NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
In Apple’s short run in the entertainment business, they’ve hit their fair share of home runs, at least in the television series department. Their movies on the other hand have been hit or miss. Typically they lean more into drama and comedy and leave the adventuring to the pros, but not this time. With their latest release Fountain of Youth, Apple TV+ leans into the family-friendly adventure realm but does it stick the landing?
The Plot:
Two estranged siblings partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an adventure that will change their lives and possibly lead to immortality.
What Works:
**Right off the bat, the cast has good chemistry. Both John Krasinski and Natalie Portman play off each other’s character well enough to get the sense they’re siblings and of course, have the sibling rivalry. It showcases Krasinski’s charm that everyone loved in The Office as well as Portman’s tough and direct approach mixed with her usual sweet and also charming demeanor.
**The quips. Yes, it’s obviously a family-friendly movie so the one-liners lean more towards the dad jokes side of things but the humor is there. It’s not split your sides funny, but it brings out the playfulness of the leads and carries the plot forward.
**There’s a little more action than expected. It’s not a Stallone film in the 90’s type of action packed, but there was a bit more fight choreography than I expected. There are the typical chase scenes and decent explosion or two happens as the story progresses to ramp up the intensity.
What Doesn’t Work
** The side characters are almost non-existent and that has nothing to do with the capabilities of the actors. They’re a team, but that team could’ve easily just been a trio with her son tagging along. There could have been moments that showcased each member’s role in the team but it never really came to be.
** Also at times, dialogue was a little off. There are a few scenes where the flow is a little off. It’s almost as if the words they’re saying don’t exactly fit the situation they’re in. Luckily it is brief and only happens a couple of times throughout the whole movie.
** It’s predictable, but that’s okay. Yes, that has to be put in the “bad” column but it doesn’t fit the movie completely. All adventure movies like this are predictable. They’re not made to have this big reveal at the end, they’re designed to show off the good qualities of the protagonist you’re rooting for and feel disdain the antagonist you’re rooting against.
** There’s no real danger and that’s the biggest letdown. There was no real sense that our “heroes” weren’t going to win. They could’ve punched up the suspense a little more and kept you guessing. Although, to be fair, in a two-hour adventure film, how much time could they have wasted trying to set that up? Family movies typically fall to the 90-120 minute mark, not the 2.5-3 hour journeys.
The Verdict?
As the old saying goes “comparison is a thief of joy.” If you’re going into this movie trying to compare it to classic adventure movies such as Indiana Jones or The Goonies, you’re going to be disappointed. However, if you like the family-friendly adventures on par with National Treasure, which most are comparing it to, or A Night At The Museum, then you’ll find the value in at least one viewing.
If you go into it having read the reviews on aggregate review sites, there’s a good chance you’ll be swayed into not liking it. There’s a good chance that a lot of those reviews are from people who genuinely don’t like adventure films that are made to fit all ages. Fountain of Youth was never meant to be a deep movie. It’s just a fun, whimsical, and lighthearted movie designed to keep you entertained for its roughly 2 hour run time. It hits the notes where it needs to and doesn’t try to be more than it is.
