Operator Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Operator Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 7, 2015

Operator isn't a particularly good movie -- it's not creative, it's not well acted, it's not smartly written, it's not interestingly directed -- but it's not particularly awful, either. It does everything just well enough to tread water. Sure its warts show, and they're many, but for a movie that nobody -- probably not even the directing team of Amariah and Obin Olson -- would argue is anything more than throwaway entertainment, it's not a bad watch. The movie plays it straight down the line, delivering a serviceable action-first entertainer that uses its plot as a means of pushing another action scene and loud sound effect into the theater. The problem is that, in such a crowded field, it doesn't stand apart in the least. There's no good, compelling reason to watch outside of most all other Action movie options being exhausted. It's the definition of a filler movie, the cinema equivalent of that line from Caddyshack that says "the world needs ditch diggers, too," meaning, in this case, "not every movie can be, or needs to be, a smash success."

Jeremy (Luke Goss) is a small town cop who is father to a young girl named Cassie (Riley Bundick) and the soon-to-be ex-husband of a 911 dispatcher named Pamela (Mischa Barton). One day, Pamela receives a phone call from a man (Ving Rhames) who "reports" an accident that hasn't happened yet. Pamela sends Jeremy and his partner Howard (Michael Paré) to the scene, only nothing has happened...yet. No sooner do they stop to investigate does a semi-truck destroy the police cruiser. Jeremy barely escapes and he and his partner are sent on a wild goose chase around town while the man behind the plan keep Pamela on the phone and very much aware that, if both she and Jeremy don't do exactly as ordered, their kidnapped daughter will be killed.

Even as Operator lacks a shred of originality, one cannot help but admire it, in a crude sort of way, for refusing the urge to try and reinvent the wheel. Its shortcomings can often be attributed to a low budget and a dearth of creativity, but it's focused on the prize and refuses to morph itself into something more visually artsy or dramatically complex than it needs to be. This is as close to a low end point-and-shoot Action flick as there is (sans all the slow camera pans). The action unfolds on two fronts, the first being the 911 call center and the other out "in the field." Neither proves in the least bit dynamic. The film's small-scale world is tersely defined -- its foundation is built on a generic "broken family" angle -- and its endgame rehashes the oldest basic plot line known to Action movie making man. Still, the movie tackles it for all its worth, at least, again, within the confines of its limited budget, which includes more than its share of disposable, quickly-made special effects and a number of scenes -- particularly in the film's last few minutes -- that look like they were hurriedly filmed in front of a green screen for no particular reason.

The film also begs the question: is the acting bad because they actors don't care or because they're working from a terrible script? To call the performances "flat" would be an understatement. For two main characters whose daughter is caught up in peril, there's a surprising absence of legitimate, heartfelt depth. Sure they go through the permutations -- Mischa Barton sheds a few tears and becomes visibly agitated while Luke Goss goes all John McClane out in the field -- but that paternal instinct, that real, honest, can't-fake-it sense of "protect the family" come hell or high water is missing. Much of that blame lies on the script, which is predictable in its twists, thin at its meatiest, and flat with its cadence. It's another example of the movie's streamlined construction that sees it settle for the lowest common denominator but, again, tackle it with as much aplomb as a movie of this limited scope can muster, even if that just means really loud sounds making up for the absence of meat.

Operator Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Alchemy's 1080p transfer for Operator presents with a decent film-like texturing but disappointing color and contrast. Details enjoy fine general definition, usually in the way of clothing seams and stitches, Goss' battered and beaten face, a scar near Barton's left eye, or Rhames' more weathered features. Visual effects shots are mushy and flat, whether smoky explosions or those last few green screen shots. Colors push green and drab and, at worst, appear blown out; the white police cruisers are particularly affected. There's no vibrancy and certainly no sense of lifelike shading, though it does get the basics down well enough. Aliasing is clearly evident on the 911 dispatch office façade around the 7:05 mark, and light blocking is evident in many scenes featuring Ving Rhames on the phone. On the whole, it's a decent enough image marred by poor colors and contrast.

Operator Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Operator features a big and involved, if not somewhat over-amped, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. There's no shortage of aggression here. Music hits hard and plays heavy, infiltrating the listening area with a muscular and sharp posture that's just a bit too juiced at the expense of clarity. Lighter notes enjoy a bit more balance. 911 calls swirl around the stage to start the movie -- voices spill out of every speaker -- and a similar effect is heard again not too far into the movie. Explosions, gunshots, crashes, and other heavy duty sound effects are prominent, forceful, and mostly detailed. Like the music, they feel a little processed and amplified in the name of volume above all else, but the total effect satisfies in the movie's fairly straightforward styling. Dialogue is delivered from the center with satisfying clarity, whether "in person," over the phone, or on the police radio.

Operator Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included are trailers for Operator (1080p, 1:59), SWAT Unit 887 (1080p, 2:08), Checkmate (1080p, 2:21), and Blunt Force Trauma (1080p, 0:30).

Operator Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shades of The Call meets Die Hard with a Vengeance run through Operator, a trite but tidy little Action movie that never aspires beyond its means. Nothing really works here, but nothing really flops, either, so long as the audience goes in with mild expectations of serviceable entertainment. The film fits that requirement. It won't leave the audience talking or thinking, but it's a passable time killer that's about as good as can be expected of a movie of such meager origins. Alchemy's Blu-ray is likewise passably unimpressive. Decent video, explosive (if not a bit over-cranked) audio, and no supplements beyond a few trailers make this a run-of-the-mill Blu-ray release if there ever was one. Rent it.