When going into a Michael Bay film one can already expect a few things – fast-paced action, stylistic angled shots, and lots of explosions. Bay is not shy to admit that he prefers spectacle over substance, and that rings true for his latest film Ambulance. It’s a two-hour long relentless roller coaster ride that solely aims to give you a good time. It’s also a whole lot of fun that’s a welcome throwback to classic action favorites of the ’90s, where some are even referenced, including Bay’s own films. Cheeky, I know.

Based on a 2005 Danish film, Ambulance opens with William Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling veteran and family man who can’t get his insurance to pay for his wife’s experimental surgery. He decides to ask for help from his bank robber brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), who then reels Will in to join his crew for a score of $32 million. That’s all the set-up this film needs, as screenwriter Chris Fedak rightfully thought it best to bring in the intensity early. What follows is a botched bank job that’s like a more frantic version of Heat, and the two brothers find themselves cornered in every possible way.

With nowhere to go and getting desperate by the minute, they hijack an ambulance carrying a wounded cop (the same one shot by Will earlier) in the back being tended to by LA’s most cynical and hardened EMT named Cam (Eiza Gonzales). The titular ambulance is then pursued by every LAPD police car and helicopter imaginable led by Captain Monroe (Garret Dillahunt), a car chase which I can describe as a mix of Speed and Mad Max: Fury Road in the heart of Los Angeles. The stakes continue to escalate when the film decides to add some medical drama to the mix, where Cam and Will must perform an emergency surgery while doctors are guiding them via video call. It’s hilariously stupid, but it’s the kind that I can get behind. There’s also a subplot involving LA gangs because why not?

Performances are good across the board, but Jake Gyllenhaal truly is the highlight of the whole film. He’s always had a knack for jumping between Hollywood blockbusters and independent art-house projects. His flexibility is his strength. Here, Gyllenhaal plays Danny like he starts every day drinking energy drinks and snorting cocaine in the morning. His bug-eyed insanity is a requirement to stand out amidst glorious absurdity of Ambulance. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzales, however, drown out into the fun chaos around them. Curiously, Cam is respectfully presented as a strong capable character, same with Agent Anson (Keir O’Donnell) who’s a gay federal agent in pursuit of the main trio. In Bay’s previous outings, these types of characters would be subjected to objectification and outdated stereotypes, so it’s a welcome surprise.

Michael Bay employs the use of drones to intensify the action set pieces, and mimic the panning shots usually done by helicopters. But due to its light weight and control, Bay goes crazy with it, zipping up the side of buildings and diving down fast in a vertigo-inducing fashion simply because they look cool. And they really are. However, the chase scenes would be much less dizzying and easier to follow if the drone shots lasted for more than two seconds, instead of the fast cuts from varying angles that Bay loves, probably knowing that once you stop and think about what’s actually happening then a lot of things wouldn’t make sense.

It’s hard to believe that Ambulance is made with a shockingly low budget – only $40 million – thanks to the massive amounts of destruction on screen. But Bay makes it work. In a landscape full of big budget entertainment, it’s a breath of fresh air to have something from an auteur who knows what kind of film he wants to make, even if that involves ridiculous amounts of mayhem. It’s reminiscent of a time when movies simply tell a complete story, and not a full-length set-up for the next entry in the franchise machine. Ambulance is an absolute blast, and it’s a serious contender for action movie of the year.

Rating: ★★★☆☆