Critics’ reviews

Fountain of Youth (2025)

17 reviews from 17 publications. Critics’ score 46: 2 positive, 7 mixed, 8 negative.

Back to our review of Fountain of Youth

46
Positive
2
Mixed
7
Negative
8

Most critics find Fountain of Youth a brisk, derivative treasure hunt that never justifies the trip. The lean is negative, with only two reviews on the positive side, but almost everyone grants Guy Ritchie the action: praise clusters on a long car chase, a shipwreck dive and a cleverly staged heist, and on a pace that even the harshest reviews concede rarely flags. The supporting cast fares well, with Eiza González, Arian Moayed and Domhnall Gleeson each singled out.

The reservations gather around the leads and the script. Several reviews find John Krasinski miscast or, in The Wrap’s case, plainly obnoxious, and his bickering with Natalie Portman is called forced more often than charming; Polygon dissents, thinking him a good fit for Ritchie’s fast talk. The spread is wide, from IndieWire and The AV Club calling it mostly successful to The Guardian finding it soulless. The middle ground is a shrug: watchable, forgettable, and explained rather than felt.

IndieWire
22 May 2025 · B- · Kate Erbland
70

Erbland finds the adventure muddled and overlong but broadly entertaining. She praises its extended car chase and shipwreck deep-dive action sequences.

Read the full review →
The AV Club
22 May 2025 · B- · Jesse Hassenger
70

The critic finds this a mostly successful streaming adventure, though Krasinski is miscast and the banter often falls flat. The globe-trotting locations, production design, and Ritchie’s energetic visual style give the caper much of its appeal.

Read the full review →
The New York Times
22 May 2025
64*

The URL identifies this as a review of the 2025 film. The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict and any singled-out praise or complaint cannot be determined.

Read the full review →
Radio Times
23 May 2025 · Jayne Nelson
60*

Nelson presents the adventure as entertaining but silly. She singles out its fast pace and Indiana Jones-inspired fun, while noting its dumbness.

Read the full review →
The Observer
24 May 2025 · Ellen E Jones
55*

Jones finds the globe-trotting caper brisk and plausibly erudite, though its hero lacks the appeal of his adventure-film inspirations. She singles out the script’s historical detail as helping keep the plot moving.

Read the full review →
Variety
22 May 2025 · Todd Gilchrist
40*

Gilchrist finds the film a brisk but derivative time-filler whose bickering leads fail to make it consistently charming. He praises the supporting cast and nimble action set pieces, while faulting the unresolved plot strands.

Read the full review →
The Hollywood Reporter
22 May 2025 · Frank Scheck
35*

The critic finds the film predictable and overly familiar, with little wit to distinguish it. He praises several inventive action set-pieces and Ritchie’s humor amid the nonstop action.

Read the full review →
Empire
22 May 2025 · Ben Travis
30*

The review finds the adventure disappointing, saying it never lives up to its promising ingredients. It praises Guy Ritchie’s energetic action direction but faults the bland characters and forced banter.

Read the full review →
The Guardian
22 May 2025 · Ryan Gilbey
10*

Gilbey finds the film a soulless, derivative misadventure that offers little excitement. He singles out Domhnall Gleeson’s increasingly murky performance as a bright spot.

Read the full review →
Collider
22 May 2025 · 6/10 · Nate Richard
60

Richard finds the adventure entertaining and watchable, but ultimately serviceable and forgettable. He praises Eiza González and Arian Moayed for bringing the most personality to their supporting roles.

Read the full review →
Paste
22 May 2025 · 6.0/10 · Matthew Jackson
60

Jackson finds the film hollow despite its appealing cast, brisk adventure, and polished style. He praises Ritchie’s engaging visual approach but criticizes the story for explaining its themes without giving them emotional payoff.

Read the full review →
/Film
22 May 2025 · 5/10 · Witney Seibold
50

The critic finds the film watchable but forgettable, an unambitious and derivative adventure. He singles out its tight pacing and clear visuals as virtues, while faulting its lack of excitement and originality.

Read the full review →
HeyUGuys
50*

The critic finds the adventure entertaining but uneven, saying it never lives up to its potential. They praise the leads’ chemistry and a cleverly choreographed heist, while faulting the thin script and sluggish pacing.

Read the full review →
The Playlist
22 May 2025
39*

The review dismisses the film as an empty globetrotting adventure with little worthwhile treasure. The headline’s main complaint is that the adventure offers no worthwhile treasure.

Read the full review →
Film Stories
27 May 2025 · A J Black
30*

The critic finds the adventure derivative and unable to make its premise come alive. They praise the leads’ engaging performances, especially the sibling dynamic between Portman and Krasinski.

Read the full review →
Polygon
23 May 2025 · Sam Nelson
25*

The critic finds the film dull and predictable after a promising start, with thin characters undermining its emotional payoff. They praise Krasinski’s fit with Ritchie’s fast-talking style and the early action, but fault the script for making Charlotte an unconvincing, sidelined character.

Read the full review →
The Wrap
22 May 2025 · William Bibbiani
15*

The critic finds the film tedious and its adventure hollow, largely because its hero is so obnoxious. They praise Natalie Portman’s believable frustration with being dragged into the adventure, while finding the action merely competent.

Read the full review →

Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate