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2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Guy Ritchie's fun and brainless crime caper may well have legs
Fountain of Youth (M, 126 minutes) 3 stars The recent and final chapter of the Indian Jones films, The Dial of Destiny, was the close of a 40-plus-year film journey, and as nature abhors a vacuum, Guy Ritchie's Fountain of Youth comes along from Apple TV+ hoping to fill that vacuum. Ritchie is a talent, to be sure, but while he used to come up with refreshing original material, his recent fare consists of what is referred to as IP films. That is, films that exploit existing intellectual property, like the 2019 live-action Disney remake of Aladdin, his 2015 reboot of the 60s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. or even recently adapting his own movie The Gentlemen for a streaming series. They're inventively directed but don't give you anything you don't expect, and that is Fountain of Youth, a film desperately hoping to become a film franchise and exploitable IP. Ritchie, Apple TV and the cast of big names give it everything they've got trying to make that happen. Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) is a professional adventurer and as the film opens he is being chased through the Bangkok markets by a cadre of villains trying to recover a painting he has stolen from them - and so perhaps Luke is actually the villain. Among those in pursuit is Esme (Eiza Gonzalez), seemingly pursuing Luke separate to the other bad guys, and almost successful at getting the painting back. Eventually escaping, John visits his sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) at her work at one of London's major art galleries, where he brazenly steals yet another painting and runs off with Charlotte on his heels. Charlotte is furious with her brother, as well you might be when you'll likely lose your career thanks to his light fingers, but it seems the Purdue siblings grew up the children of an adventurer thief, like the filmic children of Nicholas Cage's National Treasure hero or Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft. Luke has assembled his late father's old team of assistants, spending the money of billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson) on the hunt for the mythical fountain of youth. Carver claims to have a terminal illness and is prepared to spend whatever is necessary, and so the team has bought and robbed a collection of priceless art that have clues to the location of the mythic fountain. As her career has been now tanked, Charlotte may as well come along for the ride. Guy Ritchie's film is certainly fun, there is certainly big big money being spent on filming in exotic locations and some of the action set-pieces are very well executed. He goes for practical stunt work over CGI where he can, and the action has a believability to it, with Krasinski not trying to be Jason Statham with a PhD, and limping away painfully from each fight scene. But James Vanderbilt's screenplay is fairly paint-by-numbers, and if you've seen any of the National Treasure films you could confidently predict most of the plot and dialogue. There's even Stanley Tucci as the head of a secret organisation that exists to protect the location of the fountain of youth, though he's only on screen for about as long as you can say 'Hey, isn't this eerily similar to the plot of The Mummy?' Frankly the only thing about he film with a ring of authenticity to it is the snarky dialogue between the two siblings, and Krasinski and Portman play well together. In fact, if this is just the first in an ongoing franchise, perhaps the filmmakers' biggest mistake was just calling it Fountain of Youth and not "Luke Purdue and the Fountain of Youth" or "Charlotte Purdue and the Fountain of Youth", as either character could take the Indiana Jones mantle. Fun and a bit brainless, Ritchie's film is worth the price of the AppleTV+ free trial. Fountain of Youth (M, 126 minutes) 3 stars The recent and final chapter of the Indian Jones films, The Dial of Destiny, was the close of a 40-plus-year film journey, and as nature abhors a vacuum, Guy Ritchie's Fountain of Youth comes along from Apple TV+ hoping to fill that vacuum. Ritchie is a talent, to be sure, but while he used to come up with refreshing original material, his recent fare consists of what is referred to as IP films. That is, films that exploit existing intellectual property, like the 2019 live-action Disney remake of Aladdin, his 2015 reboot of the 60s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. or even recently adapting his own movie The Gentlemen for a streaming series. They're inventively directed but don't give you anything you don't expect, and that is Fountain of Youth, a film desperately hoping to become a film franchise and exploitable IP. Ritchie, Apple TV and the cast of big names give it everything they've got trying to make that happen. Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) is a professional adventurer and as the film opens he is being chased through the Bangkok markets by a cadre of villains trying to recover a painting he has stolen from them - and so perhaps Luke is actually the villain. Among those in pursuit is Esme (Eiza Gonzalez), seemingly pursuing Luke separate to the other bad guys, and almost successful at getting the painting back. Eventually escaping, John visits his sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) at her work at one of London's major art galleries, where he brazenly steals yet another painting and runs off with Charlotte on his heels. Charlotte is furious with her brother, as well you might be when you'll likely lose your career thanks to his light fingers, but it seems the Purdue siblings grew up the children of an adventurer thief, like the filmic children of Nicholas Cage's National Treasure hero or Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft. Luke has assembled his late father's old team of assistants, spending the money of billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson) on the hunt for the mythical fountain of youth. Carver claims to have a terminal illness and is prepared to spend whatever is necessary, and so the team has bought and robbed a collection of priceless art that have clues to the location of the mythic fountain. As her career has been now tanked, Charlotte may as well come along for the ride. Guy Ritchie's film is certainly fun, there is certainly big big money being spent on filming in exotic locations and some of the action set-pieces are very well executed. He goes for practical stunt work over CGI where he can, and the action has a believability to it, with Krasinski not trying to be Jason Statham with a PhD, and limping away painfully from each fight scene. But James Vanderbilt's screenplay is fairly paint-by-numbers, and if you've seen any of the National Treasure films you could confidently predict most of the plot and dialogue. There's even Stanley Tucci as the head of a secret organisation that exists to protect the location of the fountain of youth, though he's only on screen for about as long as you can say 'Hey, isn't this eerily similar to the plot of The Mummy?' Frankly the only thing about he film with a ring of authenticity to it is the snarky dialogue between the two siblings, and Krasinski and Portman play well together. In fact, if this is just the first in an ongoing franchise, perhaps the filmmakers' biggest mistake was just calling it Fountain of Youth and not "Luke Purdue and the Fountain of Youth" or "Charlotte Purdue and the Fountain of Youth", as either character could take the Indiana Jones mantle. Fun and a bit brainless, Ritchie's film is worth the price of the AppleTV+ free trial. Fountain of Youth (M, 126 minutes) 3 stars The recent and final chapter of the Indian Jones films, The Dial of Destiny, was the close of a 40-plus-year film journey, and as nature abhors a vacuum, Guy Ritchie's Fountain of Youth comes along from Apple TV+ hoping to fill that vacuum. Ritchie is a talent, to be sure, but while he used to come up with refreshing original material, his recent fare consists of what is referred to as IP films. That is, films that exploit existing intellectual property, like the 2019 live-action Disney remake of Aladdin, his 2015 reboot of the 60s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. or even recently adapting his own movie The Gentlemen for a streaming series. They're inventively directed but don't give you anything you don't expect, and that is Fountain of Youth, a film desperately hoping to become a film franchise and exploitable IP. Ritchie, Apple TV and the cast of big names give it everything they've got trying to make that happen. Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) is a professional adventurer and as the film opens he is being chased through the Bangkok markets by a cadre of villains trying to recover a painting he has stolen from them - and so perhaps Luke is actually the villain. Among those in pursuit is Esme (Eiza Gonzalez), seemingly pursuing Luke separate to the other bad guys, and almost successful at getting the painting back. Eventually escaping, John visits his sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) at her work at one of London's major art galleries, where he brazenly steals yet another painting and runs off with Charlotte on his heels. Charlotte is furious with her brother, as well you might be when you'll likely lose your career thanks to his light fingers, but it seems the Purdue siblings grew up the children of an adventurer thief, like the filmic children of Nicholas Cage's National Treasure hero or Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft. Luke has assembled his late father's old team of assistants, spending the money of billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson) on the hunt for the mythical fountain of youth. Carver claims to have a terminal illness and is prepared to spend whatever is necessary, and so the team has bought and robbed a collection of priceless art that have clues to the location of the mythic fountain. As her career has been now tanked, Charlotte may as well come along for the ride. Guy Ritchie's film is certainly fun, there is certainly big big money being spent on filming in exotic locations and some of the action set-pieces are very well executed. He goes for practical stunt work over CGI where he can, and the action has a believability to it, with Krasinski not trying to be Jason Statham with a PhD, and limping away painfully from each fight scene. But James Vanderbilt's screenplay is fairly paint-by-numbers, and if you've seen any of the National Treasure films you could confidently predict most of the plot and dialogue. There's even Stanley Tucci as the head of a secret organisation that exists to protect the location of the fountain of youth, though he's only on screen for about as long as you can say 'Hey, isn't this eerily similar to the plot of The Mummy?' Frankly the only thing about he film with a ring of authenticity to it is the snarky dialogue between the two siblings, and Krasinski and Portman play well together. In fact, if this is just the first in an ongoing franchise, perhaps the filmmakers' biggest mistake was just calling it Fountain of Youth and not "Luke Purdue and the Fountain of Youth" or "Charlotte Purdue and the Fountain of Youth", as either character could take the Indiana Jones mantle. Fun and a bit brainless, Ritchie's film is worth the price of the AppleTV+ free trial. Fountain of Youth (M, 126 minutes) 3 stars The recent and final chapter of the Indian Jones films, The Dial of Destiny, was the close of a 40-plus-year film journey, and as nature abhors a vacuum, Guy Ritchie's Fountain of Youth comes along from Apple TV+ hoping to fill that vacuum. Ritchie is a talent, to be sure, but while he used to come up with refreshing original material, his recent fare consists of what is referred to as IP films. That is, films that exploit existing intellectual property, like the 2019 live-action Disney remake of Aladdin, his 2015 reboot of the 60s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. or even recently adapting his own movie The Gentlemen for a streaming series. They're inventively directed but don't give you anything you don't expect, and that is Fountain of Youth, a film desperately hoping to become a film franchise and exploitable IP. Ritchie, Apple TV and the cast of big names give it everything they've got trying to make that happen. Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) is a professional adventurer and as the film opens he is being chased through the Bangkok markets by a cadre of villains trying to recover a painting he has stolen from them - and so perhaps Luke is actually the villain. Among those in pursuit is Esme (Eiza Gonzalez), seemingly pursuing Luke separate to the other bad guys, and almost successful at getting the painting back. Eventually escaping, John visits his sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) at her work at one of London's major art galleries, where he brazenly steals yet another painting and runs off with Charlotte on his heels. Charlotte is furious with her brother, as well you might be when you'll likely lose your career thanks to his light fingers, but it seems the Purdue siblings grew up the children of an adventurer thief, like the filmic children of Nicholas Cage's National Treasure hero or Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft. Luke has assembled his late father's old team of assistants, spending the money of billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson) on the hunt for the mythical fountain of youth. Carver claims to have a terminal illness and is prepared to spend whatever is necessary, and so the team has bought and robbed a collection of priceless art that have clues to the location of the mythic fountain. As her career has been now tanked, Charlotte may as well come along for the ride. Guy Ritchie's film is certainly fun, there is certainly big big money being spent on filming in exotic locations and some of the action set-pieces are very well executed. He goes for practical stunt work over CGI where he can, and the action has a believability to it, with Krasinski not trying to be Jason Statham with a PhD, and limping away painfully from each fight scene. But James Vanderbilt's screenplay is fairly paint-by-numbers, and if you've seen any of the National Treasure films you could confidently predict most of the plot and dialogue. There's even Stanley Tucci as the head of a secret organisation that exists to protect the location of the fountain of youth, though he's only on screen for about as long as you can say 'Hey, isn't this eerily similar to the plot of The Mummy?' Frankly the only thing about he film with a ring of authenticity to it is the snarky dialogue between the two siblings, and Krasinski and Portman play well together. In fact, if this is just the first in an ongoing franchise, perhaps the filmmakers' biggest mistake was just calling it Fountain of Youth and not "Luke Purdue and the Fountain of Youth" or "Charlotte Purdue and the Fountain of Youth", as either character could take the Indiana Jones mantle. Fun and a bit brainless, Ritchie's film is worth the price of the AppleTV+ free trial.
News18
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
What Fans Are Saying About John Krasinski, Natalie Portman's Fountain Of Youth
Last Updated: The story follows two estranged siblings on a thrilling global heist in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth. Fountain of Youth, starring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman, debuted this Friday and has become a talking point on social media. Directed by Guy Ritchie and written by James Vanderbilt, the new adventure film brings together a star-studded cast and a treasure hunt plotline filled with action, history and myth. The story follows two estranged siblings, played by Krasinski and Portman, on a thrilling global heist of the legendary Fountain of Youth. Using their shared knowledge of history, they chase clues that could lead them to immortality. Domhnall Gleeson plays a wealthy businessman funding the mission while Eiza González appears as one of the protectors of the mystical fountain. Other cast members include Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo and Stanley Tucci. Since the film's release, fan reactions have been pouring in on X (formerly Twitter). Some viewers are drawing comparisons to iconic action-adventure films ,while others are pointing out areas where the movie could have done better. One user wrote, 'Watched Fountain of Youth, felt like I was watching Indiana Jones, The Da Vinci Code, or National Treasure, but without any emotional resonance, suspense, or wonder. I felt John Krasinski is a miscast for an adventurer & the main cast lacked chemistry as well." Watched Fountain of Youth, felt like I was watching Indiana Jones, The Da Vinci Code, or National Treasure, but without any emotional resonance, suspense, or wonder.I felt John Krasinski is a miscast for an adventurer & the main cast lacked chemistry as well. #FountainOfYouth — Krìsh (@FlicksandChill) May 23, 2025 Another said, 'Guy Ritchie's #FountainOfYouth is both witty and charismatic, but sometimes is dragged down by wayward D plots and a cliche twist villain. Definitely an entertaining film though. Krasinski, Portman, Gleeson and Gonzalez absolutely rock here." Guy Ritchie's #FountainOfYouth is both witty and charismatic, but sometimes is dragged down by wayward D plots and a cliche twist an entertaining film though. Krasinski, Portman, Gleeson and Gonzalez absolutely rock here. — zgub (@zgub6) May 22, 2025 A movie buff described it enjoyable: '#FountainOfYouth isn't one of Guy Ritchie's better films but it's a mostly fun adventure that nicely harkens back to classics of the genre. It's a little generic & overlong but it's got strong action, a solid cast & a constant sense of fun. Wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this." #FountainOfYouth isn't one of Guy Ritchie's better films but it's a mostly fun adventure that nicely harkens back to classics of the genre. It's a little generic & overlong but it's got strong action, a solid cast & a constant sense of fun. Wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this — Connor (@ConnorMovies) May 23, 2025 'Fountain Of Youth is more The Mummy (1999) than National Treasure. John Krasinski Natalie Portman likeable leads. Twist Villain Is Painfully Obvious. Eiza González kicks a** & looks fantastic. Entertaining. Wouldn't mind a sequel but not clamoring," read another review. Fountain Of Youth is more The Mummy(1999) than National Treasure. John Krasinski Natalie Portman likeable leads. Twist Villain Is Painfully Obvious. Eiza González kicks ass & looks fantastic. Entertaining. Wouldn't mind a Sequel but not clamoring. 3.6/5 🌟. #FountainOfYouth — Charles Fernandez ᴮᴸᴹ #StanJosephineLangford (@movie_charles) May 24, 2025 A viewer talking about the film's pace and visuals wrote, 'I watched 'Fountain of Youth". John Krasinski looked like Nate from Uncharted Bomber, not just in appearance but in his movements too. The story moves along smoothly, with the sunken ship quickly salvaged using money to its full potential. The film is fast-paced, with epic visuals and action taking the lead." 『ファウンテン・オブ・ユース 神秘の泉を探せ』を鑑賞。ジョン・クラシンスキーが見た目だけじゃなく動きまでアンチャのネイトみたいだった🤣金に物を言わせてあっという間に沈没船をサルベージするなどサクサク話が進む。エピックな映像とアクション優先でテンポ良く観られる。 #FountainOfYouth — チキ (@Chikizuku) May 23, 2025 While their sibling dynamic in Fountain of Youth may be getting mixed reactions from viewers, Portman had nothing but praise for her co-star. At the red carpet premiere, which took place at the American Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles on May 19, she opened up about the experience of working alongside John Krasinski. 'It was so incredible to get to work with John. He's so funny. He's so kind, such a good actor and to play brother and sister was really fun because both of us, I think, had an imagination of what it might be like," Portman told People at the event. Fountain of Youth is currently available for streaming on Apple TV+. First Published:
Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Fountain of Youth review: Guy Ritchie races past logic in globe-trotting action romp
AP John Krasinski and Natalie Portman headline Fountain of Youth, Guy Ritchie's high-octane action movie that zips through exotic locations in search of a mysterious aging cure (Dan Smith/Apple TV+ via AP) For some moviegoers, all it takes is the hum of a motorcycle engine and a blur of neon-lit fruit stalls to feel transported. From its opening seconds, Fountain of Youth announces itself as a quintessential Guy Ritchie action movie. The film starts in high gear with a thunderous chase through Bangkok. Luke Purdue, played by John Krasinski, is the man behind the wheel or handlebars, in this case, having just stolen a priceless piece of art. He is pursued by a team of well-armed thugs, setting the tone for a film more interested in pacing than plausibility. Also read: What to watch this weekend, here are top 10 picks for you Ritchie speeds through plot with chase scenes and one-liners In the world of Guy Ritchie movies, the logic often comes second to spectacle, and Fountain of Youth is no exception. Krasinski plays Luke, a rogue art thief who quickly finds himself face-to-face with Esme, a sultry and mysterious recovery specialist played by Eiza González. Her character, though lightly sketched, adds flair to the otherwise familiar adventure-movie formula. The plot thickens when Luke is forced to collaborate with his museum-curator sister Charlotte, played by Natalie Portman. Enter Owen Carver, a dying billionaire (Domhnall Gleeson), who persuades the siblings to locate the mythical fountain. Their journey takes them from dusty archives to underground vaults, where digital clues must be pieced together from the backs of rare paintings. And yes, the fountain does exist. And yes, it turns people into CGI-smooth versions of themselves. John Krasinski's charm collides with Guy Ritchie's alpha aesthetic Known best for his lovable everyman roles, particularly as Jim from The Office , John Krasinski's pivot to action roles has been ongoing for years, most notably in Amazon's Jack Ryan . But here, his clean-cut charm feels like a mismatch for Ritchie's brand of swaggering protagonists. Luke's goofball energy seems out of sync in a world designed for scowling Jason Statham types. Also read: Elden Ring live-action movie set to be directed by Alex Garland Natalie Portman, meanwhile, carries much of the emotional weight. Her Charlotte is dry, sharp, and constantly exasperated by her brother. She grounds the film even as it hops from continent to continent with little explanation. A familiar formula with blockbuster gloss There's an undeniable sense that Fountain of Youth knows exactly what it is, a genre-hopping caper pulling from Indiana Jones , National Treasure , and just a dash of The Da Vinci Code . In fact, the film winks at its influences, with a nod to the siblings' father, 'the famed archaeologist Harrison Perdue.' Get it? Stanley Tucci also makes a brief but memorable cameo in a Vatican scene, prompting more than a few whispers in the audience about his recent role in Conclave . With dazzling locales, endless quips, and slick editing, Fountain of Youth is not about uncovering truth, it is about enjoying the ride.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Fountain of Youth' Ending Explained: What Happens in the Natalie Portman and John Krasinski Apple Movie?
The new Fountain of Youth movie, now streaming on Apple TV+, is a throwback to the adventure treasure hunt movies that don't often get made anymore. But when it comes to the story, Fountain of Youth fails to deliver a compelling narrative. Directed by Guy Ritchie, with a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, Fountain of Youth stars John Krasinski as Luke, an adventure-seeking man determined to carry out his father's legacy of, well, adventuring. His younger sister, Charlotte (played by Academy Award-winner Natalie Portman) is out of the game, in favor of a more legal lifestyle as an art curator. But her brother sucks her back into the world of adventure when a wealthy client (Domhnall Gleeson) hires him for a new quest, to find the Fountain of Youth. It's very much like National Treasure or The Da Vinci Code, but unlike those movies, the plot of this treasure hunt movie doesn't really make sense. If you found Fountain of Youth to be confusing, you're not the only one. Don't worry, because Decider is here to help. Read on for a thorough breakdown of the Fountain of Youth movie plot summary and the Fountain of Youth movie ending explained. The movie opens with a high-speed scooter chase in Bangkok. Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) is fleeing from a guy named Kasem (Steve Tram), from whom Luke has just stolen a priceless painting. With the help of his team, Murphy (Laz Alonso) and Deb (Carmen Ejogo), Luke gets away. Luke pays a visit to his estranged younger sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman), who works at an art museum. But his visit has an ulterior motive: Luke steals yet another priceless painting. Charlotte pursues him, and Luke convinces her to join him in his getaway car, insisting that she has missed the adventure lifestyle. He drives them back to his team, and it's revealed Murphy and Deb are the same team that Luke and Charlotte's late father worked with. The movie doesn't clarify what, exactly, Luke and Charlotte's father did, only that he was some sort of vague treasure-hunter who went on adventures, and told his children that 'the journey is more important than the prize.' Luke doesn't find what he's looking for on the stolen painting, so he returns both the painting and Charlotte. Charlotte, now considered an accessory to the art heist, loses her job at the museum. She's also facing a threat from her soon-to-be ex-husband that she is going to lose custody of their son, Thomas (Benjamin Chivers). Charlotte goes to yell at Luke for ruining her life, and discovers that Luke has been hired by a rich benefactor, Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson), to search for the Fountain of Youth. Owen is dying of liver cancer, believes the fabled Fountain of Youth is real, and that if he can drink from it, his cancer will be cured. Luke insists this will be the most important archeological discovery in history, and that he wants his family name to get credit for that discovery. Through their research, Owen and Luke believe that the location of the Fountain has been passed down through generations, via people called 'Protectors of the Path,' who protect the secret location of the Fountain. Luke believes that he was attacked by one of the protectors, Esme (Eiza González), while escaping Bangkok on a train. In the 1600s, six artists—Caravaggio, Ruben, Wilden, Velásquez, El Greco, and Rembrandt— made a pact to reveal the location of the Fountain, by hiding a clue in their paintings. Invisible ink on the paintings inscribes the phrase 'six in one,' in Latin. Each painting also has a mark of a different letter: D, C, K, I, E. What could that mean? They don't have the last letter, because the Rembrandt stolen from Charlotte's museum was a copy. Charlotte agrees to help Luke track down the correct Rembrandt, in exchange for Owen using his powerful lawyers to win her back custody of her son. Luke and Charlotte find the Rembrandt in a shipwreck off the coast of Ireland, where a wealthy buyer had kept the painting in a safe, before his ship sunk. After another scuffle with Esme, they get the painting. It reveals the letter 'V,' so now the letters are D, C, K, I, E, V. But as Charlotte points out, 'V' is 'W' in Latin. When rearranged, the letters spell out WICKED. That's not, in fact, a reference to the hit Broadway musical, but a reference to the 'Wicked Bible,' aka the misprint of the King James Bible that was published in 1631 containing the Commandment, 'Thou shalt commit adultery,' rather than 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Meanwhile, Owen gets Charlotte her son back by transferring her ex-husband to a job in Japan. So the young Thomas joins the adventure, and they all head to the Austrian National Library to find a copy of the Wicked Bible. After yet another tussle with Esme the protector, they get the Bible. They find a clue in the gilding on the pages, a repeating pattern of numbers using the digits one through seven. Thomas, a young musical prodigy, realizes they are not numbers, but musical notes. The notes play an ancient song called 'Water in the Desert,' which honors the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When they lay 'the path from the paintings' on top of the Seven Wonders, only one Wonder doesn't match up: The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. (The movie brushes over where this 'path' from the paintings comes from, but I guess we're just supposed to go with it.) Our heros deduce that the fountain is at the pyramids. So they go to the pyramids. Meanwhile, in Vatican City, Esme tells her boss (Stanley Tucci, who is in this movie for one scene, perhaps only as a Conclave reference) that Luke is very close to finding the location of the fountain. Stanley Tucci encourages Esme to stop Luke from finding the fountain by any means necessary. He insists the fountain is too powerful and too tempting for humankind. He gives her a special key to help her stop the fountain's discovery. Luke conveniently acquires a 3D scan of the pyramids that shows secret tunnels, passageways, and chambers under the pyramids. They assume those lead to the Fountain. Once inside the pyramids, Owen grows increasingly impatient to find the fountain. He has his men destroy a wall of the pyramid to get to the tunnel, despite Charlotte's protests. When the team gets to a room where a large cylinder 'keystone' needs to be moved, Owen prepares to blow it up with explosives, despite both Charlotte and Luke's objections. Luckily, Thomas once again saves the day by playing that ancient 'Water in the Desert' song on some ancient timpani drums. This song triggers something that makes the keystone magically float in the air into the place where it needs to be. At this point, the movie gives up on logical explanations, and fully embraces magic and mysticism. Meanwhile, both Esme and an Interpol police officer, Inspector Jamal Abbas (Arian Moayed), fight with Owen's security team outside the pyramids. They make their way inside, and follow Luke and Charlotte down the hidden chambers, where they do, in fact, find the Fountain of Youth. Owen insists that Luke get into the Fountain before him. Charlotte realizes that Owen was lying about dying of cancer, and just wants the power and money that will come with the fountain. Owen shoots Luke in the arm, so Luke dutifully wades into the fountain. Luke is surrounded by the fountain's magical water, which heals his arm. Excited, Owen shoots Luke more times, in the chest, to see if it will heal that, too. It does! Luke gazes into the fountain and is very tempted to drink his water. But he sees a vision that shows him that if he drinks, his power will come at the expense of his sister and his nephew. Luke would remain forever young, but Charlotte and Thomas would age rapidly. So, Luke decides not to drink. Owen eagerly comes forward for his turn at the fountain. At the same time, Esme uses her very special key that Stanley Tucci told her to use to shut the fountain down, if the wrong person drinks from it. Tucci explains that if you drink from the fountain, it will give you youthful energy by draining it from your loved ones. However, if you're a narcissist who loves only yourself—like Owen—there will be no exchange, and you'll get a direct connection to infinite power that will drain you of life. Owen drinks from the fountain, withers up, and dies. At the same time, Esme uses the key to shut down the fountain. The pyramid begins to close off all the secret tunnels and chambers. Our heros scramble to escape, and with Esme's help, they manage to get out of there. Esme commends Luke for being able to touch the fountain without drinking from it. Back outside, Charlotte convinces Inspector Abbas to let Owen take the fall for the stolen paintings, which have now been returned. Esme says goodbye to Luke with a kiss on the cheek, and warns him that if he goes back to the Fountain, she will chase him down. Luke reflects that his father was right, in that some things were meant to stay lost. He also offers to get Charlotte a new job. But Charlotte proposes that she and Luke keep treasure hunting together, to 'find something lost.' Luke asks what she has in mind, and her son Thomas replies, 'I've got an idea.' With that, the movie ends. We don't know what his idea is, exactly, but we assume it'll be the sort of child-like treasure hunt this family loves to embark on. Look, Fountain of Youth is one of those movies that would prefer its audience not think very hard about the plot. The filmmakers just want you to come along for the adventure, and not ask too many questions. In the end, it doesn't make much sense. Kinda makes you respect National Treasure a lot more, right?
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
This 'Fountain of Youth' stunt left Natalie Portman, John Krasinski 'genuinely' terrified
This 'Fountain of Youth' stunt left Natalie Portman, John Krasinski 'genuinely' terrified Show Caption Hide Caption John Krasinski, Natalie Portman talk 'Fountain of Youth' car chase John Krasinski, Natalie Portman reveal they were genuinely frightened while shooting car chase in 'Fountain of Youth' To find immortality, Natalie Portman and John Krasinski first had to survive a white-knuckle car chase. In director Guy Ritchie's 'Fountain of Youth' (streaming now on Apple TV+), a globetrotting adventure in the 'Indiana Jones' and 'National Treasure' mold, the two A-listers play estranged siblings seeking the titular mythical spring. Early in the process, their characters find themselves being pursued through London at high speeds by cop cars, with Krasinski behind the wheel of a slick Shelby Cobra. Well, not technically. He and Portman acted in a pod car built for close-ups while stunt drivers did all the heavy lifting with the actual muscle car seen in wide shots. 'The stunt guys were like, 'If you asked us to drive this (yourself), you would die. ... But the one you and Natalie are in, pffft, we've built it to be like a Volvo,' " Krasinski says. "And I was like, 'Great. That sounds like safety.' "But I will say all those reactions are genuine. No one told us how fast we were going to go.' Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Adds Portman: 'I definitely was wishing I could wear a helmet. I was genuinely just screaming my head off. It was crazy.' Both actors have played in franchise sandboxes before: Portman starred as Padmé Amidala in the 'Star Wars' prequels and appeared as Thor's love interest Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where 'A Quiet Place' mastermind Krasinski stopped by as Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. But 'Fountain of Youth' offered the chance to be on the ground floor of a potential new series intended for families. 'It's really fun to come in and get to imagine these characters without inheriting a legacy of something,' Portman says. After his first costume fitting, Krasinski remembers calling his wife Emily Blunt while strolling through the production office. 'I went, 'This is huge!' ' he says. 'I was scared, and then as soon as we started, it almost felt like the gates were open for just real collaboration.' But Luke (Krasinski) and Charlotte Purdue (Portman), who enjoyed a life of adventure before going their separate ways after their father's death, are very clearly not on the same page in the early goings-on of 'Fountain of Youth.' She's a gallery curator in London when her art-thief older brother shows up and steals a painting. It's for a good cause, though. Luke has been hired by a tech billionaire (Domhnall Gleeson) to locate the Fountain of Youth, a legendary locale the siblings' dad always wanted to find, and hidden messages on the back of six masterpieces hold the key to getting there. Working with Ritchie 'definitely provided a lot of that dynamic of this brother who's a little wilder (and) the sister who's a little bit more sensible and responsible,' Portman says. 'And of course, the one who had an impact on both of them, this father that was extremely wild and adventurous. One has kind of followed in his path and the other has driven her personality in antithesis to her father." Luke brings out a less buttoned-up side of Charlotte, who's gone through a messy divorce and brings her 12-year-old son (Benjamin Chivers) on their adventure. And Charlotte constantly reminds Luke not to steal artifacts he doesn't need. One of Krasinski's favorite parts of the movie was 'this whole idea of touching it, but not taking,' he says. 'Fountain of Youth' digs into real history, and Portman learned about things she 'had never heard of before,' like the Wicked Bible, Rembrandt's copies of his own works, and masterpieces that sank with the torpedoed Lusitania in 1915. 'I was like, 'Wait, where's the Lusitania?!' ' she says, noting that screenwriter James Vanderbilt threw in a detail from his own family history. (The Purdues have to break into a waterproof safe that belonged to Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, the writer's real-life great-grandfather, who died aboard the ship.) What mythic locale or priceless artifact will the Purdues pursue next? 'Let's see if people want a sequel first,' Portman cracks. But Krasinski thinks there's a certain nostalgia factor that will bring youngsters to 'Fountain of Youth.' 'I just recently watched 'Back to the Future' for the first time with my oldest daughter, and you could just sense something in the room. There was a promise that was being made with that movie to her that she hadn't had in a long time, if ever – maybe the 'Harry Potter' movies or something,' Krasinski says. 'There was a superpower to those movies that we grew up with, and I hope we get to keep bringing them back. 'It's so hard to find something that we can all watch as a family where it's not too young for us, it's not too adult for them, and that everybody enjoys it. And this hopefully is one of them.'
