Fortress - Die Festung

Its about a totalitarian society where people only have one chance at having a kid. They have this futuristic super max, with these ingestible detectors, and a computer mainframe warden. This film is great, watch for the scene with the d day computer virus, it is a classic. The character development, and acting is decent. Worth renting, I love this film.

Who knew that watching Raw Deal and then Fortress would make a fantastic over the top action doubleheader. Well, movie nerds and action aficionados, but not me. In my attempt to go through movies I should have seen by now, I bring you Fortress. A Stuart Gordon Sci-Fi action movie about a private underground supermax prison in the future year of 2017.

It is scary that I felt like there are things in this that I felt could have very much come about in that year. Private prisons, population control, cops killing civilians, half-human half-machine prison wardens made from the non-aborted babies of the prisoners...well one of those things may be a stretch.

Plot-wise, after being caught at the Canadian border trying to escape America with his wife who is pregnant with their second child. Chris Lambert gets arrested and thrown in an underground supermax prison in the middle of the desert. Here he is fitted with a device called the "Intestinator" which, when he is misbehaving or moving outside of where he should be will make his intestines explode. After finding out that his wife is alive and still pregnant, Lambert begins a weirdly convoluted way escaping which includes, using a hidden intestinator out of someone else stomach, his pregnant wife shacking up with the warden, and having his mind melted in a machine they use at theme parks. In the end, while the exploding people filled with blue goo are fun to watch, the move isn't really a thinker.

Although, there are a lot of creepy ideas in this. Since abortion is illegal the prisons keep the babies birthed from the women prisoners and meld them with machines as well as things they find on the floor to make the perfect hybrid human. The warden is a successful attempt at it, while the guards on are not. It a nice add-on that keeps the goofiness at bay just a bit.

I really enjoyed this film. I know there are a ton of flaws to it, and it kinds of looks like a sad grey tower of bland. Fortress just has too much weird and goofy to not be fun. Add in some hardcore violence, and exploding people and it's hard not to enjoy yourself.

First of all, lets get one thing straight: Christopher Lambert makes B-movies. I've never seen him in anything that wasn't a B-movie, and as far as I know, he hasn't done one single non-B-movie for his entire career. This particular B-movie, however, is more interesting and entertaining than that of the typical B-movie; the story revolves around a few people in the not-too-distant future(the year 2017, if I remember correctly) who are in a futuristic gigantic prison, which is said to be impossible to break out of. So, naturally they try to break out. The plot is OK, it moves along at a pretty good pace, never really loses your interest or bores you. The acting is all bad, but what do you expect from a B-movie? It has plenty of action to keep you distracted from the horrid acting, so it probably won't bother that many people. The characters are all cliches, but, again, what do you expect? The action and sci-fi parts of the film are reasonably entertaining, and pretty good for a B-movie. The film depicts a gloomy futuristic fascist world, but that's nothing that hasn't been seen many times before. All in all, a pretty typical B-movie, just a notch higher in quality than most others. I recommend it to fans of action/sci-fi B-movies and/or Christopher Lambert. 6/10

"Fortress" is mostly routine, but enjoyable, futuristic sci-fi from director Stuart Gordon (of "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond" fame). It has an excellent cast of familiar faces that make the most out of what they've got, especially Kurtwood Smith ("RoboCop", 'That 70s Show'). There are acceptable levels of violence and gore, the production design and lighting are adequate, and Gordon does a very fine job with pacing and energy level. The producers originally wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger as the star, but he went on to do "True Lies" instead (it was Ah-nuld that suggested Gordon as the director of this feature).

Some interesting ideas are present in this tale of a husband and wife, John and Karen (Christopher Lambert and Loryn Locklin) who are expecting their second child, despite the fact that the law now forbids couples from having more than one kid. (They tried again because the first child was born dead.) They're caught and sentenced to do time at the "Fortress", a massive, multi leveled high tech prison. It's run by your standard issue sadistic warden, a man named Poe (Mr. Smith). John, forced into an overcrowded cell, makes plans with his cellmates to escape, although this place is supposed to be escape-proof.

Lambert is no better or worse than he usually is. Locklin is reasonably appealing. The supporting cast is pretty eclectic: Lincoln Kilpatrick ("Chosen Survivors", Renny Harlins' "Prison") as Abraham, Jeffrey Combs of the "Re-Animator" series (rocking a shoulder length wig here) as D-Day, Clifton Collins Jr. ("Tigerland", "Pacific Rim") as Gomez, Tom Towles ("House of 1000 Corpses", "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer") as Stiggs, and Vernon Wells ("The Road Warrior", "Commando") as Maddox. That's Gordons' actress wife Carolyn supplying the voice of the computer intelligence Zed-10. Smith, whose character will have some surprises in store, is an effective and not completely one-dimensional antagonist.

"Fortress" hits the ground running, and offers decent entertainment for a fairly trim 95 minute run time.

Seven out of 10.

The film deals upon a happy family (Christopher Lambert and Loryn Locklyn), then Lambert is imprisoned because another son was born and in the future it's prohibited . John Brennick is incarcerated in a modern electronic prison called the "Fortress" where the inmates are controlled by lasers , cameras , mind-scanners , neutron-cannons and other electronic artifacts . Prison chief (Kurtwood Smith , in the sequel he was replaced by Patrick Malahide , though he was considered for the role) is a villain who punishes to inmates with tortures and using cruel tech-security measures . Christopher Lambert along with other prisoners (Jeffrey Combs , Vernon Wells and Tom Towles) will face off the director and his henchmen .

This thriller picture blends suspense , violence , drama , action pace , struggles and a little bit of gore when the murders happen , including technological pain-causing artifacts in their stomachs . Dealing with a thorny theme , illegal babies during strict controls on over-population and a private corporation bent on mind control in inmates by very various as well as violent ways . The final confrontation between the starring and baddies is stimulating and has some extraordinary surprises . Decent acting by Christopher Lambert as John Brennick , he replaced originally cast Arnold Schwarzenegger who dropped out to do another boxofficed film : True lies . Good support cast , such as as Jeffrey Combs , Vernon Wells and Tom Towles .

Runtime film is adequate , it is fast moving and is neither boring, nor tiring , but bemusing . Good cinematography , being filmed at Warner Brothers Movie World in Queensland , Australia . The flick was professionally directed by Stuart Gordon . He is a successful writer/producer/director who has directed some hits . As first major success , Re-Animator (1985) , based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft , which won a Critics' Prize at the Cannes Film Festival . Gordon then helmed another Lovecraft adaptation From Beyond (1986) and tackled the murderous Dolls (1987) followed by Robot Jox (1989). And other terror movies as The pit and the pendulum , and the screenplays : The Dentist and Body Snatchers . The ¨Fortress¨ motion picture obtained success enough and originated a second part which is similar to previous with the difference that is developed in a space station prison and the cast is similar , adding Pam Grier . The film will appeal to Science fiction fans and action-packed enthusiasts . Rating : 6/10 , acceptable .