Ambulance (2022)

As long as we recognize Lucas is washed up and most TV sucks, we'll all get along fine.
Post Reply
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 65258
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Ambulance (2022)

Post by Leisher »

Michael Bay's latest popcorn movie. I sat down and watched part of it then got interrupted and pulled away. I was so riveted that I came back to watch the rest a month later when I randomly saw it and remembered I had not finished it.

The movie opens with your typical light characterization and setup, that leads to a key moment that felt really rushed, and then what felt like a 90 minute completely unrealistic car chase, ultimately leading to a completely unrealistic 10 minute long resolution.

The actors are enjoyable, but holy shit is this a mess of a script. Jake Gyllenhall and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have excellent chemistry. Despite the terrible script you legit feel like they are brothers. Garret Dillahunt gets a special nod for stealing every scene he is in. Jackson White and Cedric Sanders are also really good in semi-major/semi-minor roles. Eiza Gonzalez I saved for last because while I truly think she does a good job, you just can't help but hate her character. I mean, literally, within the first five minutes of the movie you'll hate her. I know her character is supposed to go through an arc, but it doesn't work. First of all, she's a sociopath based on that first scene. Secondly, she's shown to be monumentally stupid throughout the movie. Third, the final parts of the movie are feel good garbage that feel ridiculously forced and out of place.

And the way she's shot...we get it Michael, you have a type. I'll even throw a challenge at you. You have never shot a woman (not even Fox) with such a perfect "ok, the director is clearly in love with her" moment like Sarik Andreasyan shot Alina Lanina in The Guardians (2017).

This fucking script...You cannot come into this with even a little bit of knowledge about anything and expect the filmmakers will respect it. Physics, guns, police procedures, etc. are all ignored for this movie. There are so many terrible moments in the script that will have you laughing instead of feeling tension or whatever emotion they were going for.

But did I hate it? No, it was just entertaining enough, mainly due to the performances, to keep my attention. Bay does his normal good job of directing, and I thought the pacing for a super long chase movie was very well done. I never felt exhausted by it, which is the filmmaker's worry with non-stop action. However, I'd never watch it again. Bay has much better movies (The Rock).

Overall, this could have been it's exactly what you expect from a Bay movie, but with probably the worst script he could have picked.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Post Reply