Another banger from Michael Bay
ONE of the most prevalent misconceptions about Michael Bay's work is that it has no substance.
But the 57-year-old American film director and producer has made a ton of money at the box office.
His claim to fame includes flicks like “Armageddon” (1998), “Pearl Habour” (2001), The Transformers film series (2007-present) and 90s gem “The Rock” (1996) and “Bad Boys” (1995).
The single common denominator amongst the said films is that there are all classics.
This is excluding other quality productions like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2003), “The Amityville Horror” (2005) and “The Hitcher” (2007) he made under the Platinum Dunes studio he co-owns.
Rather than being treated as a one-trick pony as most critics would have you believe, I believe Bay is an underrated filmmaker.
“Ambulance”, his latest production, bears testament. It is a masterpiece carrying Bay's vintage movie-making magic.
The script and main plot are easy to follow. Also, it has a great cast and performances. Add a thrill ride of car chases, explosions and action sequences to that.
The film follows two adoptive brothers Will and Danny Sharp, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal, who commandeer an ambulance when their bank robbery goes array.
Will, a war veteran, desperately needs US$231 000 for his wife Amy's surgery and reaches out to his brother who happens to be a lifelong criminal.
He gets talked into taking part in a US$32 million bank heist that fails dismally when they shoot a police officer and are forced into taking refuge in an ambulance.
The brothers spend the rest of the movie playing cat and mouse with the police around the city of Los Angeles.
The only thing protecting them is an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) by the name of Cam Thompson (Eiza González) and officer Zach (Jackson White) they just shot.
In typical Bay fashion, the action sequences are from out of this world.
But the veteran filmmaker takes it a notch up this time around.
He tactfully employs drone technology to give the carnage on display a little special. Bay roped in Alex Vanover —one of the fastest, most aggressive, full-throttle drone racing pilots who won the 2019 DRL World Championship at the age of 19.
While I have never been much of a Jack Gyllenhaal fan, the 41-year-old actor really shines in this movie as the dangerous and narcissistic career criminal, Danny.
The duo of Abdul-Mateen and González offer worthy supporting acts.
However, the film's biggest merit is the story Bay manages to weave amongst the carnage and mayhem of bullets and cars flying.
Here, the writer Chris Fedak does an excellent job with the dialogue and flashbacks that offer a little glimpse into their backstory and offer justification for their action.
Danny was raised in crime with his father a legendary bank robber.
However, as the film progresses, we learn about Danny's true love and care through FBI agent Anson Clark — an old friend of Danny. He explains the bond between the two brothers, which is the reason why the hostages are not killed in the ambulance.
Will's story is a bit more straightforward and also shines a light on the United States of America's blatant disregard for its army veterans. With his wife in serious need of surgery, and the insurance companies refusing to cover it, Will is left with little or no choice. However, he shows a lot of humanity throughout the film even helping the injured policeman. Another character that deserves special mention is Cam Thompson.
When we first meet her, she comes off as aloof and indifferent to both her co-worker and the lives of the people she is entrusted to save.
To her, the job requires her to pick them up, drop them off at the nearest hospital and forget about them.
However, right at the end, she emerges as the only person that shows some empathy to the two bank robbers. It is a great story!