Pretty Good

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blistering performances.

It seems that writer-director Larry Cohen got some inspiration for this movie from the obscure 1979 German movie "Spare Parts", though to his credit he made a lot of changes so he can't really be accused of plagiarism. For one thing, he adds a considerable amount of humor in this telling when the original movie was dead serious. But ultimately, the humor doesn't really fit this movie, mainly because there is also a serious side to this movie as well. While it may have been possible to be equally humorous and serious, the actual execution here doesn't work, and as the result the movie often has a strange feeling where you don't know whether to laugh or be thrilled. This uneven tone may also explain why most of the cast gives really strange performances, seemingly unsure what tone they should be acting in. The production values are good for what had to be a low budget, and I will freely admit that I wasn't BORED at any moment while watching the movie. But as the end credits started rolling, I felt unsatisfied with what I had just watched. Things probably would have worked better had Cohen stuck with one tone throughout.

Pearl of the not-so-sold movies of 20th Century Fox. The name, opening synopsis, and cover are details of the film's historical context. Name and cover to get attention and a classic plot of a thriller movie. It's a really cool movie. The feature film talks about organ trafficking, private hospitals and research groups advancing in medicine. In a very thriller / suspenseful environment. And the protagonist is not the classic hero. A comic book designer, working for Stan Lee (who plays a special part in the film). For those who like classic films from the 80's / 90's, you'll love the movie. A different and cool movie. At the same time just another simple film of the 80s and 90s. But it is one of those movies that today would be impossible to do. For the simplicity of the adventures that these films approached. Simplicity that on canvas became a great adventure. In this more classic case, "one night, an adventure of life and death".

I only found out about this movie a few months ago, when first heard the name of the movie thought it be about Ambulance kills people, that not what the plot was.Josh meet this girl on the road, that flirting with her and then Ambulance pick her up and later he goes to see her, only to find out she didn't go to hospital, then Josh tries solve what happened to her, others become involved and go missing after they picked by this Ambulance .I don't know what to make of this movie, i found the movie very entertaining there was a lot action in this movie, with some really good dark Humor in this movie, with work well with all the action and drama in the movie The acting is this movie could been a lot better then it was from some of the people in the cast and same could be said about the fight scenes in this movie was not that well done. I liked how they ended the movie, it was very fitting ending of the movie.There was one think that I did not under stand was, why was is killing people in first place, I don't I may of missed something or i had too read between the lines.6 out of 10 well for really dark humour.

** 1/2 out of ****Larry Cohen's last directorial attempt at anything resembling the horror genre film is different and yet much the same as his previous outings. Gone is the gritty, semi-documentary approach, giving way to crisper editing and a fairly slick, Hollywood look. Those dismayed by that will still be pleased to know Cohen's trademark quirky humor is still present, and this time his movie is played almost completely for laughs. Yeah, Q was an intentionally absurd affair, but some of the fun was offset by that gritty look, and Gold Told me to was pretty damn serious from beginning to end. But enough about those film, how's The Ambulance? Surprisingly, despite a lame title, it's his most amusingly funny movie to date.Eric Robert stars as Joshua Baker, a comic book artist with a crush on a woman (Janine Turner) he passes on the street everyday. Finally, he musters up the courage one day to approach her, but as he speaks to her, she suddenly collapses and is taken away by an ambulance. Josh later visits the hospital she should have gone to, but discovers no one of her first name or description ever arrived. From there, Cohen piles on an adventure story of sorts set in New York about evil doctors and ambulance attendents who are after diabetics, and one man's quest to get to the bottom of it all. Believe me, this is all more enjoyable than it might sound.Given such a premise, it's possible this could have been played as a straight, fast-paced thriller with many twists and turns. But Cohen opts for a more comical route, and as if to ensure that we understand that, he even gives away the mystery ten minutes into the film! Yeah, I had been expecting something along the lines of a suspense/thriller, and I was initially a little disappointed to see this played out as a comedy, but quickly re-evaluating my expectations, The Ambulance really turned out to be a pretty enjoyable movie that put me through a lot of giggling fits. Yes, it's been a damn long time since I've seen a movie that opts for humor without resorting to potty jokes.The story isn't what makes The Ambulance overall work, it's the characters, the dialogue, and the absurd situations. One particularly amusing moment is a fight between the ambulance attendents and a gang of thugs, with Roberts hilariously acting as a cheerleader while strapped to a stretcher. Another laugh-out loud scene features a desperately sick Roberts trying to hide from an approaching ambulance and shouting to his apartment neighbors to remember the attendents' faces, noting that they'll be witnesses.The performances are mostly all pretty top-notch for what's required here. Roberts is a lot of fun as the everyday Joe trying to get to the bottom of the situation, doing all this because of a beautiful woman (the resolution of which is quite satisfying and hilarious). Watching roles like this always make me wonder how he never made the transition to Hollywood star, he's got the charisma and acting ability for it. Megan Gallagher gets in some good scenes as a tough cop who happens to believe Baker. Red Buttons as a journalist and James Earl Jones as a hard-boiled lieutenant steal a good bit of the scenes they're in, the latter doing so with his obsessive gum-chewing and sarcastic tone. Soap star Eric Braeden doesn't really get to do much, and from what I've seen here, he pretty much acts the same in everything he's in. Entertaining as the film often is, The Ambulance isn't without its flaws and dead spots. Some scenes drag on way too long without enough laughs, specifically Roberts' little stay at the hospital, and some aspects of the movie are just too silly. For instance, the interior of the ambulance somehow has this green glow emanating from it, more like something you'd see in The Tommyknockers or the power plant in The Simpsons. That same glow is present in the villains' hideout, and yes, it still feels out of place there, too. There are a few attempts at thrills, but the chase scenes don't really generate all that much excitement, mainly because the otherwise goofy tone waters these moments down. The lines spoken immediately after the final chase, however, are good for a laugh. Plot holes are also very prevalent, as no explanation is really given for why the woman (and later Roberts himself) gets sick all of a sudden. And while we do get clarity and a resolution with the woman Roberts is searching for, we never really learn the fate of one specific minor character that was also abducted by the ambulance.Flaws aside, I suppose I'd recommend The Ambulance, given that you go in expecting a comically-oriented thriller, a subgenre that's almost non-existent these days (unless you count Conspiracy Theory, which coincidentally, starred Roberts' sister, Julia). It's rarely dull, and I suspect the next time you see an ambulance, you'll probably have a hard time holding back a giggling fit.