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 pension plan or of the concept of a nest egg. Take Bruce Willis for example. In recent years, this man has only been seen in very flimsy B-movies and is throwing his career on the line. Colleague Nicolas Cage has to deal 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 existence to the star power of an expired star. Without Willis, this movie probably wouldn’t even have happened and the world wouldn’t have gotten any worse for that…

‘Trauma Center’ revolves around an injured young woman (Nicky Whelan) with a lot of bad luck. The lady in question is being 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 police officer (Willis). He must keep her alive so she can testify against the villain.

Booking a one-way trauma center after the end of 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 much-loved actor, scoring hit after hit. Sadly, its glory days are long gone.

Willis’ charisma seems to have completely evaporated. The once vital American looks like a bored old man. He clearly doesn’t feel like it and acts downright amateurish. His articulation is laughable and his rigid movements look calculated and rehearsed. The lack of interest radiates from it. Co-star Whelan tries to make some 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 falling further into the doldrums.