Fortress
by Stuart Gordon

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DVD Reviews of Fortress

DVD Review: Demolition Man Meets Riddick
Summary: 3 Stars

DVD Review: On my list of Top 5 worst movies
Summary: 1 Stars

DVD Review: "Built to hold anything . . . except an innocent man."
Summary: 3 Stars

The population in the United States in the early 21st century has increased beyond control. In an attempt to solve the problem, the government has passed a law that limits a woman to only one child. However, John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) run afoul of the authorities when they try to have a second child to replace their firstborn who died as an infant. Imprisoned for their crime, the couple is sent to a maximum security prison called The Fortress and are tormented by its despotic director, Poe (Kurtwood Smith).

"Fortress" is neither a completely original film nor one that has had a tremendous influence on the medium. It is quite simply an odd film that somehow works despite its limited production values and its lack of big-name stars. As with most science fiction films set in the near future, "Fortress" paints a rather bleak view of the years to come. Those looking for a nightly rental that has some deep meaning to it might enjoy the film's cautionary messages on overpopulation and private-sector prison administration. Yet, the film also satisfies as a breezy time-killer for those who find themselves with free time on their hands and nothing else to watch. Either way, "Fortress" fits the bill.

DVD Review: It's Got a Charm of Sorts
Summary: 4 Stars

"Fortress" presents a picture of an extremely bleak future set in America in the year 2017. The United States, and possibly the world, staggers under the weight of a massive boom in its population. In an effort to alleviate these problems, the government resorts to enforcing laws banning couples from having more than one child. Anyone caught breaking this law ends up in an underground prison run by a private corporation named Men-Tel. This prison does not qualify as one of those posh, white-collar jails we know and love today, but is a claustrophobic, overcrowded place bristling with automatic cannons, cameras that move across the ceiling, and androids armed with impressive weaponry. Even worse, newly inducted prisoners swallow "intestinators," devices that explode if a prisoner wanders beyond certain boundaries. For those inmates considered especially problematic, there awaits the "mind wipe" chamber capable of turning a man into a shattered wreck. It sure looks as though no one could escape this subterranean nightmare.

Enter John and Karen Brennick, a married couple that conceived a second child after their first born died. The Brennicks know the laws, but decide to flee to Mexico in order to escape these draconian measures. Regrettably, the couple's ruse falls apart at the border, earning them a quick trip to the Men-Tel resort and spa. John and Karen, forcibly separated, soon encounter the warden of the prison, a brutal thug played by veteran actor Kurtwood Smith, and the computer that runs the prison. John bunks with few odd characters, most notably imprisoned technology wizard D-Day (played with geeky aplomb by the always amazing Jeffrey Coombs). John Brennick doesn't intend to spend one more day than necessary in prison, and he soon enlists his roommates in a plot to escape from the prison. Along the way, Brennick dukes it out with the resident psycho, undergoes a trip to the mind wipe chamber, and schemes to get his wife out of the clutches of the evil warden.

"Fortress" offers up a whole host of gory sequences for the avid sci-fi/horror fan. The best sauce scene occurs when an intestinator explodes inside a man's stomach. The filmmakers love the idea of such a device so much they just have to show this scene soon after we learn what function such a piece of hardware serves. I kind of like that in a way. Why waste time when you can show a guy's abdomen exploding in the first twenty minutes of the movie? Moreover, the fight between Lambert and the cellblock murderer is appropriately bloody, as is the gunfire heavy finale. Overall, "Fortress" does give the viewer plenty of good old-fashioned carnage. The conclusion does seem a bit predictable, but who cares? Getting there was quite fun.

I liked most of the performances in this movie, even Lambert's turn as the laconic Brennick. Kurtwood Smith always does a good job, and Jeffrey Coombs may well be one of the greatest B movie stars in the history of cinema. Look for Lincoln Kilpatrick in a prime role, as well as the always menacing Vernon Wells playing the prison heavy who hates Brennick at first sight. About the only actor I didn't care for in "Fortress" was Loryn Locklin, who played Karen Brennick. I cannot put my finger on any specific reasons for this dislike, except that maybe I thought her too plain for the role. Stuart Gordon, the director responsible for the cult classic "The Re-Animator" helmed "Fortress." According to the production notes on the DVD, none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger helped get this movie made. With heavy hitters behind the scenes and a strong cast in front of the camera, "Fortress" entertains.

The DVD falls short in the extras department, but the picture transfer looks great. A sequel to this film appeared several years later, reportedly not as good as the original. I will probably watch this continuation of the "Fortress" saga, if for no other reason than the promised appearance of Pam Grier as the owner of Men-Tel. Grier, even at her worst, is always worth watching. Movies like "Fortress" and its sequel usually possess a few flaws, but violent science fiction can be immensely fun to watch, and in that aspect, "Fortress" delivers.

DVD Review: Oooh, C. L. Great Job!
Summary: 5 Stars

BB-T

Description of Fortress

After making his reputation with such audacious horror films as From Beyond and Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon graduated to a bigger budget with Fortress, but his penchant for exploitation remains deliriously intact. While borrowing elements from a variety of better sci-fi movies, Fortress indulges every prison-flick clich?, but does it with such enjoyable B-movie vigor that it qualifies as a bona-fide guilty pleasure (indeed, it deserves to be ranked with James Cameron's original Terminator in terms of its budgetary ingenuity). Featuring such giddy (and gory) devices as "intestinators" (deadly obedience devices implanted in prisoners' bodies) and a torturous "Mind Wipe Chamber," this is really just a drive-in action movie with lofty ambitions, and the schlocky script hasn't a prayer of rising above the level of juvenile popcorn fodder. But there's no denying the energy and enthusiasm that Gordon brings to the film, which understandably became a global box-office hit and spawned a 1999 sequel starring Lambert and Pam Grier. --Jeff Shannon

General DVDs

• Genres > Action & Adventure
• Art House & International > By Country > Australia & New Zealand
• Drama > General
• Science Fiction & Fantasy > General
• By Theme > Technology Run Amok
• Futuristic
• Sci-Fi Action