5 reasons you should watch ‘Ambulance’ this weekend

In association with Universal Pictures.

Michael Bay, director of Bad Boys, Armageddon, Transformers and The Rock, returns with Ambulance, another astonishing action spectacular. Ambulance begins with adoptive brother Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) asking his brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) to help him find $231,000 to help his sick wife. Instead, career criminal Danny brings Will onboard for a $32 million bank job.

The heist goes wrong and a cop gets shot. If he dies, Will and Danny are going to jail forever, or worse. Desperate to keep him alive, they hijack an ambulance and force paramedic Cam (Eiza Gonzalez) to treat him while seemingly every cop in LA pursues the ambulance across the city. Here are five reasons why it’s a must-watch in the cinema.

1. It’s Michael Bay at his epic best

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There are many hallmarks of a great Michael Bay movie, but the key ones are: complicated partnerships and massive car chases. Ambulance provides him with an opportunity to do them like never before. The complex relationship between the brothers gives the film a story in which the role of hero and villain aren’t simple, while the simple hook of ‘ambulance tries to outrun the cops’ gives Bay a chance for some very creative action.

Bay shot the film in just 39 days, astonishingly little time for such a huge movie. It meant keeping everything lean, mean and inventive. The result is a film with the scale of a Hollywood blockbuster but the grit and realism of an indie movie.

Jake Gyllenhaal in Michael Bay’s new movie ‘Ambulance’. CREDIT: Universal Pictures

2. Jake Gyllenhaal is back to blockbusters

Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the most respected actors of his generation, only signs up for big action movies when the film presents a truly amazing opportunity. Ambulance gives him the chance to play a character who can’t be defined as hero or villain.

Gyllenhaal did intense stunt-driving training to play Danny, a criminal who wants to help his brother but ultimately leads him down a path that could rob him of everything. Gyllenhaal brings many layers to one of the most fascinating characters of his career.

3. It’s packed with star talent

Gyllenhaal is joined by two of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, fresh off starring in Candyman, Matrix Resurrections and HBO’s Watchmen, plays Will, Danny’s adoptive brother. He’s a desperate man risking everything to help the ones he loves most.

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Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver, Hobbs & Shaw) is the beating heart of the film as Cam, a paramedic whose ambulance is hijacked by Danny and Will. Michael Bay has always been brilliant at assembling casts of exciting talent, and Ambulance is one of his best yet.

4. It has truly jaw-dropping car chases

Bay has mounted some of cinema’s greatest car chases, in films like the Bad Boys II and the Transformers series. He gives a new spin in Ambulance, keeping things grounded and gritty, yet still spectacular.

Production shut down streets across Los Angeles as more than 30 police cars chase the ambulance around the city. The stunt team were staging up to four huge stunts per day during production. Most films never stage more than one a day. The huge effort was worth it for a movie that brings all the best of Bay.

Ambulance
Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul Mateen III and Eiza González. CREDIT: Universal

5. It has to be seen on the big screen

Michael Bay films are made to be enjoyed on the biggest screen possible. Ambulance is packed with breathtaking sequences that showcase the amazing real-life Los Angeles locations. This movie is immense.

Bay used helicopters and drones to get above the action and capture some of the most astonishing footage seen in any of his movies. Watched on a giant cinema screen, this is a thrillingly immersive, adrenaline-fuelled experience.

Ambulance is in cinemas nationwide now– book your tickets

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