Fortress – Die Festung (1992)

Fortress – Die Festung: Directed by Stuart Gordon. With Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Loryn Locklin, Clifton Collins Jr.. In a future, private underground prison/Fortress, the inmates are computer controlled with CCTV, dream readers and devices that can cause pain or death. John and his illegally pregnant wife are inside but want to escape before birth.

“u0026quot;Fortressu0026quot; is mostly routine, but enjoyable, futuristic sci-fi from director Stuart Gordon (of u0026quot;Re-Animatoru0026quot; and u0026quot;From Beyondu0026quot; fame). It has an excellent cast of familiar faces that make the most out of what theyu0026#39;ve got, especially Kurtwood Smith (u0026quot;RoboCopu0026quot;, u0026#39;That 70s Showu0026#39;). 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 u0026quot;True Liesu0026quot; instead (it was Ah-nuld that suggested Gordon as the director of this feature).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSome 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.) Theyu0026#39;re caught and sentenced to do time at the u0026quot;Fortressu0026quot;, a massive, multi leveled high tech prison. Itu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLambert is no better or worse than he usually is. Locklin is reasonably appealing. The supporting cast is pretty eclectic: Lincoln Kilpatrick (u0026quot;Chosen Survivorsu0026quot;, Renny Harlinsu0026#39; u0026quot;Prisonu0026quot;) as Abraham, Jeffrey Combs of the u0026quot;Re-Animatoru0026quot; series (rocking a shoulder length wig here) as D-Day, Clifton Collins Jr. (u0026quot;Tigerlandu0026quot;, u0026quot;Pacific Rimu0026quot;) as Gomez, Tom Towles (u0026quot;House of 1000 Corpsesu0026quot;, u0026quot;Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killeru0026quot;) as Stiggs, and Vernon Wells (u0026quot;The Road Warrioru0026quot;, u0026quot;Commandou0026quot;) as Maddox. Thatu0026#39;s Gordonsu0026#39; 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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Fortressu0026quot; hits the ground running, and offers decent entertainment for a fairly trim 95 minute run time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSeven out of 10.”