Review: Trauma Center (2019)

Directed by: Matt Eskandari | 98 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Bruce Willis, Nicky Whelan, Steve Guttenberg, Lala Kent, Texas Battle, Heather Johansen, Lynn Gilmartin, Tito Ortiz, Tyler Jon Olson, David B. Meadows, Roman Mitichyan, Catherine Davis, Alanna Tremblay, Sergio Rizzuto, Lydia Styslinger

Director Matt Eskandari makes you think. After seeing ‘Trauma Center’, the filmmaker leaves you with a lot of questions. One is whether Hollywood stars have ever heard of the retirement plan or the term “nest egg.” Take Bruce Willis for now. In recent years, this man has only been seen in flabby B-movies and is ruining his career. Colleague Nicolas Cage is dealing with the same problem. Is there no help for these poor souls? Are they not entitled to a pension? And why are films like ‘Trauma Center’ made that owe their right to exist to the star power of an expired star. Without Willis, this film probably wouldn’t have happened and the world wouldn’t have gotten any worse …

‘Trauma Center’ revolves around an injured young woman (Nicky Whelan) with a lot of bad luck. The lady in question is chased by a bunch of thugs. These crooks want to kill her because she witnessed a murder. While the woman hides in a hospital and recovers from her injuries, she is protected by a retired cop (Willis). He’s got to keep her alive so she can testify against the buggers.

Booking a one-way ticket to a trauma center after this film is a bit too intense, but a good drink is certainly in order. What a sadly bad movie ‘Trauma Center’ is! Despite the compact running time, this film feels like an epic three-hour spectacle. Not exactly a compliment. The biggest problem with this production is the expectation it creates. For many movie buffs, Willis is still on a pedestal. The best man was once a beloved actor, scoring hit after hit. Unfortunately, his glory days are long gone.

Willis’s charisma seems to have evaporated completely. The once vital American looks like a bored old man. He clearly doesn’t feel like it and is acting downright amateurish. His articulation is laughable and his stiff movements look calculated and rehearsed. The disinterest radiates from it. Counterpart Whelan tries to make something of it, but fails to give her cardboard character any weight. What remains is a downright boring exercise. Willis just needs to retire and keep his waning reputation from being ruined even further.