DirectorGuy Ritchiehas been relatively consistent on the critical front in recent years, with several of his movies scoring with critics. It’s a nice run that most directors wouldn’t mind having, but it looks like it has hit a bit of a snag with the release of his recent film,Fountain of Youth. Despite a solid cast and what sounds like a pretty entertaining premise, the film is far from the adventure movie treasure it could have been, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Fountain of Youthnow carries a 37% “rotten” score on the review aggregator site with a total of 38 reviews counted so far. That comes inlower than some of his recent releases, such asThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare(68%),Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant(83%),Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre(51%),Wrath of Man(68%) andThe Gentlemen(75%). You have to go back to 2017’sKing Arthur: Legend of the Sword(31&%) to find a lower score. Needless to say, Ritchie had an impressive streak until the Apple TV+ release.
“We Were Drowned”: Natalie Portman Gets Candid About Epic Stunts in Guy Ritchie’s New Action Film
Guy Ritchie’s new Apple TV+ film, ‘Fountain of Youth,’ stars Natalie Portman & John Krasinski as siblings in search of the mythical fountain.
Directed by Ritchie from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt,Fountain of Youthfocuses on a pair of estranged siblings who band together to find the titular fountain of youth. The plot feels likean old-school adventure flickthat will likely entertain those who find it on streaming, but it’s easy to see why critics may find it far too familiar and thus fail to be anything groundbreaking. Most of the negative reviews call it predictable, while others suggest that had the film been released in the early ’90s, it would feel fresh and original. However, it helps that names such asJohn Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Carmen Ejogo, Stanley Tucci, and Eiza González are there to elevate the material, though some do feel that Krasinski is miscast as the arrogant adventurer.
Guy Ritchie Wasn’t the First Choice To Helm ‘Fountain of Youth’
Guy Ritchie wasn’t the first choice to directFountain of Youth. Dexter Fletcher was originally set to helm the project when the film was announced in 2023, but by early 2024, he departed the movie and was replaced by Ritchie. The film took its cast and crew to Bangkok, Vienna, and Liverpool throughout its shooting schedule, which made itquite the globetrotting adventurefor everyone involved. Both on and off-screen. Filming began in February 2024 and wrapped in October of the same year.
Ritchie should be able to recover from this critical mishap with some of his upcoming projects. He’s set to write and direct a film calledWife & Dog, a black comedy feature that stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins. It was also recently announced that he’ll behelmingRoad House 2with Jake Gyllenhaal returning to star, so that should earn him enough fun goodwill with critics.Fountain of Youthis now streaming onApple TV+.
Source:Rotten Tomatoes
Fountain of Youth
