Ambulance

Nail-biting, intense, adrenaline-ridden films are quite the rush, and because of this, they simply cut to the chase hence the type of films they are. When "Speed" was released in 1994 starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, I felt like I was dragged through the proverbial knothole emotionally. It was adrenaline-packed and was intense from frame one. Well, now we have "Ambulance" which certainly has the same frenetic, adrenaline-ridden feel as with "Speed".

Over one day across the streets of L.A., three lives will change forever. In this breakneck thriller from director Michael Bay, decorated veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), desperate for money to cover his wife's, Amy (Moses Ingram) experimental surgery, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn't--his adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), a charismatic career criminal. Danny instead offers Will a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history: $32 million. With his wife's survival on the line, Will can't say no. But when their getaway goes spectacularly wrong, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with an injured cop clinging to life and ace EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza Gonzalez) onboard. In a high-speed pursuit that never stops, Will and Danny must evade a massive, city-wide law enforcement response, keep their hostages alive, and somehow try now to kill each other, all while executing the most insane escape L. A. has ever seen.

Others to round out the cast are Garret Dillihunt as Captain Monroe, Keir O'Donnell as FBI Agent Anson Clark, Jackson White as Officer Zach, Olivia Stambouliah as Lt. Draghig, Colin Woodell as EMT Scott, Cedric Sanders as Officer Mark, A Martinez as Papi and Jesse Garcia as Roberto. 

This was intensely directed with a ton of grit by Michael Bay ("Bad Boys" '95, "Armageddon" '98, "Pearl Harbor" '01, "Bad Boys II" '03, "The Island" '05, "Transformers" '07, "Pain & Gain" '13, "13 Hours" '16, "Underground" '19) plus others and shorts and a plethora of music videos. As with this director's previous films, he is clearly in his comfort zone, and so makes it a bit easier to know how to get his actors to extract the emotions needed to keep the audience glued to their seats. His pacing, staging and the impact he accomplished was amazing. If you like this veteran, seasoned director's brand, his "Robopocalypse" has been announced. It was written with amazing grit and frenetically well by Chris Fedak (TV), based on the film "Ambulancen" by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Petersen. More amazing than Bay's accomplished directing is that of this writer, who, has written a plethora of TV, is still a virtual newcomer to the feature film realm. Really, other than a small issue with continuity and a place where a particular thing couldn't happen the way it turned out, this script was spot on. Fedak's amazing pace throughout the film definitely kept the audience on the edge of their seats, and if that didn't work, this film absolutely cuts to the chase practically minute one. The photography by Roberto De Angelis coupled with editing predominantly by Pietro Scalia ace, was racing and slick which simply added to the story. Also add visual effects predominantly designed by Double Negative and ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), and you have two and a quarter hours of running time that simply moves right along.

 

If you liked "Speed" or films like that, this film is one you have got to see. It is the quintessential escape film that is as entertaining as it is a roller coaster ride. Note: This is the third film Gyllenhaal has starred in that is a remake of a Danish film; the other two being "The Guilty" '21 and "Brothers". Grab the popcorn and enjoy!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                                Rated: R                                                 136mins.