"Bunker" Just Wouldn't Have the Same Ring to It
This weekend's review is actually a double feature, this time revolving around a movie and its sequel. So first up; Fortress.
I had Fortress and its sequel on my “To Watch” list because it sounded like it combined two things I liked; thrillers and heist movies (though in this case it’s a prison break movie instead of a heist movie, but I’d argue the principles are similar). Having now watched both of them, I think I can say that neither of them exactly hit the tropes I like in those genres. That being said, the first movie in particular is still interesting, albeit in a way I was pretty surprised by.
Set in a dystopian future (IMDB says the year is specifically 2017, though I don’t remember that ever being actively stated. Also, I think I can safely say that the actual 2017 wasn’t anywhere near as bad as what we see here), the story revolves around John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) who is on the run with his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) for being pregnant with another baby when the law only allows for one, even when the first child died. Despite their best efforts, both of them are captured and brought to the structure known as “The Fortress”, a facility that’s thirty-three stories underground. As if that wasn’t bad enough, all the prisoners are monitored by both a director named Poe (Kurtwood Smith) and a computer known as Zed-10 (voiced by Carolyn Purdy-Gordon), who have the ability (thanks to some implants put in the prisoners on arrival) to inflict pain and death, monitor your dreams, and even completely fry your brain. Once Brennick inevitably proves his worth to the other inmates and discovers his wife’s in the same prison he is, he starts working with his cellmates (one of whom, to my delight, is played by Jeffrey Combs) to try to escape the Fortress. Naturally, Poe and Zed-10 aren’t going to allow this, but they underestimate the power of teamwork, ingenuity, and especially love. I know that sounds sappy, but while accurate, it’s nowhere near as obvious as that when you’re actually watching the movie.
On the one hand, this movie is exactly what you’d expect from both a prison movie and a sci-fi movie, especially one made in the late 80’s-early 90’s. On the prison side, you’ve got the sadistic prisoner, the uncaring/mercenary/corrupt warden, and the brutal treatment of the prisoners. For the 90’s sci-fi, you have graphics that are fairly realistic but just edging over into cheesy, and the tech has names like (I swear) “the Intestinator”. Plus, the third act is basically a huge action shoot-em-up, so it has everything you need if you’re in the mood for something familiar and a bit dumb and mindless. However, despite all that, I was actually kind of intrigued by the concepts being presented. Maybe it’s because all this information was thrown at us all at once (some of it being drowned out by conversations between the characters, which is actually a great way to handle exposition dumps), so the audience doesn’t have time to process it fully and realize the weaknesses in the ideas. Or maybe it’s because the actors play their roles straight (albeit with the occasional touch of scenery chewing), so you’re more willing to believe in the world they’re inhabiting. Whatever it was, I found myself invested and feeling like I was watching a fairly original concept, which is a huge compliment.
Furthermore, the movie plays with the formulas a fair bit, which is also something I admire. Poe is more than a one-dimensional villain, even if he hits a lot of the stereotypes. The escape plan is a team effort, instead of Brennick going it alone with just a little help here and there. Above all, instead of just being the Macguffin or a damsel in distress, Karen becomes a key figure in the story and takes a lot of risks to help Brennick, which is always awesome to see and earned her a nomination for “Best Female Character of 2019”. Really, in the first two-thirds, Fortress is surprisingly good. It would and should never be considered a masterpiece, but it’s really good for what it is.
Sadly, the third act is a bit of a letdown. First, it hinges on something that isn’t even explained by technobabble, and while we can infer what happened, it still feels like Admiral Plot Device took over. Second, as I said, it’s all about action instead of suspense. I understand the reasoning behind it-it’s the catharsis after all the buildup-but it does mean any subtlety the movie had has officially gone out the window. It also features a lot more implausible scenarios and an abrupt ending, which kind of messes with the idea of the catharsis. The reason movies continue a little while after the climax is to (hopefully) resolve all the plot points and allow the audience time to process what just happened, so they can leave the theater satisfied. Fortress kind of does that, but I feel like we needed one more scene, or even just a few more shots, to really make it work.
Even with the disappointing finale, though, I’d recommend giving this one a chance if you can find it. It’s implausible and has a lot of gore (though it’s the kind of gore that’s simultaneously gratuitous but not too graphic; it’s so excessive you can’t take it too seriously), but if you go in with an open mind, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. Though I’m afraid I can’t quite say the same thing for the sequel…
I had Fortress and its sequel on my “To Watch” list because it sounded like it combined two things I liked; thrillers and heist movies (though in this case it’s a prison break movie instead of a heist movie, but I’d argue the principles are similar). Having now watched both of them, I think I can say that neither of them exactly hit the tropes I like in those genres. That being said, the first movie in particular is still interesting, albeit in a way I was pretty surprised by.
Set in a dystopian future (IMDB says the year is specifically 2017, though I don’t remember that ever being actively stated. Also, I think I can safely say that the actual 2017 wasn’t anywhere near as bad as what we see here), the story revolves around John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) who is on the run with his wife Karen (Loryn Locklin) for being pregnant with another baby when the law only allows for one, even when the first child died. Despite their best efforts, both of them are captured and brought to the structure known as “The Fortress”, a facility that’s thirty-three stories underground. As if that wasn’t bad enough, all the prisoners are monitored by both a director named Poe (Kurtwood Smith) and a computer known as Zed-10 (voiced by Carolyn Purdy-Gordon), who have the ability (thanks to some implants put in the prisoners on arrival) to inflict pain and death, monitor your dreams, and even completely fry your brain. Once Brennick inevitably proves his worth to the other inmates and discovers his wife’s in the same prison he is, he starts working with his cellmates (one of whom, to my delight, is played by Jeffrey Combs) to try to escape the Fortress. Naturally, Poe and Zed-10 aren’t going to allow this, but they underestimate the power of teamwork, ingenuity, and especially love. I know that sounds sappy, but while accurate, it’s nowhere near as obvious as that when you’re actually watching the movie.
On the one hand, this movie is exactly what you’d expect from both a prison movie and a sci-fi movie, especially one made in the late 80’s-early 90’s. On the prison side, you’ve got the sadistic prisoner, the uncaring/mercenary/corrupt warden, and the brutal treatment of the prisoners. For the 90’s sci-fi, you have graphics that are fairly realistic but just edging over into cheesy, and the tech has names like (I swear) “the Intestinator”. Plus, the third act is basically a huge action shoot-em-up, so it has everything you need if you’re in the mood for something familiar and a bit dumb and mindless. However, despite all that, I was actually kind of intrigued by the concepts being presented. Maybe it’s because all this information was thrown at us all at once (some of it being drowned out by conversations between the characters, which is actually a great way to handle exposition dumps), so the audience doesn’t have time to process it fully and realize the weaknesses in the ideas. Or maybe it’s because the actors play their roles straight (albeit with the occasional touch of scenery chewing), so you’re more willing to believe in the world they’re inhabiting. Whatever it was, I found myself invested and feeling like I was watching a fairly original concept, which is a huge compliment.
Furthermore, the movie plays with the formulas a fair bit, which is also something I admire. Poe is more than a one-dimensional villain, even if he hits a lot of the stereotypes. The escape plan is a team effort, instead of Brennick going it alone with just a little help here and there. Above all, instead of just being the Macguffin or a damsel in distress, Karen becomes a key figure in the story and takes a lot of risks to help Brennick, which is always awesome to see and earned her a nomination for “Best Female Character of 2019”. Really, in the first two-thirds, Fortress is surprisingly good. It would and should never be considered a masterpiece, but it’s really good for what it is.
Sadly, the third act is a bit of a letdown. First, it hinges on something that isn’t even explained by technobabble, and while we can infer what happened, it still feels like Admiral Plot Device took over. Second, as I said, it’s all about action instead of suspense. I understand the reasoning behind it-it’s the catharsis after all the buildup-but it does mean any subtlety the movie had has officially gone out the window. It also features a lot more implausible scenarios and an abrupt ending, which kind of messes with the idea of the catharsis. The reason movies continue a little while after the climax is to (hopefully) resolve all the plot points and allow the audience time to process what just happened, so they can leave the theater satisfied. Fortress kind of does that, but I feel like we needed one more scene, or even just a few more shots, to really make it work.
Even with the disappointing finale, though, I’d recommend giving this one a chance if you can find it. It’s implausible and has a lot of gore (though it’s the kind of gore that’s simultaneously gratuitous but not too graphic; it’s so excessive you can’t take it too seriously), but if you go in with an open mind, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. Though I’m afraid I can’t quite say the same thing for the sequel…