DVD : Fortress [1994]

Rating: - Under-rated sci-fi film for the highlander generation
Being a big fan of the Highlander films (excluding 4-5, including
search for vengeance)and Christopher lambert I bought fortress years
ago on vhs expecting pretty much the same sort of fair as Highlander
and I was nicely surprised.

What surprised me the most was how watchable fortress is, I must have
watched my old vhs dozens of times and to be honest im still not tired
of it now.

The plot is very easy to get into, if a little clicé but that doesnt matter
you dont need to think with fortress because it is good old straight forward
action fair that any sci-fi fan can enjoy especially on a rainy day.

Production value wise Fortress is almost B-movie but not quite,
meaning that sometimes the effects and sets can seem a little ropey
but then in contrast some scenes are very well done with some effects
stealing the show from the actors.

Speaking of the actors, they do quite a passable job of drawing you into
the story, although lambert hardly has to do anything as his portrayal
of the wounded,survivalist hero is pretty much the same role he has in
every film he's in.

Onto the dvd release, its pretty much what you expect from a lesser known
action film. The dvd really hasnt had any money spent on it, the menu
is a old style still image with navigatable buttons and the sound quality
is just basic dvd fair.
The one major downside is that the picture quality isnt too different
to my old vhs, with grains and dirt showning on the picture.
But it doesnt really detract from the watchability of the film at all
its just a bit dissapointing especially in this age af HD picture.

All in all its an average release of a very enjoyable no brainer action movie

To quote/ alter some well know song lyrics by calvin harris "you will
have love for this film if you were born in the 80's....the 80's YeaH!"

---

Rating: - 1984 meets The Great Escape

AAAAAAAAARGH! I'm in a quandary, I feel I should really be giving this film three stars, but I can feel my hand dragging the mouse over to the four star `click-point'!

So why does this deserve the extra star?

This isn't just an action film with a bit of gore chucked in for good measure, it deals with issues such as male rape, zero tolerance, and abuse of power. I'm a big fan of Dystopian fiction, from Day of the Triffids, to 1984 - I just love it, and this is a great example. We live in an age where over here in the UK we have private prisons (okay - nowhere near as many as over in the US) and it seems that an increasing number of public service institutions are being taken over by corporations in order to turnover a profit. And this film shows a great (albeit exaggerated) future if such constant corporate domination into politics continues.

Plus the story itself is a very emotive one....

...John Brennick and his wife have commited a crime. His wife is pregnant for a second time when legally, only one child per couple is allowed. Their firstborn sadly died and they try to bypass the system. Brennick is caught and is wife manages to escape (or so he thinks) and sent to a prison ran by the MenTel Corporation.
The regime is strict, with dreams monitored; and those which aren't authorised thoughts disrupted by pain, and each inmate is fitted with a device in the intestines. The device is automatically activated when a convict either crosses a yellow line (it inflicts pain) or crosses a red line (it explodes). Intestination can also be activated by the Prison Director, Poe.

Constantly watched by the prison computer and by the voyeuristic director - Brennick becomes involved in a fight and is brought to the Director. He learns that his wife is also in the prison, several floors above. Whilst using Brennick's wife to taunt Brennick, Poe falls for her and has her moved into his quarters.

With himself and his beloved in Prison - and his child to become the property of MenTel, Brennick plans to escape with his wife from a prison deemed inescapable. With the help of his cellmates, can he do it?

This is well acted with Christopher Lambert giving his usual sort of performance. Many claim him to be wooden and unemotional, but I really like him as an actor. I find his performances very compulsive, he has a unique presence.

Watch this film and just accept the silly bits, celebrate them and enjoy them. But appreciate the message of the film and yourself the question - why is it that Lambert finds himself in standalone films which end up having sequels?!!

---

Rating: - Definitely worth a watch.
Entertaining science fiction fare, with Lambert giving one of the best performances in his career. Gets a bit too silly at the end, but overall Fortress is an enthralling sci fi/action prison flick. Contains some gore, which was a nice surprise. We are treated to some male nudity but sadly no female nudity - anyone would think this was made in the '80s. Well, 1992 actually, so that's pretty close. Computers are often badly depicted in hollywood films (beep beep access denied), but this film has a particularly hilarious case of it. 'INSTALL D-DAY'S REVENGE VIRUS'. Ha!

The DVD comes widescreen with a very sharp print, surround sound, and subtitles in english, french and spanish. The U.S. theatrical trailer is included.

Highly recommended.

---

Rating: - Christopher Lamberts enters the hi-tech hell.
Fortress is a (18) classified: Sci-fi film starring: Christopher Lambert (Highlander 1,2 and 3), which later in 1999 spawned a sequel Fortress 2: re-entry. Christopher Lambert, you know his name, you've reconized him for his perfomances in films such as: Highlander, Ressurection and Mortal Kombat. Lambert joins Director Stuart Gordon (Director of Re-animator) to star in this classic futuristic prison movie. The film is set in the 21st century, in a bordered United states of America, where due to the population ratings, married couples are only allowed to have one child. Lambert stars as Captain John Brennick, a EX black beret, who has innocently broken the law, his wife Karen is breeding their second child, after their first child died. After being caught by Border security officers, Brennick is transported to a High-tech escape proof prison called Fortress, and escape there is impossible, unless Brennick forms a plan to escape. The film features bloody violent action scenes, including brilliant special effects, especially with helmeted guards who are men turned mechanoids. "They've taken a guy, and wired him to the mainframe" Jeffrey Combs (The Frightners) makes a famous performance as D-DAY, Brennick's cellmate who is a very good electronic expert. And Kurtwood Smith (Rambo 3) plays the evil warden who is a robot who allows a computer system named Zed to operate the prison. FORTRESS delievers top action and sci-fi. For those who loved Christopher Lambert in the Highlander series, will have to rush down to the video shop, and order FORTRESS.

10/10