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Tom's Guide
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
‘Fountain of Youth' review: Apple TV Plus's new Guy Ritchie adventure movie is best left undiscovered
Apple TV Plus' latest original feature is "Fountain of Youth," a new Guy Ritchie movie that sees John Krasinski and Natalie Portman playing estranged siblings on a quest for the titular artefact. It's a film I've been keeping a close eye on ever since I saw the first trailer. I have a lot of love for adventure movie classics like "The Mummy" and "Indiana Jones," so "Fountain of Youth" ended up being one of my most anticipated watches from the start of the summer movie season. Ahead of its release on the Apple streaming service tomorrow (Friday, May 23), I got to attend a preview screening to see what this globe-trotting adventure had in store. Here's what I have to say about the experience The story follows wayward treasure hunter Luke Purdue (John Krasinski). He's currently being bankrolled by an ailing wealthy benefactor, Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson), who wants him to locate the Fountain of Youth. Having spent some time gathering clues to the fountain's location, he ends up roping his sister, art curator Charlotte (Natalie Portman), in on the quest. With Luke's crew (and Owen's money) in tow, the duo set off in search of the mythological water source, and what follows will be familiar to any fans of movies like "Indiana Jones," "National Treasure," "The Mummy" and more. There's danger, hot pursuits, slippery escapes, ancient artefacts, some impressive sets and high stakes… and it should be an absolute blast. The emphasis is very much on the word "should" in that previous paragraph, though, as 'Fountain of Youth' is let down by rather poor writing. Ritchie's got proven action chops, and they still come through here in some of the major setpieces — highlights including the moped chase through the streets of Bangkok that opens the movie, or a hand-to-hand scrap partway through inside a grand library — and at least things move along at a clip. The problem is, whenever the action stops, we're mired in those writing woes. The script is in keeping with the kind of hammy nature of the genre, but the dialogue is just so reliant on cliches and eye-roll-worthy, obvious quips, bad gags and confusing metaphors. Worse, it also suffers from repetition and tons of exposition. Characters will, out loud, just tell you exactly what they're doing and when they're doing it, or restate what it is they need to do multiple times over. It's like it was designed to be watched in the background, while you're doing something else. There are other problems; the performances feel a little lackluster, for one, and there's some pointless slow-mo thrown in for seemingly no real reason, but the poor writing is easily the single biggest mark against "Fountain of Youth." That's a real shame, too, because I was genuinely really looking forward to seeing it, and wanted to be able to give the movie a glowing recommendation. But after seeing it? I simply can't. 'Fountain of Youth' is not, to be clear, the worst movie in the world; I've streamed much worse. It's just that it's another of Apple TV Plus' serviceable-at-best movies, and I'm not at all surprised it has skipped theaters altogether. If you're at a loss for weekend viewing, you're a Guy Ritchie fan and you think you'd get a kick out of a very silly treasure hunt, 'Fountain of Youth' might still be worth adding to your watchlist. But if you were hoping for a bold, brilliant adventure flick like I was, check your expectations: Ritchie's latest feature ain't it. "Fountain of Youth" is streaming on Apple TV Plus from Friday, May 23. Looking to make the most of your Apple TV Plus subscription? Check out our round-up of the best Apple TV Plus shows for tons more streaming recommendations.
Tom's Guide
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
This epic Apple TV Plus historical drama series with Jason Momoa just got an action-packed trailer — it's streaming this summer
One of Apple TV Plus' first original shows was 'See', a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama starring Jason Momoa; it ran for three seasons and concluded in 2022. This summer, the DC star is back on the streaming service with another Apple show — and thanks to a new teaser trailer, we've had our first proper look at what's in store. This new release is 'Chief of War,' an epic historical drama about the islands of Hawai'i. Billed as a 'passion project' for co-creators Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett (who share native Hawaiian heritage), 'Chief of War' takes us back to the late 18th century to tell the story of the unification and colonisation of Hawai'i from the indigenous point of view. Check out the teaser below: Opening with a speedy montage of what's to come, we see Momoa as the warrior, Ka'iana, looking out to the ocean, as a voiceover says he'll see 'the Prophecy' fulfilled. Things might look peaceful at first, but that peace turns to mention of war, and the trailer pivots in kind. What began as a mix of natural beauty and scenes of island life switches to shots of cannonfire, colonial visitors, and concludes with shots right at the heart of a chaotic battlefield. 'Epic' is the word Apple used to describe the series when they shared a first image from the series back in March, and, based on what we've just seen, it sure seems like an apt description: 'Chief of War' is certainly on my summer watchlist, after this. Excited? You'll be pleased to know 'Chief of War' already has a release date. 'Chief of War' is getting a two-episode premiere on Friday, August 1, 2025, and new episodes will continue to release every Friday through September 19, exclusively on Apple TV Plus. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Apple has already shared a brief series synopsis for 'Chief of War.' It reads: 'Set amidst the beautiful backdrop of the islands of Hawai'i, the nine-episode series is based on true events and follows warrior Ka'iana, portrayed by Momoa, as he tries to unify the islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century.' 'Chief of War' has been performed by a predominantly Polynesian cast. The series' ensemble cast also includes Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, newcomer Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale'o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka and Te Kohe Tuhaka. If you need something to stream while you wait for 'Chief of War' to air, check out our guide to the best Apple TV Plus shows for tons more streaming recommendations to fill your watchlist.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Silo and Severance season 2 may have scored over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Apple is reportedly losing over $1 billion a year on streaming
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Despite housing smash hit TV shows such as Severance and Silo and a whole hoard of original movies, Apple is apparently losing a lot of money on streaming. A new report from the Information shows that Apple is losing over $1 billion a year on streaming. The loss is mainly due to the company overspending on content. This comes after Apple TV Plus did some cutting back in 2024, where they spent around $4.5 billion on content compared to the $5 billion they were shelling out a year since the streamer launched in 2019, as stated in the report. This comes as a bit of a surprise as many of the streamer's new releases this year have proven to be a hit with critics and fans alike, such as Severance season 2, which has earned a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and Silo season 2, which sits at 96%. Not only this, but Apple TV Plus' next big release coming on March 26, Seth Rogan's The Studio, has already scored an amazing 97%, with critics calling it "impeccably crafted" and "triumphantly funny." However, the company feeding its streaming platform with bounds of expensive content will hopefully push many more subscribers to the site. This seems to be working so far, as Ben Stiller's Severance grew the streaming service by two million subscribers in February. Severance's second season has just come to an end, with Severance season 3 now confirmed by Apple TV Plus. 2025 as a whole may prove to be a better year for Apple as there are still many more exciting titles to come, including the Brad Pitt starrer F1 in June, which will see a theatrical release before it hits the streamer. Plus, sci-fi series Murbot is on the way this May starring Alexander Skarsgård. The show is based on Martha Wells' best-selling book series, and follows a self-hacking security construct who is drawn to vulnerable human beings. For more, check out our lists of the best shows on Apple TV Plus and the best movies on Apple TV Plus.
