Studio: Universal
Release Date: June 14, 2022
Rating: R
Film: 2/5
PlotIn this action thriller directed by Michael Bay, veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Candyman), desperate for money, turns to his adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal, End of Watch) for help. A career criminal, Danny instead offers him a huge score. But when their heist goes awry, the desperate brothers hijack an ambulance with a wounded cop and paramedic (Eiza González, Fast and Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw) onboard. Will and Danny must evade a city-wide law enforcement response, keep their hostages alive, and somehow try not to kill each other, all while executing the most insane escape LA has ever seen.
My Thoughts
It’s hard for me to believe that Michael Bay is the man behind 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, one of my favorite films from the past 20 years, after sitting through Ambulance. While 13 Hours had plenty of action, it actually had a compelling story and characters, and you really had an emotional bond to them. In Ambulance, these two things are severely lacking.
One thing this film does have is action—tons and tons of never-ending action. It does its best to set up the dramatic elements of the story in the first 15 minutes, but it feels somewhat contrived and forced. Once the heist scene came, I was scratching my head at Gyllenhaal’s character. Yes, I get that he’s mentally imbalanced, but he’s the only one not hiding his face during the heist—yet later in the film he decides to hide his face. What was the end game? For a supposed to-notch criminal, he did a lot of stupid things.
Next there’s Will’s character, which again, doesn’t make any sense. He’s a supposed “good guy,” but his getting involved in the heist is such a great leap of logic that even with checking your brain at the door it’s hard to swallow. Then there’s González’s character, who does the best what she can with the weak script, but at least she lights up the screen with her good looks.
With all that said, my biggest complaint with the entire film is its too damn long at 135 minutes. I love a car chase scene as much as the next guy, but geezus this thing goes on forever. The last 50 minutes of the film is a demo showpiece for audio and video, but it could have been cut down by at least 40 minutes and had the same effect. Finally, Bay’s use of the same type of camera shots is particularly annoying. I get that he has a new camera drone that he’s making good use of, but there’s no need to repeat the same type of flyover effect in every single act of the overlong production—it’s exhausting and annoying.
As much as I loathed the film (maybe it was my mood at the time), the A/V quality is outstanding. There are no real complaints with the video—outside of my complaints with the cinematography choice noted above. The Dolby Atmos track is the true star of the show. While the chase sequences go on forever, at least they sound good with great use of all of the speakers in the room and the LFE is deep and crisp—just how I like it.
Video 9.5/10
Audio 10/10 (Dolby Atmos)
Special Features:• Bayhem
• Pedal to the Metal
• Aerial Assault
• Finding Ambulance
• Chase Capital of the World
• A Tribute to First Responders
• UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy
ConclusionI didn’t go into this film expecting an Oscar-worth screenplay and acting, so I was sure to check my brain at the door. Sadly, not even that was enough to get over the Bayhem that ensued. I give Bay credit for creating an action-filled film that’s virtually non-stop from beginning to end, but he could have shortened it a good 40 minutes and maybe I would have enjoyed it a bit more. Sometimes less is more.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Dual JL Audio F-110 (stacked and treated as one sub)
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner