The plot for 1993's Fortress is quite possible - this lends a feeling to the film that distinguishes it from the rest of the field. John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) and his wife are attempting to escape from the country with his wife heavily pregnant. They are discovered and Brennick is shipped to the Fortress, a subterranean prison built in the middle of a desert, administrated by the MenTel Corporation.
Interesting Gadgets, Concepts
While this is an obvious B-movie, and as such certain artistic license is to be expected without holding up to too much criticism, some of the devices and associated concepts are actually quite intriguing! We are introduced early on in the film to the famous “Intestinator”, a device implanted forcibly through the mouth and down the throat and the digestive system. Failure to stay within the permitted areas of the Fortress – or any other type of insubordination - will result in a lethal explosion of the device, blowing a hole out from the victim's abdomen. The warden of the facility, as played by Kurtwood Smith (most famous for his role as Red Forman on That 70's Show) has access to a device that scans the minds of sleeping inmates and shows him their dreams, in particular a sexually explicit dream he views from the mind of John Brennick. This particular scene also evokes some questioning of moral authority, and the invasion of Brennick's mind, his innermost thoughts and sexual fantasies, is an invasion of thought, privacy, and self that bears contemplation if only for a moment. Lastly, the concept of a subterranean prison built in the middle of a desert, administered by a corporate entity is fairly unique. While the prison movie genre itself is extremely prone to cliche, a few interesting sideplots offer a unique and fast-paced experience.
Action, Acting, Ambience
Much like moderately budgeted science fiction films of the 1980's, Fortress owes a great deal to minimalist but effective set design in maintaining an illusion of dark, unyielding steel and neon lights. The extras, costuming, gimmicks, and effects are better than expected given the relatively small budget coupled with the fact that this was not a major release. Christopher Lambert does these types of films and puts forward a predictably good performance in this film, his trademark whisper seeming to work well given the emotional and physical torture that he is subjected to during the great majority of the plot. Vernon Wells (of Commando and Mad Max fame) puts in a hilarious performance playing the insane and murderous Maddox, a wide eyed madman who has carved 666 into his own forehead. A very cheesy and somewhat predictable action vehicle, there is no shortage of violent brawling, gore, and even a prolonged and credible gunfight.
In a Nutshell
Guns, Christopher Lambert, a neat and creative storyline, showy gimmicks and a few cheesy lines held together at a great pace with a few good plot twists – Fortress is a better than average science fiction film that bears a great resemblance to a plethora of earlier films in the same genre. Still relatively unknown and unrecognized, this film is a great sunday evening watch with popcorn and a beer or two.
