1. Plot Summary
Will Sharp is an ex-Marine desperate for money to pay for his wife Amy’s surgery. He turns to his adoptive brother Danny (a career criminal) who proposes a $32 million bank heist in Los Angeles. The heist goes wrong. Amid the chaos, Will accidentally injures a cop named Zach, and he and Danny hijack an ambulance that has paramedic Cam Thompson and the wounded officer Zach inside. A high-stakes escape ensues, with police in hot pursuit through the streets of LA. Over this chase and hostage scenario, tensions among the characters (including moral conflict, desperation, brotherhood) intensify.
2. Notable Elements
What stands out / strong points:
- Action & Pacing: The film delivers the kind of spectacle Michael Bay is known for—car chases, explosions, high speed, and tension. Once things go off, the action rarely eases up.
- Performances: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Will gives emotional weight: his desperation and conflict (trying to do good, even if via bad means) is sympathetic. Jake Gyllenhaal as Danny embodies the more reckless, chaotic end. Eiza González’s Cam has moments of agency and moral confrontation which make her more than just a hostage.
- Use of Setting & Vehicles: The ambulance itself becomes almost a character: confined interior, how it moves, what can be done inside vs out. Bay uses the geography of Los Angeles well in many chase sequences.
What’s weaker / less successful:
- Length & Momentum: The film is long for this kind of continuous-action setup (~136 minutes). Some viewers found that parts, especially in the latter half, begin to drag or that the tension ebbs.
- Character Depth & Backstory: While Will is fairly well motivated, some other characters are less explored. Danny is more reckless for much of the film; motivations are sometimes surface-level. Some supporting characters (like the EMT or the cop) are less fleshed out.
- Absurdity & Suspension of Disbelief: To make the action work, the film stretches plausibility (as many Bay films do). Some plot coincidences, stunts, and crashes feel over-the-top. Whether that’s a flaw or part of the fun depends on what you’re looking for.
3. Themes & Messages
- Desperation & Morality: A key theme is how far one will go when desperate—Will’s motives are sympathetic (his wife’s surgery), but he’s pushed into dangerous, criminal actions. The moral conflict (good vs bad choice) under pressure is central.
- Brotherhood / Family Loyalty: The relationship between Will and Danny is troubled; loyalty, betrayal, and love intermingle. It raises questions: How well do you know family? How far trust goes, especially under pressure.
- Consequences of Choices: Actions (especially in criminal context) have cascading consequences—not just for the perpetrators, but innocents (e.g. the EMT, the wounded cop, city police) caught in the middle.
- Chaos & Escape: The film often emphasizes escape—not just physically from police, but escape from financial ruin, moral compromise, and emotional guilt.Advertisement
While not tied to holiday sentiments, these themes have universal resonance—especially sacrifice, desperation, loyalty—that many viewers can connect to in different circumstances.
4. Personal Impressions
What I appreciated:
- I found Ambulance to be among Bay’s more compelling recent works. When the action is working, it’s thrilling—especially the ambulance chase scenes and interior tension.
- The emotional stakes help: we do care about Will because his motive is compelling; the burden on him adds tension beyond just “how do they get away.”
- Cinematography and editing in many action setups are tight; Bay’s usual flair is present, and it’s refreshing to see a take that leans more on real crashes and practical stunts (per interviews) rather than purely CGI.
What left me less convinced:
- The film’s length: after a while, the relentless pace starts to fatigue rather than excite. Some scenes that feel like filler or repetition.
- Depth of secondary characters: The EMT (Cam) does reasonably well, but certain opportunities to explore interpersonal dynamics are mostly forgone.
- Suspension of disbelief issues: At times the chain of coincidences or daring stunts become so outlandish they dip into “unrealistic action movie” zone, which is fine if you’re in it for that, but may pull some viewers out of immersion.
5. Audience Recommendations
Ambulance (2022) is well suited for:
- Fans of high-intensity action films with car chases, stunts, chaos.
- Viewers who enjoy action thrillers that don’t apologize for being loud, explosive, and visually over the top.
- People who like emotional stakes mixed in with action—when the protagonist’s motivation (family, desperation) gives you reasons to root for him.
It might be less appealing to:
- Those preferring tight, concise action with minimal dialogue and less spectacle.
- Viewers who want deeper character studies or more nuanced relationships.
- People who dislike contrivances or “physics-defying” stunts.
6. Conclusion & Rating
Overall, Ambulance is a blast of adrenaline. It won’t win many awards for subtlety or deep drama, but as an action thriller it delivers more than its fair share of thrills, stunts, and high stakes. It’s one of Bay’s more enjoyable recent films, especially if you come in expecting the kind of excess and spectacle he’s known for.
Final Recommendation: Definitely worth watching if you’re in the mood for a big, noisy, action-packed ride with emotional grounding. Don’t expect philosophical depths, but expect intensity.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
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