Fortress (1993)

Stuart Gordon's Fortress is one of the more overlooked dystopian sci-fi thrillers of the 90's, and despite somewhat being a B-movie, it holds its own in pretty much every department. Quality story, terrific acting (even from the king of stilted delivery himself, Christopher Lambert) and a story with more depth than the poster or marketing might suggest. Lambert plays an unfortunate man on the run with his wife (Loryn Locklin) in an America of the future where having more than one child per mother is prohibited. They're both nabbed trying to make a break for Mexico, locked away in a horrific prison called Fortress, a place where science has run amok and all kinds of neurological and biological experiments are performed on the inmates under the steely direction of evil Director Poe (Kurtwood Smith). Fortress is an unorthodox nightmare where basic rights are replaced by those of cattle or worse, and no one is safe from micro implants, mind alteration and all sorts of fun stuff. Lambert plans an elaborate escape with the help of various inmates including Vernon Wells, the late Tom Towles, Jeffrey Combs and Clifton Collins Jr., all putting in excellent and varied performances. The scene stealer is Kurtwood Smith though, who is usually cheeky, psychotic or sarcastic in his work. Taking on the type of role that typically goes to a Malcolm McDowell type guy, he tackles a character that is the farthest thing from sympathetic you could find and sort of turns that on its head, making him seem very much human in one galvanizing piece of acting work. You can label this type of thing second tier or low budget, write it off or not take it seriously, but the fact remains that many of these efforts are works of art in their own right, beautifully crafted adventure stories set in universes more vibrant and imaginative than our own, stories just to the left left of normal and full of schlock, machines, creature effects and smoke machines. Gordon is a master in this arena (remind me to tell you about Space Truckers one day), a creative force to rival Roger Corman and the like. Fortress is my personal favourite in his stable, and one shouldn't underestimate its entertainment value and ability to hold up decades later. Oh and also, this suffers from an adorable condition I call Blade Runner Syndrome™, in which the far off year the film's timeline exists in has been caught up to by our own trajectory, making the films future look like our past. This film's specific year? 2017, as you'll see in the poster above. That means that right now, Lambert and Smith are duking it out in that clandestine compound somewhere out there. Cool thought.

Stellar, stellar, STELLAR film from Stuart Gordan. And also a mind blowing excellent performance from Christopher Lambert. Praise for the amazing script, the action sequences, and the tense music soundtrack. Buckle your asses up, your in for the ride of your life...in an underground prison. Your odds of escape from this prison? 0 percent! The movie grabs you by your throat, and does not let go...and really seems to know what its doing to keep your interest. Set in the year 2017 ( shut up, this is a 1993 movie), a man finds himself in the heart of a crime riddled, very unique prison...and he wants out! Finding a way out is not going to be easy, the odds are against him, and with an illegal baby on board, time is not on his side. He must find the right people, the right time, and step on the right platforms ( you'll see) to make it out of the prison in one piece. Stuart Gordan, a horror giant icon from the 80's who helmed flicks such as Dolls and From Beyond, he has gently discarded the horror to the side, and set forth on a project so much better. ( Fortress 2? Don't bother. The goods are here!) It is fast paced, keeps you on edge, and keeps you watching and your heart beating...and considering the age of this movie, it has aged very well, ripening the rating for this film. 8 out of 10 stars. Great job, guys and gals...take a look at this, you film maker wannabees these days, because THIS is how it's done!

"Fortress" is a movie which has to do with the resulting of a prison experience and this is the main subject of this movie. In this movie we observe how a person change in prison and how is there a possibility of changing in a better way. In this movie we observe how a family with an illegal baby tries to pass the population control and it shows how they feel, what are their emotions and all of that staff.I liked this movie because of the plot and the story of it and because of the interpretation of Christopher Lambert who plays as John Henry Brennick and he did a great job. I also liked the interpretation of Kurtwood Smith who plays as the Prison Director Poe.Finally I have to tell you that this movie shows us the differences between a free man and a man in prison and it also shows us how is it to be in prison.

This is not a great work of art but it is a great work of popcorn eating genre watching. Everyman against evil corporation in a scary future.Shades of Margaret Atwood for those who might not know who she is. ["The Handmaid's Tale is worth reading or watching -- it is quite readable Atwood, the film pretty good too.] The film should not be confused with a lesser known foreign genre flick by the same name about a schoolteacher trying to escape a different kind of danger with her school children. Again, both the film and book is worthwhile.Anyway, so, a man (Christopher Lambert, perfect genre everyman) has to escape from a prison to save his wife with the help of the likes of Jeffrey Combs (taking a break from trying to bring things to life) against the evil Kurtwood Smith (of course!). Great for late night viewing. Don't take too seriously!