Here we go, strap yourself in.
Michael Bay blows up the scene once again with his latest entry Ambulance. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza González. This is the latest action extravaganza so you should know what to expect here. Explosions, car chases and everything you would associate with a Hollywood film.
The plot is razor thin here. A bank robbery goes awry and they shoot an officer. They steal an ambulance along with a paramedic so that she can keep the officer alive for leverage in their chase throughout Los Angeles.
Now that we have the plot out of the way we can start discussing the choices here.
Here's a choice I approve of. Interesting and thought provoking.
Drones seem to the new toy Michael Bay has been playing with. They produce some interesting shots except for the frenetic quick cuts throughout the film that essentially deflate the tension. Most of these choices made my stomach turn literally. The viewer feels as if they're on a roller coaster with flips, turns and loop de loops. There were times when I needed to look away from my screen as I was starting to feel ill, I can only imagine what the experience would be in a theater or heaven forbid an IMAX showing of something like this. I still find it surprising something like this passed by the editors with no changes considering they love to chop scenes randomly.
Bay references his own films in this film. I couldn't believe when I was hearing lines from The Rock and Bad Boys. I suppose this was done for the laugh factor but this was a huge groan. This does not work for me at all.
The ambulance is out of control. Be sure to drive over all those pylons just in case.
Some of the most egregious factors that pulled me out of the film were the numerous scenes or callbacks to other films. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not.
Michael Mann's Heat (1995), one of the best action heist movies in my opinion felt heavily borrowed from. This too was based in Los Angeles but done so much better. There are scenes in Bay's film that are almost carbon copies.
Speed (1994), another well known action film where a bus cannot stop or it will explode. The almost nonstop driving of this ambulance hearkens back to this action film too.
There are several others too that I can't remember off the top of my head at the moment and I think my point is hopefully clear. I've seen this all before and I can't be the only one noticing this.
Where are my sunglasses? That flare is making me squint.
As for shot composition, Michael Bay seems to love the good old lens flare that everybody loves. I'm being sarcastic and was getting flashbacks of JJ Abrams. I really wish this would die. I don't like getting a blast of light in my eyes and that's why I wear sunglasses on a bright day. Please stop putting this in film deliberately, it's annoying.
I've always said I like Jake Gyllenhaal as an actor but I'm questioning his choices lately. He fares much better in indie roles than these bigger Hollywood films. I hope he comes out in something that showcases his range as he's not great here. An over the top loudmouth that gets on my nerves. At least he has one of the funniest lines of the film
"And I wish I didn’t have herpes but we have to go with what we got!".
I'm having flashbacks of Terminator 2 or the many films filmed in this location. The all seeing eye is a nice touch.
I wasn't invested in the relationship between Jake Gyllenhaal or Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. There was hardly any time devoted to them to create any engagement from me. Same situation with Eiza González, the paramedic. This is just wall to wall action while dealing with odd camera shots.
While I'm pointing out the facets I don't enjoy there is still a decent action film underneath this all. Bay knows how to create an engaging scenario and if I'm in the mood for action you can throw the plot out the window as we scream down the highway. All the excessive baggage of editing, mediocre acting and shot composition draw me out of this film.
Praise be the static shot but that darn lens flare is making an unwanted appearance again. You were not invited as usual.
I could only count a handful of times where there was a steady static shot. Speaking of shots, there is one in particular where two characters are delivering dialogue and the camera is turning at the same moment. I've seen this type of shot before done successfully and it should add to the drama. Here it feels like we're on a merry go around and again my stomach was getting queasy. This isn't a short shot either for some reason. These type of lingering shots shouldn't be here considering most last mere moments in this film.
This fly-by scene really tried my patience and my stomach.
A queasy stomach was my greeting for the first quarter of the film. This is very strange for me as I rarely if ever feel this way watching any film. I know others must have felt something like this.
The movie looks good on what I've learned was a small 40 million dollar budget but feels cheap. The opening weekend only drew in around 8 million too so this doesn't look like much of a success yet. They'll no doubt make back their investment in worldwide sales but considering this is a Michael Bay film, I wouldn't be surprised if he's not too happy with the results.
I'm glad he's not making Transformers movies at least anymore. Those are generally unwatchable for me at least.
Jake, I love you and all but your performance is really over the top. A little hammy?
This is a Michael Bay film at the end of the day and is par for the course.
I wish I could shut off my brain and enjoy this movie as I can usually do this while having a great time. The nausea inducing shots at points, overly shaky camera work and lens flares are only a few of the technical aspects that don't work for me. The acting, plot and overall scenario is a whole different story. Most of those that have seen action movies over the years will have seen this before and not much is new here sadly.
I'd pass on this one and Jake Gyllenhaal, you're making me question you lately. Interesting, off-beat characters are your strong suit. Get back to these types please.
Thanks for the read 🙂
All media captured by myself from the original source.