Ambulance movie review: Ambulance is the best action movie in years

Over the weekend, one of my most anticipated movies of the first quarter hit theaters in Ambulance. Below, I share my thoughts on whether or not you should check it out.

Michael Bay is one of those directors that gets far more hate than he ever deserves. Are his movies crazy? Yes. Are his films over-the-top? Yes. Is he one of the best action movie directors? Also, yes. I love his body of work and when he is on, nobody is better in this genre. But, folks, I can tell you he is back with his best offering since 13 Hours.

Ambulance follows two brothers that have a history of getting in some trouble. Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) has since gotten out of his life of crime, while his brother Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal) is still up to no good. Will is struggling now as his insurance company is refusing to pay for his wife’s cancer surgery, and he has to go to Danny for a solution. Danny is on his way to a job and talks Will into joining him.

Typically, action movies have one thing going for them, ACTION. However, one of the things that stood out the most about Ambulance was the fact Chris Fedak’s screenplay gave these lead characters heart. I cared about what was happening to each of our three leads in this film. It is not something you expect from an action film of this nature, but it was great to feel things. It’s what made this film much better than I could’ve ever expected.

Ambulance is the best action movie in years

Michael Bay is back with his signature style of crazy camera angles. It was a two-hour chase scene that 90% was spent inside an ambulance and he made it work with some flashy director work that made him the king of this genre many years ago. Several drone shots were indeed out of this world.

The stakes in the film were high within this story that it made sense why they could stay in this ambulance as long as they did. Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II were having the time of their lives as brothers and that translated on the screen. There is one scene where the two are singing Christopher Cross’s “Sailing,” and it is perfect. Another standout from the film was Eiza Gonzalez, who was brilliant in the role of the medic. Again, we don’t always have these types of emotional attachment to these films, but Gonzalez added an extra layer of depth that made the film work.

The movie demands to be seen on the biggest of screens. You can’t get the same experience on your couch, I promise. Ambulance is hands down one of the best action movies I’ve seen in years.

Ambulance is in theaters now.