Customer Reviews

Fortress [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Fortress was not a major box office success back in '92. However, it is an awesome rental for those who enjoy sci-fi action packed flicks. True, this sci-fi film in no way can be compared to the phenomenal sci-fi StarWars movies; It barely rivals Terminator. But, for 95 minutes you get your money's worth ( just be thankful the film was not dragged out to 2 hrs +). It's sheer entertainment ! Lambert is known for pulling such roles as the outcast adventurer and rebel to full effect;He's very convincing. Take for example the scene after his mind was "wiped"; He literally looks like a ghost ! Lambert has that way of conveying either an expression of deadly seriousness or one of lunacy with his eyes ! The prison warden played by Kurtwood Smith from the current hit series That 70's Show (peculiar to see him with hair on his head in the Fortress)does an outstanding job as the mostly android/cyborg human bad guy.

The only drawback is the dvd edition sold between $10 and $14 is the standard t.v. screen format and not the letterbox. There is also very little "goodies" or bonuses. There are no extra languages either on the audio tracks or any subtitles.The big error is the fact the audio track was not re-mastered in true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround; It's only the regular Dolby Surround. No director's or actors' commentaries either.

Yet, the picture quality is superb and bright with no traces of digital artifacts (blocking,or digitized shading). Viewers can see the rich bright colors in the prisoner's uniforms (orange, red, green, blue). The picture is sharp in detail as well if you look at the whiskers on Lambert's unshaven face...

Fortress earns four stars for it's lack of widescreen and other dvd menu capabilities. Otherwise, it's an enjoyable film.

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

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.

"Fortress" is a really well done sci-fi film that is enjoyable to watch. The movie takes place in 2017, where the government controls population growth by allowing only one child per couple. Any additional children become property of the futuristic MenTel Corporation, and the couple is sent to a high-tech prison for this "crime". After losing their first child, John and Karen Brennick are expecting another child and are caught trying to cross the U.S. border. The rest of the film takes place in the MenTel prison, where John Brennick is separated from his wife but attempts to make a daring escape. Good special effects and acting make this film stand out from standard sci-fi and action fare. Christopher Lambert does a really good job playing Brennick, a man determined to be reunited with his wife and save his unborn child from the clutches of MenTel.

You know all those anonymous video box covers you see when you walk down the aisle at the video store? Well, most of them are direct-to-video productions and aren't worth a second look. Some of them are films made with modest budgets that got a limited theatrical release. Most of them are horrible which helps to explain why they left the theaters so quickly. However, once in blue moon one of these obscure "lost" films actually manages to surprise. Stuart Gordon's "Fortress" is one of those rare finds.

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.

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.

Fortress is one of Stuart Gordon's best films ever made. I never saw this in the theatre because I was only 8 years and never heard of the movie before. I heard this was an international success but it received little notice in the U.S. (I even noticed the box office business money it was only around 6mil). But hey i don't care how it did i just care if i enjoyed the movie or not.

The film opens in 2017 where we realize a couple John and Karen Brennick (Christopher Lambert and Loryn Locklin) are trying to have another child due to the first one they lost but unfortunately they can't due to overpopulation crisis in America.
They try to have another but they're caught and sent a Maximum Security system called "The Fortress" built 33 stories deep. The prison is operated by a genetically enhanced sadistic warden Poe (Kurtwood Smith) and Zed-10 the computer system owned by Men-Tel Corporation who also built The Fortress. When they arrive they are outfitted with intestinators they could make your stomach in pain mode or explode mode. Even though this prison is high tech and very well guarded Brennick plots an escape anyway. I don't wanna tell you more because i'll be spoiling the movie for you. Stuart Gordon who made such low budget classics like Re-Animator and From Beyond he jumps into a bigger budget in Fortress and makes the film more enthusiatic and more energtic than ever before. The budget wasn't high though it was around 10million that's what the T.V Guide review said but its still ok, and probably will be the only bigger budget he ever did. The performances are great, plot good, and SFX are great as well. Overall this is a classic and i really enjoyed it.

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

Has a few flaws, but a truly enjoyable sci-fi flick!

With the population of the planet soaring daily, the basic premise of this movie is terrifyingly possible. The day this happens is the day it's time to follow in Thomas Jefferson's footsteps and start anew. This is an awesome post-apocalypse type movie with awesome acting from Christopher Lambert and the guy from Deap Poet's Society and Robocop. A must see!