Ambulance
Reviews
CinemaSerf
So here's the gist. "Will" (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) needs $231,000 urgently, so he taps up his brother "Danny" (Jake Gyllenhaal) who, as luck would have it, is on that very day about to hit a bank for $32m. All he has to do is drive and his worries are a thing of the past. They manage to relieve the bank of the cash ok, but horny young police officer "Zach" (Jackson White) becomes a fly in their ointment when he decides to ask one of the cashiers out on a date, and gets caught up in the now much more precarious raid. He gets shot, and as the ambulance is leaving to take him to hospital the two robbers jump on board as their ticket out of the now police-strewn crime scene. Luckily, onboard the ambulance, is feisty no-nonsense paramedic "Cam" (Eiza González) who now has to keep the critically ill officer alive whilst her two passengers try to evade the might of the LAPD with their loot. What now ensues is just ridiculous. This sixteen tonne truck manages to evade snipers, souped-up police cars, helicopters all whilst having a critically injured man in the back. It seems to have no issues running out of gas; and must have an axle and suspension system that wouldn't be out of place on a Boeing 747. Gung-go police captain "Monroe" (Garret Dillahunt) demonstrates adequately that the more resources you have, the cockier you become - and the less successful; and the introduction of FBI man "Anson" (Keir O'Donnell) a college pal of "Danny" who has to rush from a marriage guidance session with his husband to try and apprehend the fugitives just tops off this rather preposterous narrative. The production is very good; the use of drones and high speed photography does create an effective image as the ambulance continues to evade pursuit, but the dialogue is dreadful. Lots of repetitive expressions with hardly a smile to be had as the plot descends willingly into the absurd. Luckily, we get to come up for air for a moment or so thanks to Christoper Cross' "Sailing" but otherwise this is a relentless chase movie with it's root firmly placed in fantasy. The ending takes 2¼ to come, and when it does it is as inevitable as it is poor. I'm sorry, but this is nobody's finest work and being the only person at the screening I couldn't help but wonder if others knew better than me - and stayed at home!
Chris Sawin
Buried deep within _Ambulance_’s loud, flashy action, sickening editing, overstimulated filming techniques, and a screenplay that seems like it was fished out of a port-a-potty is a somewhat thrilling film. Jake Gyllenhaal is a cashmere obsessed lunatic that you can’t help but love, but _Ambulance_ is a gaudy and sloppy excuse of an action film otherwise. **Full review:** boundingintocomics.com/2022/04/11/ambulance-review-action-at-its-dumbest-and-gaudiest/
5rJoud
6 out of 10 for this waste of good actors. Garbage camera work, loud score, and anticlimactic ending that leaves the viewer just disappointed. Car chases and gun fights must have been directed by an action flick newbie, never even once is the cause and effect in the same frame. Looking at people shooting something off-screen and in the next scene seeing bullets hit another thing does nothing for me. Might as well read a book if I'm supposed to connect the dots myself. Similarly watching cars drive fast in close-ups or over hidden ramps is just boring. Dialogue wants to be clever so much and characters are overly colorful, not very believable on the whole. The movie is suspenseful though if nothing else and that is why my rating is relatively high.
JPV852
I generally like Michael Bay movies, even when they go into stupid, inane territory. However, his latest, Ambulance is a 90-100 minute movie that is stretched to over two hours and got tedious pretty quickly, most notably the aerial/drone shots that did make me a tad nauseous. The writing also was pretty poor including the cringe "comedic" lines that didn't work, not to mention a few unnecessary scenes for the supporting characters. I guess on the plus side Jake Gyllenhaal can play psychotic pretty well and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has his moments. I also liked how Bay/composer Lorne Balfe recycled one of the themes from 13 Hours at the end. As a whole, this is not one I'll revisit. **1.75/5**
The Movie Mob
**If you want escapism action, you have come to the right place.** Ambulance is as Michael Bay as a movie could possibly be. There’s a total of maybe 10 minutes of story and plot development before jumping fully into all-out action. Who needs character development when you have a 2-hour car chase and shootout? Not me! It is a non-stop action romp with next-level camera work and stunt work. You should know what you’re getting if you watch a Michael Bay film, and this is everything you would expect at its very best. Peak Michael Bay action.
Manuel São Bento
MORE SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/ "Ambulance is one of the most frenetic, literally non-stop action flicks of Michael Bay's entire career - which might be shocking to state. The cast is exceptional - curiously, it's Eiza González who stands out the most - and their interactions are far more hilarious than I anticipated. Choppy editing and inconsistently shaky camera work can be extremely frustrating, especially outside of the action sequences, but on the other hand, these elements also contribute to the unstoppable energy of an authentic blockbuster. Is it absurdly ridiculous? Undoubtedly. As silly as can be expected. But entertaining nonetheless." Rating: B-
Robbie Grawey
I laughed, I cried, and now I think I need a nap. My second Bay movie. Jake Gyllenhaal, nitro dog, fantastic cinematography, great emotional core, etc. Excellent stuff.
Per Gunnar Jonsson
This is a Michael Bay movie. I could probably stop the review here because that says all about the movie. Lots of special effects and a mediocre story at best. This Michael Bay movie is no different. The two stars I gave it is solely for the action and the special effects. The script is not even mediocre. It is rubbish. I think what grated on me the most is that there are two characters in the whole movie that are somewhat likable. The rest are either assholes or idiots. Mostly both. The actions of almost everyone are just annoyingly stupid and illogical. The constant bickering and shouting is frustrating. This “criminal mastermind”, Danny Sharp, is alternating between being a psychopath and just an idiot. His idiot comment towards the end that they were not the bad guys, they were just trying to get home was so braindead it was unbelievable. The police force is not really any better. The entire chase part is just so ridiculous most of the time and the constant shouting and arguing drags it down further. The idea of doing an operation, over the phone, during a high speed chase while taking 90 degree turns every two minutes or so is laughable. Then they had all this silly work up to where the baddies were going to assault the cops with their customized vehicles and the one time I expected Michael Bay to shine and even go a bit over the top it ended up being rather meh and mediocre. Normally I do not really care that much if the script is not top notch in these kind of movies as long as it is good enough to drive the action but this script was too ludicrous and devoid of intelligence even for me.
Movie Recommendation
Memory2022-04-28Alex, an assassin-for-hire, finds that he's become a target after he refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization. With the crime syndicate and FBI in hot pursuit, Alex has the skills to stay ahead, except for one thing: he is struggling with severe memory loss, affecting his every move. Alex must question his every action and whom he can ultimately trust.More...
Heart of Fire2009-01-29The true story of a young female soldier who comes of age during the Eritrean civil war.More...
Moonfall2022-02-02A mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it.More...
The Northman2022-04-07Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who's on a mission to save his mother, kill his uncle and avenge his father.More...
Blacklight2022-02-10Travis Block is a shadowy Government agent who specializes in removing operatives whose covers have been exposed. He then has to uncover a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks that reaches the highest echelons of power.More...
The Dry2021-01-01Aaron Falk returns to his drought-stricken hometown to attend a tragic funeral. But his return opens a decades-old wound - the unsolved death of a teenage girl.More...
Uncharted2022-02-10A young street-smart, Nathan Drake and his wisecracking partner Victor “Sully” Sullivan embark on a dangerous pursuit of “the greatest treasure never found” while also tracking clues that may lead to Nathan’s long-lost brother.More...
Father Stu2022-04-13The true-life story of boxer-turned-priest. When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long moves to Los Angeles to find money and fame. While scraping by as a supermarket clerk, he meets Carmen, a Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her. However, a motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others, leading to the surprising realization that he's meant to be a Catholic priest.More...
The Lost City2022-03-23Reclusive author Loretta Sage writes about exotic places in her popular adventure novels that feature a handsome cover model named Alan. While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta gets kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who hopes she can lead him to the ancient city's lost treasure that featured in her latest story. Alan, determined to prove he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, sets off to rescue her.More...
The Contractor2022-03-10After being involuntarily discharged from the U.S. Special Forces, James Harper decides to support his family by joining a private contracting organization alongside his best friend and under the command of a fellow veteran. Overseas on a covert mission, Harper must evade those trying to kill him while making his way back home.More...
The Adam Project2022-03-11After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.More...
See How They Run2022-09-09In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When world-weary Inspector Stoppard and eager rookie Constable Stalker take on the case, the two find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid theater underground, investigating the mysterious homicide at their own peril.More...
Morbius2022-03-30Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder, and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Michael Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. What at first appears to be a radical success soon reveals itself to be a remedy potentially worse than the disease.More...
Pil's Adventures2021-08-11Pil, a little vagabond girl, lives on the streets of the medieval city of Roc-en-Brume, along with her three tame weasels. She survives of food stolen from the castle of the sinister Regent Tristain. One day, to escape his guards, Pil disguises herself as a princess. Thus she embarks upon a mad, delirious adventure, together with Crobar, a big clumsy guard who thinks she's a noble, and Rigolin, a young crackpot jester. Pil is going to have to save Roland, rightful heir to the throne under the curse of a spell. This adventure will turn the entire kingdom upside down, and teach Pil that nobility can be found in all of us.More...
The Bubble2022-03-25Sneaking out. Hooking up. Melting down. The cast and crew of a blockbuster action franchise attempt to shoot a sequel while quarantining at a posh hotel.More...
Our Father2022-05-11After a woman's at-home DNA test reveals multiple half-siblings, she discovers a shocking scheme involving donor sperm and a popular fertility doctor.More...
Panama2022-03-17An ex-marine is hired by a defense contractor to travel to Panama to complete an arms deal. In the process he becomes involved with the U.S. invasion of Panama, and learns an important lesson about the true nature of political power.More...
A Dark Place2018-10-07When a young boy turns up dead in a sleepy Pennsylvania town, a local sanitation truck driver, Donald, plays detective, embarking on a precarious and obsessive investigation to prove the boy was murdered.More...
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes2020-06-05A cafe owner discovers that the TV in his cafe suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future.More...
A Hero2021-12-15Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don't go as planned. Is he truly a hero?More...
Similar Movies
Mulholland Falls
1996-04-26In 1950s Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.Commando
1985-10-03John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fight his way through an array of punks, killers, one of his former commandos, and a fully equipped private army. With the help of a feisty stewardess and an old friend, Matrix has only a few hours to overcome his greatest challenge: finding his daughter before she's killed.Cheaper by the Dozen
2003-12-24The Baker brood moves to Chicago after patriarch Tom gets a job coaching football at Northwestern University, forcing his writer wife, Kate, and the couple's 12 children to make a major adjustment. The transition works well until work demands pull the parents away from home, leaving the kids bored -- and increasingly mischievous.The Postman Always Ri...
1981-03-20The sensuous wife of a lunch wagon proprietor and a rootless drifter begin a sordidly steamy affair and conspire to murder her Greek husband.The Notebook
2004-06-25An epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to a woman with Alzheimer's. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths.Taxi
2004-10-06A mouthy and feisty taxicab driver has hot tips for a green and inept cop set on solving a string of New York City bank robberies committed by a quartet of female Brazilian bank robbers.Internal Affairs
1990-01-12Keen young Raymold Avila joins the Internal Affairs Department of the Los Angeles police. He and partner Amy Wallace are soon looking closely at the activities of cop Dennis Peck whose financial holdings start to suggest something shady. Indeed Peck is involved in any number of dubious or downright criminal activities. He is also devious, a womaniser, and a clever manipulator, and he starts to turn his attention on Avila.The Ring Two
2005-03-10After the ordeal with Samara, Rachel and Aiden move to a rural town. But soon Rachel learns about the death of a girl in a similar fashion. To save Aiden, she must dig into Samara's past even further.Volcano
1997-04-25An earthquake shatters a peaceful Los Angeles morning and opens a fissure deep into the earth, causing lava to start bubbling up. As a volcano begins forming in the La Brea Tar Pits, the director of the city's emergency management service, working with a geologist, must then use every resource in the city to try and stop the volcano from consuming LA.Purple Noon
1960-03-10Tom Ripley is a talented mimic, moocher, forger and all-around criminal improviser; but there's more to Tom Ripley than even he can guess.Hanging Up
2000-02-16Three sisters - Georgia, Eve, and Maddy - do what they do best with life, love, and lunacy on the telephone lines that bind - when their curmudgeonly father, Lou, is admitted to a Los Angeles Hospital. After years of wild living, intermittent affection, and constant phoning, he is finally threatening to die.The Iron Giant
1999-08-06In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.Tequila Sunrise
1988-12-02In a seaside California town, best friends Mac and Nick are on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a former drug dealer trying to clean up his act, while Nick is a high-profile detective trying to take down a Mexican drug lord named Carlos. Soon Nick's loyalties are put to the test when he begins an affair with restaurateur Jo Ann -- a love interest of Mac's -- unwittingly leading his friend into a police-orchestrated trap.Robbery in Udmurt Sty...
2024-02-15The film tells the story of three village friends who are not very lucky — a combine harvester, a shepherd and an unemployed man. Due to circumstances, they got into a difficult situation, which requires a lot of money to get out of...Mean Machine
2001-12-26Disgraced ex-England football captain, Danny 'Mean Machine' Meehan, is thrown in jail for assaulting two police officers. He keeps his head down and has the opportunity to forget everything and change the lives of the prisoners. When these prisoners have the chance to put one over the evil guards during a prison football match, Danny takes the lead.See No Evil
2006-05-19A group of delinquents are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel but little do they know reclusive psychopath Jacob Goodnight has holed away in the rotting hotel. When one of the teens is captured, those who remain band together to survive against the brutal killer.The Wraith
1986-10-01Packard Walsh and his motorized gang control and terrorize an Arizona desert town where they force drivers to drag-race so they can 'win' their vehicles. After Walsh beats the decent teenager Jamie Hankins to death after finding him with his girlfriend, a mysterious power creates Jake Kesey, an extremely cool motor-biker who has a car which is invincible. Jake befriends Jamie's girlfriend Keri Johnson, takes Jamie's sweet brother Bill under his wing and manages what Sheriff Loomis couldn't; eliminate Packard's criminal gang the hard way...Hot Tamale
2006-04-23A road trip to Los Angeles inadvertently leads a young man from Wyoming into a wild maze of psychotic hit-men, racy women, jewel thieves and a salsa band.High Heels and Low Li...
2001-07-16A nurse eavesdrops with a friend on a cell phone conversation that describes a bank heist. She and the friend then conspire to blackmail the robbers for $2 million.Dragonfly
2002-02-22A grieving doctor is being contacted by his late wife through his patient's near death experiences.