--- title: "Fountain of Youth: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fountain-of-youth/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/fountain-of-youth" critics_score: 46 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Fountain of Youth (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 46 from 17 reviews: 2 positive, 7 mixed, 8 negative. 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 — Kate Erbland Rating B-. 22 May 2025. Erbland finds the adventure muddled and overlong but broadly entertaining. She praises its extended car chase and shipwreck deep-dive action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/fountain-of-youth-review-john-krasinski-natalie-portman-1235124648/) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating B-. 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.avclub.com/fountain-of-youth) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/movies/fountain-of-youth-review.html) ## Radio Times — Jayne Nelson Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/fountain-of-youth-review/) ## The Observer — Ellen E Jones Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2025. 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 review](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/film-reviews-the-phoenician-scheme-mongrel-when-the-light-breaks-lilo-stitch-and-fountain-of-youth) ## Variety — Todd Gilchrist Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/fountain-of-youth-review-guy-ritchie-john-krasinski-1236405297/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fountain-of-youth-review-john-krasinski-natalie-portman-1236224248/) ## Empire — Ben Travis Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fountain-of-youth/) ## The Guardian — Ryan Gilbey Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/22/fountain-of-youth-review-guy-ritchie-indiana-jones-john-krasinski) ## Collider — Nate Richard Rating 6/10. 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://collider.com/fountain-of-youth-review-john-krasinski-natalie-portman-guy-ritchie/) ## Paste — Matthew Jackson Rating 6.0/10. 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/fountain-of-youth/fountain-of-youth-review-apple-tv-guy-ritchie-movie-john-krasinski-natalie-portman) ## /Film — Witney Seibold Rating 5/10. 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1866188/fountain-of-youth-movie-review/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 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 review](https://www.heyuguys.com/fountain-of-youth-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 39/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://theplaylist.net/fountain-of-youth-review-john-krasinski-natalie-portman-find-no-worthwhile-treasure-in-guy-ritchies-empty-globetrotting-adventure-20250522/) ## Film Stories — A J Black Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2025. 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 review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/fountain-of-youth-review-a-slick-wannabe-indiana-jones-misses-the-mark/) ## Polygon — Sam Nelson Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.polygon.com/review/600818/fountain-of-youth-review-guy-ritchie-john-krasinski-natalie-portman/) ## The Wrap — William Bibbiani Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2025. 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 review](https://www.thewrap.com/fountain-of-youth-review-john-krasinski-natalie-portman-apple/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/fountain-of-youth.md