deerstalker
https://blacknerdproblems.com/fountain-of-youth-review/
Fountain of Youth is a new action-adventure from Apple TV+ with the makings of National Treasure, The Mummy, and Indiana Jones all together. The potential for a solid adventure film was there, and the cast was remarkable. Honestly, what could go wrong?
The film had John Krasinski (The Office, Jack Ryan), Natalie Portman (Black Swan, V for Vendetta), Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars, Harry Potter), Laz Alonzo (The Boys, Power Book II: Ghost), Carmen Ejogo (Selma, Fantastic Beasts), Eiza González (3 Body Problem, Baby Driver), Stanley Tucci! (First Avenger, Lovely Bones). All under the direction of Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch). Well, this film feels like the 2nd cousin to the disjointed sequels of the aforementioned films. I’m saying National Treasure 2, The Scorpion King 2, and Indiana Jones, the one where there were aliens for some reason. It only had potential. SPOILERS BELOW – but really it doesn’t matter, you could read this and watch it and still have a unique experience.
Adventure Awaits
I fancy myself an action-adventure film connoisseur. I have seen all of The Mummy movies, was raised on Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park; I even dabble in the romantics like Romancing the Stone. I love the original Jumanji and the reboots. My favorite films of all time are The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Needless to say, adventure films are not made to be critically acclaimed (although some really are). They are made to excite and create a childlike sense of wonder, laughter, and imagination. Fountain of Youth had all of the structure, but it lacked the contents. Here’s why and some of my Black Nerd Problems to boot.
The film stars John Krasinski playing Luke Purdue (yes, like the chicken company – although there is no relation in this film, I don’t think…). Luke is in Thailand running from what seems to be thugs who are upset Luke has stolen their boss’ painting. We continue to see Luke on a Vespa evading these gangsters in a crowded Thai city center. Right off the bat, a classic adventure beginning. Unfortunately, the film continues to use an outline of an adventure film and forgets to fill in the very crucial foundational (hehe) elements, like character development and plot.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” – Helen Keller
Luke gets away with his stolen item and cut to we are at the World Museum in Liverpool, where we meet Luke’s sister Charlotte Purdue, played by the talented Natalie Portman (Jane Foster in Thor). We find out right away that they have not spoken in quite some time. I believe a year or two. They have a witty banter that you have to get used to, which I was never able to get used to. While the two actors have a fun chemistry, the writing feels a bit forced. With a lack of a really strong backstory, you are not invited into the banter with them. The only thing we really know is that their father was an adventurer, and Luke and Charlotte followed in his footsteps until Charlotte stopped because she had a kid. We don’t know much about this father, no name, no face, no purpose. Luke harps on the fact that Charlotte, I guess, betrayed herself by becoming a boring curator at THE WORLD MUSEUM in Liverpool. Maybe it’s just me, but she seems fine.
Their witty banter never stops, it happens in every single scene, and this will she, won’t she join the team also continues while she is fully on the team. This team consists of Luke – the leader and thief. Then Patrick Murphy, played by The Boys’ Laz Alonso, who seems to be comms?? Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina Picquery in Fantastic Beasts), who is the gadgets gal, I believe—finally, the whole operation is bankrolled by the billionaire business mogul Owen Carver, played by Domnhall Gleeson (General Hux in Star Wars, ). Owen is terminally ill and seeking the Fountain of Youth to heal himself.
As the “plot” continues, it holds onto just the idea of this fountain. The folklore is so mysterious, actually too mysterious. As the lore unfolds, we meet Esme, played by Eiza González (Auggie Salazar in 3 Body Problem). Esme is behind the Purdue team at every step, trying to thwart their mission. She is revealed as an ancestral protector of these ancient mystical relics (whatever they are we’re not really told). She simply wants them to stop searching. She, of course, ends up being the swashbuckling romantic interest, but in a playful cat-and-mouse way. We don’t get much more about her or her lineage. She is the desert protector as seen in The Mummy.
Escape the Ordinary
The film is terribly predictable. I mean, I figured out the film from the first two scenes. Each Act is a copy and paste of the previous Act. We find a clue, we travel to the next spot, witty banter. Rinse and repeat. The writing is topical, the actors are doing their best with what they have. This is the first fun adventure film I’ve seen Krasinski in. It is clear all of the actors are having a blast. It’s a nonsense adventure with little to no stakes, really. You never feel like the “hero” won’t win. Which brings me to my Black Nerd Problems.
Problem 1: Luke Purdue is a classic American white character who is a criminal. He steals priceless paintings for the thrill of the hunt. He gets away with every crime he commits and fails up so fast and so far that he’s looked at as the righteous one. It’s confusing because you are not sure why you’re being led to agree with him. His sister points these things out, but then does the same things, and it’s supposed to be their family dynamic. Don’t get me wrong, this follows the average adventure film tropes, but because you are not invested in the plot, characters, or the hunt, you don’t feel like you can let him off the hook.
Problem 2: In the story, the clues to the location of the Fountain of Youth are embedded in only European artifacts like Rembrandt paintings and the Bible… BUT it leads everyone to Giza in Africa… If we are sticking with the history of colonization, I guess it’s accurate that European countries would try to lead more people to steal things that don’t belong to them. But if we can make a movie about anything – why don’t we do something different?
Problem 3: Every BIPOC character was ancillary. Patrick Murphy (Laz Alonso) is literally told to wait outside at every location, which would be fine if he were the guy in the chair. Half the time, he just throws earpieces at them and waits in the car. I love Laz Alonso; he could have had such a stronger role. It wasn’t even explained what he does for the team. It’s inferred that he does comms because he’s always at a computer and being the lookout. The same goes for Carmen Ejogo’s character, Deb McCall. The only time we see her in action is at the Austrian Library in Vienna, where she fashions a precise explosive to assist in their escape. In Egypt, both Deb and Patrick are left sitting outside the pyramid, waiting to see how everything pans out. They were involved in a firefight, which I don’t even think they, as characters, knew why. It feels like their scenes were either heavily cut or the writers had no idea what to do with them.
All in all, I’ve heard reviewers call it “paint by numbers” (Variety), and that is spot on. It feels almost like Guy Ritchie’s attempt at an American adventure movie, which only includes white American tropes as its roadmap.
“Not All Who Wander Are Lost” – J.R.R. Tolkien
The best moment of the movie is 30 minutes of the last act. Our adventurers reach the hidden catacombs underneath the pyramids of Giza. Our young adventurer, Charlotte Purdue’s son, Thomas, played by Benjamin Chivers (Eugene I in Napoleon), is a musical genius who solves their “uncrackable” puzzles on several occasions. In the pyramid, Thomas unlocks the entrance to the fountain with his musical ingenuity and the rhythmic sounds of steel drums. Chivers does a wonderful job. His character felt nuanced and fleshed out, even with his minute screen time. I was fully invested in Thomas.
The pyramid scene was clever, moving, and deeply intriguing. It was shot well and hooked me from the moment they entered the tomb. That scene should have been the crux of the whole movie. The story should be rooted in the lore, the characters – scoundrels but misunderstood and redeeming at their core, all because of the undeniable ancient powers of the item. Fountain of Youth did all of this on the surface, but never had any real weight.
The formula for these films is important, but madlibbing through it is not how you make a classic adventure film. I am all for reinventing the genre. I truly hope the next generation gets to grow up on the thrilling adventure films that ignite exploration, imagination, and an appreciation for the cultural importance of our ancestors. I give it a 5.5 out of 10. This one might be flashy and excite you with its magnificent locations, but I don’t think it’s the resurgence of the National Treasure, Indiana Jones-esque films we’re looking for.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram!
The post Review: ‘Fountain of Youth’ Needs More Rejuvenation appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Fountain of Youth is a new action-adventure from Apple TV+ with the makings of National Treasure, The Mummy, and Indiana Jones all together. The potential for a solid adventure film was there, and the cast was remarkable. Honestly, what could go wrong?
The film had John Krasinski (The Office, Jack Ryan), Natalie Portman (Black Swan, V for Vendetta), Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars, Harry Potter), Laz Alonzo (The Boys, Power Book II: Ghost), Carmen Ejogo (Selma, Fantastic Beasts), Eiza González (3 Body Problem, Baby Driver), Stanley Tucci! (First Avenger, Lovely Bones). All under the direction of Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Snatch). Well, this film feels like the 2nd cousin to the disjointed sequels of the aforementioned films. I’m saying National Treasure 2, The Scorpion King 2, and Indiana Jones, the one where there were aliens for some reason. It only had potential. SPOILERS BELOW – but really it doesn’t matter, you could read this and watch it and still have a unique experience.
Adventure Awaits
I fancy myself an action-adventure film connoisseur. I have seen all of The Mummy movies, was raised on Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park; I even dabble in the romantics like Romancing the Stone. I love the original Jumanji and the reboots. My favorite films of all time are The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Needless to say, adventure films are not made to be critically acclaimed (although some really are). They are made to excite and create a childlike sense of wonder, laughter, and imagination. Fountain of Youth had all of the structure, but it lacked the contents. Here’s why and some of my Black Nerd Problems to boot.
The film stars John Krasinski playing Luke Purdue (yes, like the chicken company – although there is no relation in this film, I don’t think…). Luke is in Thailand running from what seems to be thugs who are upset Luke has stolen their boss’ painting. We continue to see Luke on a Vespa evading these gangsters in a crowded Thai city center. Right off the bat, a classic adventure beginning. Unfortunately, the film continues to use an outline of an adventure film and forgets to fill in the very crucial foundational (hehe) elements, like character development and plot.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing” – Helen Keller
Luke gets away with his stolen item and cut to we are at the World Museum in Liverpool, where we meet Luke’s sister Charlotte Purdue, played by the talented Natalie Portman (Jane Foster in Thor). We find out right away that they have not spoken in quite some time. I believe a year or two. They have a witty banter that you have to get used to, which I was never able to get used to. While the two actors have a fun chemistry, the writing feels a bit forced. With a lack of a really strong backstory, you are not invited into the banter with them. The only thing we really know is that their father was an adventurer, and Luke and Charlotte followed in his footsteps until Charlotte stopped because she had a kid. We don’t know much about this father, no name, no face, no purpose. Luke harps on the fact that Charlotte, I guess, betrayed herself by becoming a boring curator at THE WORLD MUSEUM in Liverpool. Maybe it’s just me, but she seems fine.
Their witty banter never stops, it happens in every single scene, and this will she, won’t she join the team also continues while she is fully on the team. This team consists of Luke – the leader and thief. Then Patrick Murphy, played by The Boys’ Laz Alonso, who seems to be comms?? Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina Picquery in Fantastic Beasts), who is the gadgets gal, I believe—finally, the whole operation is bankrolled by the billionaire business mogul Owen Carver, played by Domnhall Gleeson (General Hux in Star Wars, ). Owen is terminally ill and seeking the Fountain of Youth to heal himself.
As the “plot” continues, it holds onto just the idea of this fountain. The folklore is so mysterious, actually too mysterious. As the lore unfolds, we meet Esme, played by Eiza González (Auggie Salazar in 3 Body Problem). Esme is behind the Purdue team at every step, trying to thwart their mission. She is revealed as an ancestral protector of these ancient mystical relics (whatever they are we’re not really told). She simply wants them to stop searching. She, of course, ends up being the swashbuckling romantic interest, but in a playful cat-and-mouse way. We don’t get much more about her or her lineage. She is the desert protector as seen in The Mummy.
Escape the Ordinary
The film is terribly predictable. I mean, I figured out the film from the first two scenes. Each Act is a copy and paste of the previous Act. We find a clue, we travel to the next spot, witty banter. Rinse and repeat. The writing is topical, the actors are doing their best with what they have. This is the first fun adventure film I’ve seen Krasinski in. It is clear all of the actors are having a blast. It’s a nonsense adventure with little to no stakes, really. You never feel like the “hero” won’t win. Which brings me to my Black Nerd Problems.
Problem 1: Luke Purdue is a classic American white character who is a criminal. He steals priceless paintings for the thrill of the hunt. He gets away with every crime he commits and fails up so fast and so far that he’s looked at as the righteous one. It’s confusing because you are not sure why you’re being led to agree with him. His sister points these things out, but then does the same things, and it’s supposed to be their family dynamic. Don’t get me wrong, this follows the average adventure film tropes, but because you are not invested in the plot, characters, or the hunt, you don’t feel like you can let him off the hook.
Problem 2: In the story, the clues to the location of the Fountain of Youth are embedded in only European artifacts like Rembrandt paintings and the Bible… BUT it leads everyone to Giza in Africa… If we are sticking with the history of colonization, I guess it’s accurate that European countries would try to lead more people to steal things that don’t belong to them. But if we can make a movie about anything – why don’t we do something different?
Problem 3: Every BIPOC character was ancillary. Patrick Murphy (Laz Alonso) is literally told to wait outside at every location, which would be fine if he were the guy in the chair. Half the time, he just throws earpieces at them and waits in the car. I love Laz Alonso; he could have had such a stronger role. It wasn’t even explained what he does for the team. It’s inferred that he does comms because he’s always at a computer and being the lookout. The same goes for Carmen Ejogo’s character, Deb McCall. The only time we see her in action is at the Austrian Library in Vienna, where she fashions a precise explosive to assist in their escape. In Egypt, both Deb and Patrick are left sitting outside the pyramid, waiting to see how everything pans out. They were involved in a firefight, which I don’t even think they, as characters, knew why. It feels like their scenes were either heavily cut or the writers had no idea what to do with them.
All in all, I’ve heard reviewers call it “paint by numbers” (Variety), and that is spot on. It feels almost like Guy Ritchie’s attempt at an American adventure movie, which only includes white American tropes as its roadmap.
“Not All Who Wander Are Lost” – J.R.R. Tolkien
The best moment of the movie is 30 minutes of the last act. Our adventurers reach the hidden catacombs underneath the pyramids of Giza. Our young adventurer, Charlotte Purdue’s son, Thomas, played by Benjamin Chivers (Eugene I in Napoleon), is a musical genius who solves their “uncrackable” puzzles on several occasions. In the pyramid, Thomas unlocks the entrance to the fountain with his musical ingenuity and the rhythmic sounds of steel drums. Chivers does a wonderful job. His character felt nuanced and fleshed out, even with his minute screen time. I was fully invested in Thomas.
The pyramid scene was clever, moving, and deeply intriguing. It was shot well and hooked me from the moment they entered the tomb. That scene should have been the crux of the whole movie. The story should be rooted in the lore, the characters – scoundrels but misunderstood and redeeming at their core, all because of the undeniable ancient powers of the item. Fountain of Youth did all of this on the surface, but never had any real weight.
The formula for these films is important, but madlibbing through it is not how you make a classic adventure film. I am all for reinventing the genre. I truly hope the next generation gets to grow up on the thrilling adventure films that ignite exploration, imagination, and an appreciation for the cultural importance of our ancestors. I give it a 5.5 out of 10. This one might be flashy and excite you with its magnificent locations, but I don’t think it’s the resurgence of the National Treasure, Indiana Jones-esque films we’re looking for.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram!
The post Review: ‘Fountain of Youth’ Needs More Rejuvenation appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The 1990s were a golden era for action movies, with Hollywood churning out high-octane blockbusters at an unprecedented rate. Big-budget spectacles dominated the movie theaters, and the rise of CGI, as rudimentary as it was, opened new frontiers for sci-fi and cyber-thriller genres. Yet, in the flood of explosions, car chases, and high-stakes heroics, some movies — despite featuring A-list stars — failed to leave a lasting mark.
Nestled between genre-defining hits such as 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day and 1999’s The Matrix, some cinematic gems simply flew under the radar. One such hidden gem is Virtuosity, a cyberpunk thriller starring none other than Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. This 1995 movie has been re-released in 4K UHD by Vinegar Syndrome, offering a fresh look at this often-overlooked release. The movie, though released in the ’90s, bears heavy influences from the previous decade and mixes up some of the best tropes sci-fi action films have to offer.
Denzel Washington portrays Parker Barnes, a former policeman imprisoned for killing a terrorist who killed Barnes’ wife and child. However, Parker also shot two reporters by accident and ended up being sentenced to 17 years to life. During his imprisonment, Barnes and another inmate were used to train different iterations of AI in virtual reality. At the beginning of the movie, they were tracking down a serial killer named SID (short for Sadistic, Intelligent, Dangerous) in VR, which ended with a disaster.
SID is an amalgamation of some of the most violent serial killers throughout history, and during their time in VR, he manages to wound Parker and kill another inmate within the simulation. Once the simulation ends, the director overseeing the project orders SID’s termination. However, SID manages to convince his programmer to transfer him into a synthetically grown android body, thus bringing SID into the real world.
Given that he’s an amalgamation of some of history’s greatest killers, SID resorts to doing what he does best. Once the word gets out that SID is now plaguing and causing chaos in the real world, those in charge offer Barnes a pardon if he manages to catch SID and bring him back to virtual reality. The rest is the usual cinematic play of cat and mouse in which a disgruntled police officer chases a criminal — whose personality profile also contains a profile of a man who killed Parker’s wife and child.
The movie ends like most sci-fi action movies do; there’s a climactic battle in which the bad guy uses the last bit of his strength to try and kill the good guy, but the good guy ends up winning anyway. Story-wise, the movie really isn’t anything special. As previously mentioned, it’s a blend of typical action movie tropes mixed in a cautionary tale about an unethical development of technology and AI, especially since it accurately predicted the present fears stoked by AI and VR technologies.
But what makes Virtuosity great is its cast. Denzel Washington portrays Barnes as a troubled and conflicted hero haunted by a tragic past. Washington does well with his portrayal, as he gives Barnes a commanding presence that provides a grounded counterpoint to Virtuosity’s more outlandish elements — of which there are plenty. He’s everything you can expect from a ’90s sci-fi action movie protagonist: a no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point action hero capable of delivering his now-iconic one-liners.
Russell Crowe‘s SID 6.7 is an excellent villain. Crowe provided a completely unhinged and joyous performance of an antagonist who escaped the confines of virtual reality and now spreads chaos throughout the real world. Not only that, but he’s actually having fun with murder and mayhem. He’s thrilled with his physical existence and is almost always smiling, even in the film’s darkest moments. Truly exceptional.
Apart from Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, the rest of the cast is populated by some of the best character actors in the industry at the time. William Fichtner, best known for Contact, Armageddon, and Black Hawk Down, makes every movie and video game he’s in better. William Forsythe is yet another great actor; not only is he great in everything he ever appeared in but he could actually make watching paint dry look and sound interesting.
Despite the great performances of its cast and a generally intriguing premise, Virtuosity suffered from a weak and formulaic script and an inconsistent tone and direction. The movie managed to recuperate its production budget, but it received mixed to negative reviews from both the critics and the audiences, resulting in it falling into oblivion. But now, thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, we have the opportunity to re-examine the movie in 4K UHD resolution, complemented with a ton of new and interesting content, such as director commentary, various interviews, and featurettes.
Still, none of that will change the fact that, while being a hidden gem of ’90s cinema, Virtuosity falls short of being a cinematic masterpiece. It is, however, one of the subgenre’s most creative and thrill-packed releases, and it is almost certainly going to provide a lot of fun to those who like sci-fi action films.
The post Cult Classics: The Cyberpunk Denzel Washington Thriller ‘Virtuosity’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
I think it’s safe to say that most of us have been leading lives that were minimally impacted by the choices of our government. It’s not a secret that President Trump has made some extremely intrusive and questionable decisions while passing some laws that have negatively affected a lot of people (ironically, that pool includes the very same individuals who voted for him, imagine that).
In recent times, it’s been hard to ignore the increase in books that have been banned in the U.S. after Trump took office and hyper fixated on shutting out topics relevant to Black History and topics surrounding racial justice and identity. This poses a threat to many, especially younger children of color in school who will not get the proper education about their people’s history. This is extremely damaging when a president forces his own personal agenda that ultimately impacts our people the most. This also affects the prices if we wanted to purchase them as he has placed a high tariff on imports.
The Bigger Issue at Hand
Our rights are being violated in real time as banning certain reads goes against representation and freedom of expression. These actions severely censor the Black voice and threaten to erase our history as the new generations aren’t getting the proper exposure to our stories and art. Although they are being restricted in libraries and schools, the literature itself is still available for purchase, but that isn’t the point to be honest. There shouldn’t have ever been any reason to eliminate these books from the beginning, and it’s hard to ignore that this is, on some level, racism handed down directly by our own President of the United States. While the messages that Black authors have aimed to shed light on has consistently ruffled feathers, it has been awakened by the “Make America Great Again” movement.
What Books Are Affected?
According to Pen.org, 10,046 book bans were reported for the 2023-2024 school year, with books with people and characters of color occupying 44% and those featuring the LGBTQ+ community and themes taking up 39%. The site goes on to further highlight how “nearly 60% of these banned titles are written for young adult audiences, and depict topics young people confront… including grief and death, experiences with substance abuse, suicide, depression and mental health concerns and sexual violence.” While the list is fairly long, some 10 notable books on the ban list included the following:
Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye, Beloved
Angie Thomas – The Hate U Give
Jason Reynolds – Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi)
George M. Johnson – All Boys Aren’t Blue
Layla F. Saad – Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor
Jacqueline Woodson – Brown Girl Dreaming
Maya Angelou – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Emmanuel Acho – Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy
Juan Williams – Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary
Ellen Labrecque – Who Was Maya Angelou?
What Can We Do?
Fascists are thriving right now, but we can’t let that stand in the way of us teaching our younger generation and exposing them to what they need to know about the history of their people. From the books on the banned list to overall topics that have been removed from schools’ course curricula, it is up to us to have these discussions. Authors of these books and other minority writers are banding together to fight back, joined by advocacy groups along the way.
Social media has began the hashtag #LetBooksFly and Banned Books Week to bring awareness and point a spotlight on an issue a lot of people don’t notice, especially if you aren’t someone who reads often. There have been several lawsuits filed to correct this matter, including PEN America v. Escambia County School District that challenged “removals and restrictions of books from school libraries that violate their rights to free speech and equal protection under the law.” This further proves claims that the state of Florida continues to have one of the highest rates of book removals in the U.S. If you want to get involved, you can join discussion groups, subscribe to newsletters, and even donate to support the cause.
Overall, this is truly the beginning of something ugly. It starts with books but has the potential to expand into more forms of media and aspects of our daily lives. What if documentaries about the struggles of our people and our history start to get yanked from streaming platforms? What if holidays like Juneteeth and Martin Luther King Day are no longer observed and corporate doesn’t allow you company time as some jobs currently do?
This can be very discouraging for the younger generation to see so much of who they are get stripped from the history books in real time. We were supposed to be past that, but it seems things have just amped up either further with our new president. If all goes well, these next four years will breeze by and our next person in leading the country will put an end to this and restore some normality.
The post Black Book Ban: Sweeping Fascism Erases Black History and Art appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Serial dater Noa Bar (@heyimnoabar) has uploaded another banger after a date ended in failure–again. In a viral TikTok, Noa shared how her date “punished” her for a common request while eating out.
In the clip, Noa removes her makeup as she shares her dating story.