Shadows on the Wall | Fountain of Youth

Fountain of Youth

dir Guy Ritchie
scr James Vanderbilt
prd James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, Tripp Vinson, Jake Myers
with John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza Gonzalez, Domhnall Gleeson, Stanley Tucci, Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, Benjamin Chivers, Michael Epp, Steve Tran, Daniel De Bourg
release US/UK 23.May.25
25/UK Apple 2h05

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Opening with a madcap chase through the streets of Bangkok, this comical adventure strikes the goofy tone of the National Treasure movies as it darts around the world on an epic quest. Even if the movie feels overlong, overcomplicated and overviolent, director Guy Ritchie keeps the pace snappy, playing up the barbed interaction while hinting at bigger themes under the surface. As a result, it's both involving and entertaining.

A curator at London's National Gallery, Charlotte (Portman) isn't thrilled when her art-thief brother Luke (Krasinski) turns up, launching her into a frantic caper with his crack cohorts (Alonso and Ejogo) as they follow clues to locate the mythical Fountain of Youth. This expensive operation is bankrolled by their fatally ill billionaire patron Owen (Gleeson). But they're being tenaciously pursued by the mysterious Esme (Gonzalez) and Interpol inspector Abbas (Moayed). And Charlotte has little choice but to bring her 11-year-old son Thomas (Chivers) along. Of course, things get increasingly perilous with each new step.

Luke imagines himself as an Indiana Jones-style adventurer, quickly getting that reference out in the open. Like The Da Vinci Code, the plot is propelled by conundrums that need to be solved, leading to a new puzzle that sends everyone onward to another overthought movie set in another spectacular location. The film's tone is largely comical, but darker elements creep in through Esme and her shady boss (Tucci). All of this leads to the expected supernatural climax, which takes a more-is-more approach.

With fizzy chemistry, Krasinski and Portman are engaging and amusingly spiky as siblings trying to outthink each other. Gonzalez is terrific as the femme fatale who resists Luke's flirty jokes, while Gleeson steals scenes as a guy who is full of surprises. He's also ludicrously wealthy, conveniently funding the shenanigans. Tucci shines in his small role, which includes spouting fountain's ridiculous mythology. And it's a nice touch that Chivers' observant, unclouded Thomas is the one who solves the key questions.

Despite the corny plotting, intriguing ideas bounce around in Vanderbilt's script. For Luke, finding the fountain isn't about immortality per se, it's about restoring their father's legacy. Luke continually quotes the family mantra that the reward is the journey, not the prize at the end. But while he enjoys the adventure, Charlotte knows that he also wants the prize. She also reminds him of another of their father's sayings: "Some things you can't explain, you can only experience." As expected the door remains open for more adventures, and we wouldn't mind that at all.

themes, language, violence 1.Jun.25

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