As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours navigating virtual cityscapes and high-speed chases, I can confidently say that Michael Bay’s “Ambulance” is an adrenaline-fueled ride that takes the action genre to new heights. With its roots deeply entwined with the iconic film “Speed,” this movie serves as a thrilling evolution of the high-octane chase premise, offering an exhilarating experience for fans of the genre.
It’s safe to assume that if you enjoyed the movie Speed, you’ll find yourself thoroughly thrilled by the intense car chase through the desolate parts of Los Angeles in Ambulance, especially since it shares a similar gritty style with Speed. Although Michael Bay’s 2022 film Ambulance has its unique narrative about who plays the cop and who plays the criminal, in almost every pulse-pounding aspect that counts, it’s an enhanced version of the same relentless action concept that powered Keanu Reeves’ non-stop 1994 blockbuster.
The Ambulance movie (now available on Peacock) didn’t make a huge impact at the box office when it was first released last year, which is surprising given its high-profile Hollywood background. Normally, a film directed by Michael Bay (and co-produced by him for this project), along with the star power of Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a duo of adoptive brothers, would be enough to draw in moviegoers. The charismatic Eiza González, playing a hostage paramedic named Cam, further strengthens this Michael Bay production’s acting prowess. So, there’s no question about the quality of acting in this film.
Don’t Sleep on Michael Bay’s Awesome Action Flick, Ambulance
The setup for the crime in this ambulance film swiftly gets to the main action: Will, a former soldier, is struggling financially as part of the working class. His wife requires a substantial sum of $231,000 for cancer treatment, pushing him to seek help from his long-lost criminal brother Danny, who coincidentally has a massive $32 million bank heist in progress.
Reluctantly, Will joins Danny’s criminal gang to assist in the bank heist, as his wife’s life hangs in the balance. However, things take an unexpected turn for the worse, leading to a chain of X-factor incidents. Eventually, they find themselves trapped with no escape route except for an ambulance that Cam, the honorable paramedic, manages to push past police barriers and into the active shootout zone. There, they encounter a fallen police officer (Jackson White) who is severely injured and losing blood rapidly.
From that point on, they swiftly move into high gear, with the two siblings hastily departing in the emergency medical services vehicle. They carry both Cam and the injured officer along for safety measures, to deter any immediate action from the SWAT team who might act impulsively. This tactical maneuver is primarily Danny’s brainchild; he represents the cunning, ruthless criminal side, while Will embodies the more compassionate, upstanding character. Their moral differences significantly impact the intricate and wide-ranging game of hide-and-seek involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
In this thrilling chase, they navigate through L.A.’s bustling urban landscape, offering Michael Bay and cinematographer Roberto De Angelis an opportunity to utilize advanced camera technology that was unavailable during Bay’s 1990s action film era, such as The Rock and Armageddon. The evolving camaraderie between Cam and Will could be the movie’s emotional core, but the daring cinematography – featuring drone shots that glide in and out of bridge supports, soar between skyscrapers, and zoom from bird’s-eye city views to something as minute as a handheld phone – adds a visual elegance that enhances Los Angeles’ film legend as a city where dreams are constantly being born (and shattered) instantaneously.
Similar to the film Speed, the speed and intensity of Ambulance‘s pace can at times become overly chaotic, with handheld camera work that jitters and rapid action cuts that disrupt the intense human drama unfolding within the tight quarters of the racing ambulance. However, when the climax arrives, all the conflicts are tidied up in a manner that is not entirely surprising, which isn’t necessarily a flaw given the film’s focus on evading capture. Unlike some movies that aim to leave viewers guessing about an unexpected twist, Ambulance prefers to catapult its audience into the action, chase them relentlessly with the law in pursuit, and let them experience the chaos until the inevitable crash occurs.
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2024-11-25 20:01