his humorous skills.  However, he lacks the charm that this film sorely needs.  This type of movie relies heavily on the chemistry between the characters when there isn't a major, thrilling event taking place, and the pivotal scenes with Krasinski and Portman—who is also not entirely comfortable with this material—and Krasinski and Gonzalez—who is actually quite good—just don't provide enough of it. 

I spent Fountain of youth debating whether the creators truly know what audiences enjoy about these films, which is probably the main reason I'm still so undecided.  It's okay that Ritchie, a renowned action director, goes toward action in this film.  The action works well when it isn't overly stylized.  However, there is a nerdy aspect to treasure hunt films that this movie occasionally undervalues. 

This isn't completely absent from Fountain of youth, and the atmosphere I was seeking is prominent in the closing moments.  I am therefore still caught between taking a strong stand for or against.  But one thing is certain: I wanted another one after viewing it, but not from these individuals. 

Overall, A Solid Adventure movie With Some Flaws
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Fountain of Youth

G GOWTHAM

24/05/2025 10:29 AM