Ambulance will debut in U.S. theaters on April 8, 2022.
Action movies don’t have to be big, bold, brash displays of guns, violence, and car chases. Some take an altogether more measured approach, layering plot and dialogue to underpin a thrilling story, using action sequences to punctuate a gripping story.
Ambulance does absolutely none of that.
Michael Bay has directed possibly the most Michael Bay film of all time as Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stomp around Los Angeles in a stolen ambulance, evading the police after a heist gone wrong.
It’s a neat setup that borrows a lot from the likes of Speed and the Grand Theft Auto games, with frenzied editing that makes scenes whizz by faster than a getaway ambulance. There’s nothing subtle or understated here – Ambulance is a bold movie from a director renowned for his over-the-top antics. And boy, Bay does not disappoint here.
Danny (Gyllenhaal) and Will (Abdul-Mateen) are crooks pulling one last big bank job – the one to top them all. But while Danny is keen to follow in his criminal father’s footsteps, Will is a more reluctant bank robber, dragged kicking and screaming into his brother’s scheme.
The heist scenes are a bit rough around the edges, but that’s kind of the point. It all goes sideways very quickly, leaving Danny and Will hot-footing it out of there with bags stuffed full of cash and assault rifles at the ready. Not exactly inconspicuous, and with the cops on their tail, time is running out. If only they could find a way out…
Of course, the real star of the show is Jake Gyllenhaal.
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Enter the Ambulance, home to notorious EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza González), who can keep anyone alive for 20 minutes as long as you don’t dare to strike up any kind of personal conversation. She’s essentially a caricature of a grizzled veteran health care worker, but González manages to wrestle with the stereotype to pull out an impressive performance.
Of course, the real star of the show is Gyllenhaal, who spends 136 minutes chewing the scenery so hard, he needs a new set of dentures by the end of it. Expect crazed monologues, hyped-up displays of aggression, and bucketloads of those trademark Gyllenhaal crazed expressions. Abdul-Mateen brings a more measured performance as the humble U.S. veteran who just happens to be related to a serial bank robber. Although he’s underutilized at first, Abdul-Mateen really comes into his own by the third act, building a solid rapport with Gyllenhaal that eventually bursts out of the screen.
But Cam gets plenty of opportunity to shine too. Although the high-speed hijinks of a bank robbery gone wrong provide most of the action, it’s punctuated by excruciating medical scenes which see Cam go beyond the call of duty.
In fact, there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye.
Shot during lockdown in 2021, Ambulance feels like a salute to the frontline healthcare workers who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. Positioning Cam as the trustworthy face of a brutal healthcare system shows us the humanity and sacrifice of the noble EMT, highlighting the bravery of the ordinary nurse or hospital porter.
That being said, it’s not particularly realistic.
After all, one scene sees the EMT perform impromptu surgery using a hair clip while being walked through the procedure by a surgeon friend over Zoom. But González’s no-nonsense heroine is unwavering in the face of danger. She’s not particularly complex – neither are Gyllenhaal and Abdul Mateen’s characters. But there’s joy to be found in the simple plot, executed amid a hail of gunfire, in the back of a speeding ambulance, with Bay’s signature explosions wreaking havoc around them.
It's an audacious film in more ways than one. Only Bay can get away with directly referencing his own movies throughout the film’s already cheesy dialogue. The tongue-in-cheek nature of a cop talking about Bad Boys is more than a little reminiscent of Hot Fuzz.
It's a fast-paced thrill ride all round with breakneck cuts and a frantic energy.
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Pop quiz, hotshot – how exactly does Michael Bay do it?
That’s all down to his signature style. It's a fast-paced thrill ride all round with breakneck cuts and a frantic energy you won’t find anywhere else. Sure, it’s a bit exhausting to sit through over two hours of edge-of-your-seat action and not-quite-whip-smart quips from Gyllenhaal’s cash-obsessed hustler. But you’re rewarded with an action-packed finale that will leave you feeling positively energized.
Ambulance is a high-octane delight for anyone who loves the complete and utter mayhem of an over-the-top action thriller. It’s not particularly clever, or original. But Ambulance does deliver the kind of thrilling, fast-paced action that’s been missing in cinemas for the last few years. It’s perfect popcorn fodder with a healthy dose of explosions, chase scenes, and that signature fast-cutting, frenzied style that made Bay a household name.
Don’t expect too much and Ambulance will give you a healthy shot of adrenaline long before you risk flatlining.
