PLOT: EMT Cam Thompson gets caught up in a robbery gone wrong when two adoptive brothers take her and an injured police officer hostage.
REVIEW: One of my favorite things about the latest from Michael Bay is the way he explores the city of Los Angeles. It’s a blast to see many of the streets that I take daily, yet with that insane visual style of the action director. It’s also good to see the filmmaker return to something besides cars that turn into robots. His latest, Ambulance, is based on the 2005 Danish film with the same name. Yet add Bay’s usual excessive action, explosions, and swirling camerawork, and you have a two-hour and fifteen-minute chase – give or take. It’s sometimes engaging, more than a little stupid, but it’s generally a decent time watching Jake Gyllenhall and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II moronically try and outrun every police officer in LA, all the while holding Eiza González and an unlucky officer (played by Jackson White) hostage. Not a good plan fellas.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Will Sharp. He’s a good man that is desperately trying to make his way through the red tape of health care. It seems his wife is very sick and needs surgery that they can’t afford and the insurance won’t cover. In a last-ditch effort to seek help for his family, Will asks his adoptive brother Danny (Gyllenhaal) for help. And help he gives, but not in the way one would want. Danny convinces Will to strap in and help rob a bank for millions and millions of dollars. A risky move, clearly Will is convinced way too easily and they do the deed with a bunch of goons. When things go predictably bad, both Danny and Will make a quick getaway and stop an ambulance carrying a wounded officer. The brothers take both the policeman and EMT Cam Thompson (Gonzalez) hostage, leading them all on an insane chase through the streets of sunny California.
Let’s start with the bad, shall we? This is a really dumb movie for a few reasons. For one, it’s a bit impossible to believe in the context of the film that Will would make such terrible choices. The human factor of a sick wife possibly not making it and leaving him alone with a baby, you might think he’d be a little less moronic. In fact, nearly every choice made by every character here is questionable. Even with references to the true and very violent North Hollywood Bank of America robbery which occurred in 1997, there is very little that is remotely realistic here. Every attempt at anything serious feels a bit ridiculous and comical. As big as the action is, and as surprisingly gruesome as it gets at times – the operation scene is messed up and the violence is occasionally intense in this R-rated flick – it still feels slightly long by the time the credits roll.
As silly as it is, you can’t help but appreciate both Gyllenhaal and Abdul-Mateen II. The two work well together, and Jake has the chance to play a flashy character that in lesser hands may have just been annoying. He is at times here as well. Yet the real MVP here is Eiza González. As deep as they attempt to make the backstories for each of the characters, it is Ms. González that somehow conveys an honest sense of who she is supposed to be. The actress is tough when necessary, vulnerable when needed, and she makes for a charismatic and engaging lead. If it hadn’t been for her impressive performance, the movie would have suffered a bit more from the excess of lunacy. And when all three leads are together, Bay manages to bring in that extra energy needed to keep this thing mostly moving.
One of the treats of this film happens to be a handful of side characters. Garret Dillahunt is ridiculously fun as Captain Monroe. Jackson White is extremely likable as the cop dragged along for the dangerous drive. Olivia Stambouliah brings a nice level of serious humor to the mix as Lieutenant Dzaghig. And Moses Ingram brings gives a bit of heart to her role as Amy Sharp. Although it’s a shame she didn’t have a bit more to do. And finally, Colin Woodell nearly steals every scene as a guy who just loves to reveal his life to his Emt partner, even when his stories aren’t fully appreciated. Michael Bay has a good eye for creating a fun supporting cast, and his latest is a perfect example of that. Oftentimes, these guts stole the glory from the brothers’ storyline.
Yes, this is Michael Bay, and if you are looking for big booms, you’ll get a few here. Not necessarily Transformers level, but you got it. If you want that swirling shot as the actors prove just how cool they are as the plan on the crime, you’ve got that as well. This is a Michael Bay film through and through. In fact, at times, it is so very Michael Bay that you’d swear it was a parody of one of his films. Every time the camera twists and dives off of a building only to jump into the action, it’s hard not to feel a sense of wonder and whimsy with a little eye-rolling. Bay is good at this, and while it can be easy to play down his appeal, it’s hard to think of another director that can make it work as well as it does. Ambulance is not his best film, but there’s enough here to at least entertain those that dig his bombastic style. You can check out Ambulance in theatres, in IMAX, on April 8th.