Guy Ritchie's 'Indiana Jones' Replacement on Apple TV Makes a Comeback on U.S. Streaming Charts

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harrison ford as indiana jones in indiana jones and the temple of doom

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For all the talk about Guy Ritchie’s “flop era,” his most controversial movie just refuses to stay buried. Fountain of Youth, Ritchie’s Apple TV+ adventure film that was once branded his Indiana Jones-style swing-and-miss, has quietly surged back into the Apple TV charts, climbing all the way to #4 and holding its own against Mark Wahlberg’s The Family Plan franchise and Brad Pitt’s mega-hit F1.

When Fountain of Youth debuted, it landed with a thud. The film currently sits at 35% with critics and 38% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the lowest-rated movies of Ritchie’s career. That’s wild when you look at the cast alone: John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Eiza González, and Domhnall Gleeson. On paper, this thing looked like a streaming-era National Treasure or Indiana Jones replacement. In reality, it became a polarizing mess that left a lot of people shrugging, but people kept watching.

The film also had a genuinely solid creative backbone. It was written by James Vanderbilt, fresh off directing Nuremberg and co-writing the modern Scream movies, and it’s built around a classic adventure setup. Estranged siblings Luke (Krasinski) and Charlotte (Portman) reunite for a globetrotting hunt for the legendary Fountain of Youth, teaming up with a crew of specialists to solve historical puzzles and chase immortality.

Is 'Fountain of Youth' Worth Watching?

Collider's review of the movie stated that Fountain of Youth is a refreshing, if imperfect, departure for Ritchie that trades his usual cynicism for a more hopeful, throwback adventure tone. The film was praised for feeling like a real, old-school studio movie rather than disposable streaming content, even when its digital sheen and predictable plotting get in the way. While Krasinski and Portman were seen as miscast and underwritten, González and Arian Moayed stood out by fully embracing the pulpy spirit of the story. Ultimately, it’s a fun, forgettable globetrotting romp that succeeds simply by being entertaining.

There are a handful of scenes where we do see Ritchie's personality shine through, including a car chase through the streets of London in the film's first act, which has the quick editing that keeps the excitement going. Other times, Ritchie seems to have restrained himself, and he didn't really need to, either, including a fairly anti-climactic third-act reveal that's telegraphed from a mile away. The thing is, Fountain of Youthcould have easily been just another bad movie made for streaming, and the fact that it isn't is an accomplishment in of itself. It's a perfectly watchable movie designed to keep you entertained for two hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Fountain of Youth is streaming now on Apple TV.