Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Trauma Center Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 3, 2020

Run times are climbing steadily in today’s marketplace, with productions seemingly locked in battle to inflate theater sits just to be considered substantial, possibly justifying ticket prices while overloading storytelling requirements. And then there’s “Trauma Center,” which is 81-minutes long and isn’t about anything of note. Such a picture begs the question: would you rather sit through an extended movie that’s trying too hard or a slight endeavor that has nothing to share? “Trauma Center” has brevity, which is appealing, but writer Paul Da Silva and director Matt Eskandari don’t have much else for their contained thriller, which could easily transform into a taut cat-and-mouse game set inside of a hospital, but the filmmakers don’t share that ambition, taking things slowly to no particular destination, allowing cliché to support the whole feature.

Whelan) is making ends meet as a restaurant server, trying to keep an eye on her little sister, Emily (Catherine Davis), who hates her new surroundings and resents her sibling. When Emily has an asthma attack without her inhaler nearby, she’s rushed to the hospital, faced with an overnight stay. Madison returns to work, and while taking out the trash, she witnesses a murder, taking a bullet in the leg. Returned to the hospital as a patient, Madison is claimed by Det. Wakes (Bruce Willis), who’s on the case, trying to protect someone capable of exposing major police corruption with her faint memory of the deadly situation. Sent in to clean the mess up are Tull (Texas Battle) and Pierce (Tito Ortiz), two local cops trying to find Madison and silence her permanently, triggering a fight for survival from the patient, who works her way around the building trying to find help.

Instead of setting the picture in a cold, dull urban location, “Trauma Center” tries to mix things up by heading to Puerto Rico, offering a slightly brighter, more tropical viewing experience. Not that the production really does anything with it, chasing tax breaks or rebate money with the location, but it’s the first and last passably interesting element about the feature, which quickly settles into formula once we meet Madison and Emily. The sisters aren’t getting along, with the youngest unable to grieve properly, openly resentful of the move to Puerto Rico, taking her away from her former life after the loss of her mother. Madison is just trying to do the right thing, absorbing rudeness from customers to make a living, striving to find herself in the process. These hostilities are tested when Emily has an asthma attack, soon set up in a hospital room for the night (for some reason, Steve Guttenberg has a cameo as a doctor), and she wants Madison to spend the night with her. One of the strangest ideas in the screenplay is the older woman’s refusal to grant such a wish, with her phobia of hospitals so strong, she just leaves Emily behind. So much for heroic guardianship.

The crime element of “Trauma Center” comes into play once Madison is shot in the leg, which brings her to the same hospital as Emily, only the new patient is quickly wheeled away by Wakes, who needs a witness to help crack the secret corruption code in town. He brings her to the infectious disease floor, which is abandoned, keeping Madison out of sight while he returns to the crime scene to hunt for clues. What’s gradually being set up by Da Silva is a “Die Hard” scenario, with Madison finding herself alone as a pair of armed goons begin their hunt for her, dealing with confusion and a bleeding leg wound as she scurries around for safety. With a better director, “Trauma Center” could’ve leaned into action potential, following Madison as she deals with threats to her life and maneuvers around the building in pain, determined to reach Emily before the baddies do. Eskandari isn’t that inspired, arranging sluggish survival sequences, many involving the use of a defibrillator to save the day.

Trauma Center Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's not a lot of visual firepower to "Trauma Center," which offers an AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation. The action is contained to hospital rooms and hallways, which offers a dimly lit playground for the hunt, while colors mostly favor the softer white and green medical paint scheme of the building. Cutting through the image are shots of deep red blood and Whelan's ice blue eyes, which the cinematography emphasizes as much as it can. Brighter exterior shots deliver appealing greenery and golden sunshine. Costuming has occasional pep, and skintones are natural. Detail handles close-ups with sharpness, securing facial surfaces, and hospital interiors showcase the textures of metallic and plastic machinery. Delineation is acceptable, with minimal solidification. Banding flares up periodically.

Trauma Center Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix isn't dealing with a hard-charging movie, as much of "Trauma Center" is explored in silence, with the lead character trying to escape trouble as quietly as possible. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, securing the lumpy expositional needs of the movie, and there's distinct breathing on the track as Madison exhausts herself as she remains one step ahead of her pursuers. Scoring is supportive with adequate instrumentation. Surrounds aren't explosive, primarily used for hospital atmospherics and room tone. Some mild panning effects are noted. Low-end has power with sudden acts of violence.

Trauma Center Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:14, HD) is included.

Trauma Center Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Trauma Center" tries to get something going with shifting possession of a memory card that exposes everything, and Willis is a little more wide-eyed than usual, giving his nothing part some atypical emphasis. Whelan also puts in a bit of effort, going through a range of grunting as Madison limps around the building, eventually forced to perform self-surgery to stay alive. But these little blips of energy do nothing to get "Trauma Center" moving. There's nothing original about the endeavor, and the production has no interest in creating something scrappy. "Trauma Center" is short, but hopelessly bland, better at inspiring frustration than unearthing thrills.