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Fortress

Fortress

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It works!
Review: Has a few flaws, but a truly enjoyable sci-fi flick!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Worst Movie Ever
Review: I can not believe that this move can be considered even OK. With such memorable lines. "If you won't do it for me do it for my baby." Or my favorites that points out one of my life truths "You are clinging to your parole because you are a man." The plot plays out in your head minutes before the action takes place on the screen. This move brings nothing new or even plausable to the screen. The ending of the movie will make you wonder why you didn't stop watching long before.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Science Fiction!
Review: Imagine any of the prison movies that you have seen and put it on steroids. Fortress does just that.

Fortress is about a not so distant future upon which the United States' population is controlled by limiting once child birth per woman. Unfortunately, John and Karen Brennick get caught trying to leave the United States and are imprisoned.

What happens next is a wonder to behold, a surprisingly excellent sci-fi adventure with some pretty decent special effects. Any fan of science fiction will love this movie, all other people should give this one a shot! It is an exciting film and worth seeing.

Recommended!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not bad for Lambert...
Review: It is the future and breeding is controlled by the government. John Brannick and his wife are about to illegally have their second child. They are caught making their way out of the country and put in a fortress, a large prison in which the prisoners are controlled via a small device placed in the intestine. Silly? Yes. Fun? Definitely. I honestly can't give this movie more than three stars, but it was a fun action flick. The gore is big here and fans of this kind of movie, like "Robocop" or "Total Recall," will surely find much to like. Christopher Lambert does a nice job as the action hero who just wants to see his wife. The film is sort of like a futuristic "Great Escape." I had fun watching this film and if you're a fan of action or sci-fi, you should too.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Christopher Lambert enters the fortress.
Review: John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife (Loryn Locklyn) tries to flee from society, when they break the law. She is pregnant again. John, is captured and taken to a Penal colony called Fortress, it is runned by a android warden (Kurtwood Smith). The prison is escape proof and is impossible to escape from, John and his cell mates have a plan to escape and find a way to rescue John's family.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It's Got a Charm of Sorts
Review: The first time I ever saw Christopher Lambert was in the memorable "Highlander" film back in the 1980s. I saw him again in the first sequel to that film a few years later, but after that he seemed to vanish down some type of cinematic memory hole. Occasionally, I would stumble across "Highlander" again on some cable channel and wonder about the fate of this actor. After recently wandering across the 1993 film "Fortress," I got my answer: Lambert works almost exclusively in the landscapes of low budget movies. I am not saying low budget films are a bad thing?certainly not?but if ever there was an actor who perfectly fit the parameters of a B movie production, it is Christopher Lambert. That accent coupled with a slightly stilted method of delivery dooms Lambert to semi-obscurity. You can probably tell that I am not a great fan of this actor's work, but after criticizing his acting skills, I should state that "Fortress" actually manages to achieve a certain chintzy charm.

"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.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fortress
Review: This is a rather decent sci-fi movie dealing with overpopulation in the future. Slightly akin to Shirley Jackson's The Lottery but with childbirth. The protaganist and his wife have had a baby that died but according to the law that was their one and only shot. The both go to prison when they try to conceive another child and wackiness ensues as they try and escape to keep the unborn child. I went to the University of Cincinnati and the screenwriter of this movie was my Sociology teacher. So I can definitely say that this movie does spark some rather interesting social commentary. Rent it first before you buy it if you aren't a big sci-fi fan

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Oooh, C. L. Great Job!
Review: This is an awesome edition to any Christopher Lambert Collection. One of his finest, and you almost get to see his whole, body front and back nude! How awesome for C.L. fans like me. I recommend you don't watch this around little ones, but it's great for watching with your special someone, it's got romance and action so you'll both be happy.

BB-T

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great premise, that's pretty much wasted!
Review: This isn't the worst movie I've ever seen, far from it, but the truth is you'd be far more entertained re-watching The Matrix, or Blade Runner! The premise that the film works on is a good one, that's what initially grabbed my attention (along with some well edited trailers), but the execution is laughable. The cast are OK, the special effects are OK, but the script is terrible and the ending unfulfilling. If you're a sci-fi fanatic like me, you're probably going to watch this movie anyway, but I'll tell you this, once you've watched it you won't be in a hurry to see it again.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of Stuart Gordon's Best Films
Review: Typical B-movie sci-fi junk. Fans of Christopher Lambert (pronounced: LamBARE) take note: during a love scene, the viewer is treated to a clear shot of Lambert's balls.


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