Sitting at a 69% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza Gonzalez, Ambulance was released digitally on May 23, 2022, by Universal and is now streaming on Peacock.
Plot synopsis
Warning: minor spoilers
When war veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is out of options to pay for his wife’s cancer treatment (Moses Ingram), he turns to his adopted brother Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal) for help.
After initially pushing back, Will agrees to go on a $32 million bank heist with a crew that Danny has worked with before.
After a police officer comes too close to the pair in the bank and is accidentally shot, the LAPD is called and the entire crew is killed, except Will and Danny, who escape in a stolen ambulance with an injured LAPD officer (that Will accidentally shot) and the EMT staffed to provide him medical care.
Low on options, the pair attempt to escape the LAPD by calling in favors with unscrupulous characters that used to work for their father, which only makes matters worse.
The duo will have to decide whether the officer and EMT’s life are more important than their escape and a quick payday, all while trying to outsmart an evermore persistent and agitated LAPD that is laser-focused on payback for the shooting one of their own.
What works in Ambulance
Ambulance starts off strong. Despite a few clunky pacing issues, the characters’ motivations are well thought out and plausible (with the exception of Will, who’s a decorated Marine and seems unlikely to participate in a bank heist, but we’re not picky).
The action is on point, and done so well in fact there were several moments I had to remind myself the film was released as an exclusive on Peacock (the streamer is becoming very competitive among its peers indeed).
The truth of it is, when it comes to action films, Michael Bay is one of the best, and he doesn’t disappoint with Ambulance.
What doesn’t work
We won’t spoil the film, but the characters’ actions and motivation are a bit off at times.
There’s a scene in particular where Will has a change of heart (after robbing a bank and shooting a cop – ok – he just wants to make things right) and ruins his entire plan, changing direction repeatedly, only to come up short anyway.
Danny, on the other hand, seems to be more of a villain than he needs to be just for the sake of the film needing an antagonist – and even if it were true that he could be what the film wants him to be, it still doesn’t fit.
In one instance, for example, Danny (the villain brother – I guess), is the criminal who avoided the military but is ready to give up his life for something genuine, and the next he’s transformed back into a cornered animal, ready to murder an innocent person to make a point. His actions are rash, and honestly, don’t appear natural for someone who just masterminded a $32 million heist.
Had Danny actually remained calm throughout, things might have taken a different turn, but this isn’t the case and, by the time the credits roll, Danny’s character was more of a caricature – and still a confusing one.
Conclusion
Ambulance is almost nothing about emergency vehicles (which was very disappointing for someone who loved them growing up, just kidding), but you’ll see them nonetheless, even if it may just be a convenient way to cut costs as Bay continues his relentless pursuit for bigger, more expensive, and more engaging action sequences (where the money is really spent), while keeping it skimpy on the storyline (which takes place in the ambulance).
Should you stream: Fun film, just don’t try to understand why Danny makes the choices that he does, you’ll enjoy it more that way.
Check out Ambulance on Peacock this weekend!
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