Film Review: Fountain of Youth

A star-studded rehash of familiar archeology adventure tropes

Tropes work for a reason. They give us predictability with a twist: a familiar premise or character type presented in a new way that both comforts and intrigues us. Fountain of Youth is a film of tropes but without the twists. It’s a story we have seen before but without any storytelling innovation, or vague attempt at cleverness, or character development. It’s the sort of story that would work best as a series pilot for a streaming service—a mid-level story set up with more meaningful content to come. Unfortunately, it is in fact a film, not a series pilot. So, unless it turns into a film franchise, the limited character development and storytelling are all we’re going to get. If you have ever seen Indiana Jones, The Mummy, or even Romancing the Stone, you already know the entirety of this film. 

Protagonist Luke (John Krasinski) is on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth (more like an elixir of life) at the behest of billionaire Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson). To find it, he has to steal priceless works of art to get the clues to find the…things that lead to the other thing to find the fountain. Luke is aided by his trusty sidekicks Patrick (Laz Alonzo) and Deb (Carmen Ejogo), and enlists the help of his inexplicably whiny sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) who is a museum curator. Luke and Charlotte grew up with an archeologist father who frequently took them on adventures to find historical treasures so these adventures are familiar to them. Luke and his crew are opposed by the mysterious, and generally awesome, Esme (Eiza Gonzalez) and the sharp-eyed Inspector Abbas (Arian Moayed). They are also joined by Charlotte’s school-aged, music prodigy son Thomas (Benjamin Chivers) who is caught in the custody battle between Charlotte and her soon to be ex-husband (Daniel de Bourg). Along the way, they navigate dangerous locales, law enforcement, and a persistent art-heist crime gang led by gang-leader Kasem (Steve Tran). Protagonist Luke doesn’t really have a backstory or any meaningful external or internal motivation. But he periodically has visions of himself having symbolic encounters with the fountain of youth. If you’ve watched any films in this genre, you know where the story is heading. 

Despite the star-studded cast, Fountain of Youth has some challenges. The film is a comedy adventure but it lacks genuine humor. Instead, it relies on cliched one-liners and catchy come-backs from Luke and the other characters. The plot was so unapologetically predictable that I found myself saying lines before the characters did or announcing scene elements prior to their appearance. The incredible Natalie Portman is trapped in a stereotyped role of the hysterical, fish-out-of-water woman who constantly complains while still going along with the much-cooler-and-braver male lead. It’s a frustrating and annoying trope, especially since the premise of her character is that she is also an experienced adventurer and archeologist. At one point Luke tells her he knows her “no” really means “yes.” The comment stands out as surprisingly sexist, even in a film already filled with problematic content. Given contemporary discussions of the ownership of historical artifacts, Fountain of Youth takes the position that anything goes if you really need or want something. Charlotte periodically shouts “you can’t do that” before she inevitably goes along with Luke’s theft. Despite the diversity of settings in the international chase to get the “things”, the characters of color are all mostly played as objects to be overcome or played as obligatory side characters with no introspection or development. Overall, the film feels like a rom-com without the rom. 

Despite its shortcomings the film had some enjoyable elements. Although many of the visuals were underwhelming, some of the special effects were fun. In particular, there is a moment where multiple flights of stairs appear in the obligatory forbidden temple scene. Many of the other special effects are ordinary even compared to classics such as Raiders of the Lost Ark. But the pop-up stairs were an appealing scene. Additionally, a plot novelty in the film is that the two leads are siblings rather than romantic interests. It’s a nice change from the usual premise, and it would have been nice to lean into that but it’s mostly glossed over. Arian Moayed’s Inspector Abbas is the best written and best executed character in a sea of underdeveloped potential and restrained acting. Esme and Abbas end up stealing the show as the most appealing characters. Another pleasant surprise is Stanley Tucci who makes a very brief appearance in the film and plays the part with enough quiet gravitas to convince me that his acting range is infinite. 

Overall, Fountain of Youth is a fine way to spend two hours if you have nothing else to do or if you are multitasking. Despite moments of adventure, fun, and enjoyable effects, the overall film feels like a rehash of familiar tropes without anything truly new or clever. But sometimes, that may be exactly what you are in the mood for.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 6/10

Highlights:

• A rehash of familiar tropes
• So much underused star power
• Predictable comfort watching

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.