The fact that Ambulance can, to some extent, be considered a restrained effort from director Michael Bay really says something about Bay’s body of work and reputation. Now, just exactly what it says can be left up to interpretation. But it definitely says something. But let’s be perfectly clear about something here: in a vacuum, Ambulance is far from restrained. Like, really, really far from it. But when you’re comparing it to such classics as Armageddon, Bad Boys, Bad Boys 2, Transformers, and so on, it doesn’t take much to be considered more restrained.
But what’s perhaps most interesting is that Ambulance is actually a pretty good movie. And not just “good for Michael Bay” good. Now, are we talking an Oscar-level movie? Heck no. But a solid, B-level movie, that is maybe Bay’s best movie? Heck yeah. It might not be my favorite movie of his – I think The Rock still holds that title – but I do think I’m settling on Ambulance being his best. And I don’t think it’s any coincidence that a toned down movie (again, toned down for Bay) resulted in something of better quality.
Ambulance follows adopted brothers Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Danny is a successful career criminal while Will is a former Marine, broke and in need of $231,000 for his wife’s experimental surgery. And wouldn’t you know it, Danny has a $32 million heist planned for the exact day he and Will meet, seeing each other for the first time in what seems to be a long time. With very little time to prepare (or even think about the decision; we hear from Danny’s henchmen a couple times that they need to leave in five minutes), Will decides to go along for the ride.
After things go very, very wrong, Danny and Will find themselves on the run from the full force of the LAPD and the FBI, commandeering an ambulance with EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza González) and a gravely injured police officer (Jackson White). What follows is a frantic chase through LA, as the brothers try desperately to evade the authorities while hoping Cam can keep Office Zach alive – that’s their survival ticket, as the police and FBI won’t go full force as long as that’s the case.
And with the chase – for better and for worse – comes some vintage Michael Bay tropes. There are way too many Dutch angles and the almost-to-be-expected overuse of swivel cam. Shaky cam? Oh yeah, you bet there’s way too much shaky cam. Extreme closeups for no reason at all? Definitely. But while the use of those leaves something to be desired, Ambulance does feature some very creative camera work too. There are some truly wild drone shots. Swooping, diving, darting through tight spaces. There are some really cool shots. And it all adds up to frantic camera work, which fits perfectly with the overall tone of the movie. Everything about Danny and Will’s decision-making is frantic, and the filming style and pace of the movie matches up exactly to that.
The story isn’t anything special, but if you’re coming to a Michael Bay movie for an intricate plot that makes sense the entire time, you’re there for the wrong reasons. The plot is exactly adequate enough. Nothing more, nothing less. You know their motivations; Danny wants the money because he wants more money, and Will needs the money for the surgery. Boom, that’s all you need. The character depth is about as shallow as you would expect, though there are some attempts at delving into Danny, Will, and Cam a little bit, to varying degrees of success. But it felt like an effort in areas where you don’t always see Bay make an effort.
You come to Michael Bay movies for rollicking, over-the-top action, and it’s here where Ambulance delivers. The shootouts, car chases, explosions (of course) are all there. The fact that most of the characters are in cars or helicopters for the majority of the time actually helps keep things in check. There’s less opportunity for the really big, destructive set pieces. Bay obviously finds room for those moments, but he has to be a little more particular about when to truly go big and go for it. And that’s to the movie’s benefit.
The three main actors also provide a lot of the fun. Abdul-Mateen II is a more measured, consistent presence to play off Gyllenhaal’s unhinged Danny. Will doesn’t get many of the movie’s big moments, but Abdul-Mateen’s solid performance appears to bring out more in the character than what was written. It’s Gyllenhaal who is really given the chance to shine, and he is having an absolute blast with this character. Most of the biggest laughs come from him. Whether he’s screaming about cashmere or display flamingos or just being being a general psychopath, he’s a riot. González gets more to do than most female characters in Bay’s movies, another welcome change. She’s the de facto moral center of the film, and González is more than up to the challenge.
Do I think Ambulance marks the beginning of a new era for Bay? I’m hesitant to say that, especially since the preceding movie was the fully self-indulgent, Michael Bay-est movie ever, 6 Underground (which I actually kind of enjoyed in spite of itself). I’ll need more of a track record before I can confidently say Bay is transitioning to a more mature (and I’m using that term lightly) era. But if anything he makes in the future is more along the lines of Ambulance, I’ll be thrilled.
Score: 80/100
