The action-adventure genre is constantly changing. Harrison Ford last donned the hat in "Sphere of Destiny," and it was a massive disappointment. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was almost unwatchable. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was okay but bombed at the box office for reasons unknown. Meanwhile, in the OTT sector, the genre is booming. Golden Kamuy was a smash hit.
Bandidos was hugely popular with puzzle and heist fans. Time Bandits was pretty fun. And then, of course, came the live-action version of One Piece, which took the world by storm. So what exactly does that mean? That people aren't satisfied with two-plus-hour globetrotting adventures, but are comfortable watching them episodically? That they're content to witness exotic locations from the comfort of their own homes rather than the giant IMAX screen? Be that as it may, The Fountain of Youth seems to have been released at an interesting time, as it brings together the best of both worlds. Is it worth watching?
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writer: James Vanderbilt
Stars: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza González
Guy Ritchie's The Fountain of Youth, written by James Vanderbilt (who integrates into the film in a truly interesting way), tells the story of Luke Purdue, who goes on the run after stealing an important painting from Thailand. Due to his thefts, he is pursued not only by Esme, protector of ancient artifacts, but also by Interpol inspector Jamal Abbas. However, he manages to elude them all to reach his sister, Charlotte Purdue, and convince her to join his mission to reach the mythical spring that gives its name to the title.
This venture is financed by an infamous billionaire named Owen Carver, which is why Luke has been able to reunite with Patrick Murphy and Deb McCall, former colleagues on his father's treasure-hunting team. But Luke feels that without Charlotte, this whole operation will be incomplete. Since Charlotte is going through a divorce, she doesn't want to leave her son, Thomas, behind and go on a voyage. Understanding how important Charlotte is to Luke, Owen takes charge of the situation, allowing Charlotte and Thomas to join the rest of the crew. Whether or not they find the object that will help them defeat humanity's greatest enemy, time, is the crux of the story.
It's an understatement to say that James Vanderbilt's script is "inspired" by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; it's essentially a retelling of that story created by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes. Indy had impeccable chemistry with the antagonist, Dr. Elsa Schneider. Luke is essentially in love with the antagonist, Esme. In the Last Crusade, there are two feuding family members, Indy and Henry Jones Sr., and in Vanderbilt's, there are also two feuding family members, Luke and Charlotte. The Holy Grail grants immortality to whoever drinks it, but if you choose the wrong cup, you will become a corpse before everyone's eyes.
The Fountain of Youth works on a similar theory. So, yes, technically speaking, there's nothing new here. What kept me hooked until the very end was Luke's internal conflict. Yes, he comes across as an Indy knockoff, but the portrayal of his emotional baggage and how he chooses to mask his self-destructive habits with charm is what makes him so captivating. Plus, the dialogue is pretty solid, striking a balance between exposition and character building. And, in the end, Vanderbilt manages to send a profound message about how humanity's constant quest to undo the laws of nature will be the reason for our downfall.
The performances of the cast of "The Fountain of Youth" are brilliant. I have a soft spot for John Krasinski because I grew up watching him on "The Office." So, every time I see him in such pivotal roles, I feel like I'm watching a friend onscreen. And it's truly wonderful to see him pour his decades of acting experience into a character that would otherwise have been considered a watered-down version of Indiana Jones and Nathan Drake. Natalie Portman is another actress whose work I've followed since I was a kid. I mean, she's Padmé Amidala, and it's so fun to watch her in this genre that I love so much.
There's a scene toward the end of the film where Portman has to glare at Krasinski cruelly over a decision she's probably about to make. That expression lingers on screen for a few seconds, but it's enough to make you think, "This is why Natalie Portman is one of the best." Eiza Gonzalez is incredible, as always. She oozes charisma and style, and she's also quite intimidating. Domhnall Gleeson doesn't make the most of his talent, but he does converse with Benjamin Chivers, which is probably my favorite scene in the entire film. Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, Steve Tran, and Stanley Tucci are all good. The rest of the supporting cast is acceptable, and special recognition goes to all the specialists who silently gave their blood, sweat, and tears for this film.
In case it wasn't clear, yes, I really liked The Fountain of Youth. The trailer didn't impress me too much. I didn't expect to be entertained, but I was. It's not as brilliant as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; however, thankfully, it's not as bad as The Last Crusade. If that sounds like a recommendation, please watch it. Now, I'm digressing. So, when I saw the Skydance logo at the beginning of the film, I immediately thought of Tom Cruise, because that's the studio that's been producing the Mission: Impossible films.
And then I remembered that Cruise had tried to revive the action-adventure genre with The Mummy, but it failed miserably. But since Cruise has a tendency not to give up if he doesn't get it right the first time, he basically turned The Reckoning into a treasure hunt, thus living out his dream of being a globetrotting adventurer. Now, since Skydance worked with Krasinski on the Jack Ryan series, and since Cruise is probably moving away from stunt-heavy roles, I understand why they hired the former to work with Ritchie. But, I don't know, something about the simultaneous release of The Reckoning and The Fountain of Youth made me wonder what world we'd be living in if Cruise and Ritchie collaborated and made a good Mummy movie. Well, never say never.
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