CinemaSerf
3/28/2022
So here's the gist. "Will" (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) needs $231,000 urgently, so he taps up his brother "Danny" (Jake Gyllenhaal) who, as luck would have it, is on that very day about to hit a bank for $32m. All he has to do is drive and his worries are a thing of the past. They manage to relieve the bank of the cash ok, but horny young police officer "Zach" (Jackson White) becomes a fly in their ointment when he decides to ask one of the cashiers out on a date, and gets caught up in the now much more precarious raid. He gets shot, and as the ambulance is leaving to take him to hospital the two robbers jump on board as their ticket out of the now police-strewn crime scene. Luckily, onboard the ambulance, is feisty no-nonsense paramedic "Cam" (Eiza González) who now has to keep the critically ill officer alive whilst her two passengers try to evade the might of the LAPD with their loot. What now ensues is just ridiculous. This sixteen tonne truck manages to evade snipers, souped-up police cars, helicopters all whilst having a critically injured man in the back. It seems to have no issues running out of gas; and must have an axle and suspension system that wouldn't be out of place on a Boeing 747. Gung-go police captain "Monroe" (Garret Dillahunt) demonstrates adequately that the more resources you have, the cockier you become - and the less successful; and the introduction of FBI man "Anson" (Keir O'Donnell) a college pal of "Danny" who has to rush from a marriage guidance session with his husband to try and apprehend the fugitives just tops off this rather preposterous narrative. The production is very good; the use of drones and high speed photography does create an effective image as the ambulance continues to evade pursuit, but the dialogue is dreadful. Lots of repetitive expressions with hardly a smile to be had as the plot descends willingly into the absurd. Luckily, we get to come up for air for a moment or so thanks to Christoper Cross' "Sailing" but otherwise this is a relentless chase movie with it's root firmly placed in fantasy. The ending takes 2¼ to come, and when it does it is as inevitable as it is poor. I'm sorry, but this is nobody's finest work and being the only person at the screening I couldn't help but wonder if others knew better than me - and stayed at home!
