Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul Mateen II are brothers pulling off a bank heist in Ambulance(2022), a Michael Bay remake of the 2005 Danish film.
The Production: 3/5
Danny Sharp(Jake Gyllenhaal) and Will Sharp(Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) are brothers pulling a bank heist in the shadow of City Hall in Los Angeles. Will needs $231,000 for surgery for his wife, and the insurance company refuses to cover the cost. (This is the most realistic aspect of the film.)
The heist goes South, as bank heists often do, and Danny and Will escape by hijacking an ambulance sent to rescue a police officer shot by Will. EMT Cam Thompson(Eiza Gonzalez) is the paramedic unwillingly on board for Danny and Will’s wild ride through Los Angeles. Thompson is forced to some very extreme medical procedures to save her police officer patient suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, but she is built up in the prologue as a legendary paramedic, with some saying that she can keep any person alive for 20 minutes, the ride to a hospital, or perhaps even 2 hours and 17 minutes, the length of a Michael Bay film.
The car stunts are extremely well staged, even as there is almost a Dukes of Hazard vibe to the larger number of police cars that overturn, go over sheer drops, etc. One would reasonably wonder how an ambulance can succeed in a length police pursuit over city streets and freeways with nary a spike strip in sight. An explanation offered is that Will Sharp is a former Formula One race car driver, as if that explains a hundred pursuing police cars crashing while the ambulance continues somewhat unscathed. Credit due to Michael Bay, a director who can make any audience suspend its disbelief in the face of fantastic action sequences. Do not overthink this one, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
AMBULANCE appears on 4K disc in its 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. The 2160p visuals with HDR provide as many hues of color as your eye can assimilate as the images zoom past your cerebellum. The video presentation is sublime.
Audio: 5/5
The English Dolby Atmos audio in AMBULANCE is as immersive as one would hope and expect in an action film of this magnitude. The sound stage is extremely rich and varied throughout the film.
Special Features: 3/5
Special features on 4K UHD disc include all of the following:
Bayhem(6:14): Gyllenhaal, Abdul-Mateen II, and Gonzalez talk about the challenges of acting in a Michael Bay film.
Pedal to the Metal(9:34): Featurette about the extended car chase aspect of the film with a shout-out to ambulance manufacturer Falck.
Aerial Assault(5:08): Featurette highlights the state of the art drone used for some of the spectacular aerial shots in the film.
Finding Ambulance(5:34): Cast and crew talk about remaking the 2005 Danish original film.
Chase Capital of the World(3:58): Featurette about Los Angeles, a character in its own right in AMBULANCE.
A Tribute to First Responders(6:34): Cast and crew speak of their admiration of first responders and the responsibility in speaking their truth in film.
Also included is a Blu-ray disc of the film and a paper insert with validation code for digital copy via the Movies Anywhere app.
Overall: 3/5
AMBULANCE is both riveting action sequences at its best and style without substance at its worst. The film is somewhat more of a character driven piece than one might expect, at least during the first 2o minutes before the action really kicks in. Not every interesting character will survive to the end of the film, but it is that kind of film. The video and audio presentation are first rate. The special features are not voluminous, but the main feature is really the special feature here, anyway. AMBULANCE is a diverting and intriguing distraction, even if it is probably not the film you will watch repeatedly in your collection.
Timothy has worked background in theatrical features and television, just for the fun of it, in films directed by Peter Segal and Christopher Nolan. His favorite film star is Bugs Bunny, and Timothy has discovered that most of the problems in life can be solved successfully (strangely enough) by asking “What would Bugs Bunny do?” Timothy has been involved with the Home Theater Forum since 2007 and has reported from Comic Con, interviewed Bruce Campbell and Danny Trejo, and reviewed classic animation and new theatrical releases on disc.
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