‘Fountain of Youth’ Review: Guy Ritchie’s (Inter)National Treasure

Continuing a hot streak of projects, Guy Ritchie is undeniably on a roll. Whilst the quality of his last few films varies. From the highs of the television series’ MobLand and The Gentlemen to the lows of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, it’s clear that Guy Ritchie has some ups and downs despite his status as one of the best working commercial directors, in my opinion. Read our Fountain of Youth review below.

Now, Ritchie has partnered with Apple TV+ and Skydance to produce Fountain of Youth, an action adventure film starring John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, and Eiza Gonzalez. The film follows explorer Luke Purdue (Krasinski) as he reunites with his museum curator sister Charlotte (Portman) to find the mythical and titular Fountain of Youth for the terminally ill but obscenely rich Owen Carver (Gleeson). Trouble arises when the Fountain’s protectors, led by Esme (González), attempt to stop the Purdues. It’s written by James Vanderbilt, who is best known for writing David Fincher’s Zodiac, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man films and the Radio Silence Scream films.

The movie, being an adventure-exploration film, bears a close resemblance to the National Treasure duology, taking on a more comedic tone than the 2000s Nic Cage starrers. Ritchie, a British director first and foremost, has a very succinct style, usually characterized by non linear narratives and fast witty humour filled action. This movie is different, playing out in a straightforward fashion, but it does fall into the Ritchie special humour. 

The humour largely plays off character dynamics, with Krasinski’s interactions with Gonzalez working wonders, with most jokes hitting. In combination with the slick and effective action choreography, it makes for excellent viewing. Even side characters like Gleeson’s Owen Carver, a cancer inflicted billionaire, are allowed to shine with excellent line delivery and comedic timing. This too goes for Laz Alonso and Carmen Ejogo, who play members of Luke’s team, and they too play their roles to a T.

It’s not all golden however, with the film feeling quite pointless at times. From a D plot involving Arian Moayed as an Interpol agent, to another featuring Stanley Tucci as someone named The Elder. The former extends the third act into feeling over long and disjointed compared to the rest of the film. Further, the villain twist of the movie also feels cliched and out of place.

Fountain of Youth is likely as close Guy Ritchie will come to replicating the tonal appeal of 2019’s Aladdin remake, creating a family friendly but still wickedly enjoyable adventure flick with a star studded cast. Despite its flaws, it’ll likely be one of the best streaming films this Summer.

Fountain of Youth is directed by Guy Ritchie and written by James Vanderbilt. The film stars John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domnhall Gleeson, Eiza González, Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, and Stanley Tucci.

Fountain of Youth releases on Apple TV+ on May 23rd, 2025.

Up next for Ritchie is In The Grey and Wife and Dog, two films that he has already shot and are currently deep in post production. Stay tuned for our coverage for those films.

Thanks for reading this Fountain of Youth review. For more reviews, stay tuned here at Feature First.