Title – Ambulance (2022) 

Director – Michael Bay (The Island) 

Cast – Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza González, Garret Dillahunt

Plot – When a heist goes bad, brothers Danny (Gyllenhaal) and Will Sharp (Abdul-Mateen II) hijack an ambulance occupied by paramedic Cam Thompson (Gonzalez) 

“You are all gonna have the greatest story to tell at dinner tonight!”

Review by Eddie on 08/04/2022

Alright confession time. Whose the wise guy that introduced drones to Michael Bay? 

Whoever it is has some explaining to do, as based off what we have here in Ambulance, Bay’s latest dosage of “Bayham”, Bay is keen to ensure that his quick-paced editing, constantly moving cameras and general hyperactivity is enhanced by modern drone technology as he fly’s his little pretties across the Los Angeles streetscape following Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s brothers Danny and Will Sharp as the two estranged siblings get caught in an ambulance they’ve hijacked in a heist gone wrong, leads to a cross city game of cat and mouse with local law authorities. 

A remake of the 2005 Danish film of the same name, Bay has transformed the little known thriller into a typically OTT action extravaganza that clocks in at a mammoth two hour and twenty minute runtime, providing the divisive director with one of his best canvases to work from in years as he goes about showcasing that age shall not weary a director with as many ideas and things to blow up as Bay has. 

Unlikely to convert anyone that has grown tired of Bay’s antics over time or perhaps never once found themselves enjoying his many spectacles such as The Rock (a film he references here without a shred of shame), the Transformers series or Armageddon, Ambulance refuses to take pause as it throws us and the Sharp brothers headfirst into an unapologetically insane heist/chase thriller that allows its talented cast and director (the man knows how do action) to have a whole lot of fun with a film that feels as though it could’ve easily come directly from the 90’s era of action movie rulebooks where fun and entertainment trumped all else. 

Front and centre to this latest bout of bed(Bay)lam is some very fun turns from Gyllenhaal and Abdul-Mateen II who appear to be having the times of their lives here, whether it be in shootouts with the police, bickering with one another or performing impromptu surgeries in the back of a car while driving down LA freeways, the two actors alongside rising star Eiza González as the unfortunate paramedic caught up in all the chaos appear to be well and truly on board with what Bay is trying to do here.  

Much like the actors prevalent in Ambulance, if you’re willing to accept Bay’s film for what it is and not expect the much-talked about director to change his ways in any way, shape or form here, Ambulance is a thrilling ride that overstays its welcome by a significant margin but still possesses enough adrenaline and spectacle to ensure this ride through the city of angels is one of the years most simplistically enjoyable action features. 

Final Say – 

Bay’s back, as big and bad as ever before, just this time with more drones baby! Watched with the right mindset and expectations, Ambulance should go down as one of 2022’s most enjoyable of guilty pleasures.   

3 1/2 pairs of Birkenstocks out of 5