Fortress (1992)
7/10
Fun, but lacking a few things
15 October 2006
A man and his wife are caught trying to escape the totalitarian government that rules the future USA. Their crime: having a second child. Their punishment: confinement in a large underground facility that monitors the inmates right down to their thoughts. Brennick soon becomes determined to find a way of the facility.

Directed by Stuart Gordon, the man responsible for the visceral cult classic "Re-Animator," has given this film much of that same punch. And that is what partly makes "Fortress" quite a fun watch despite its many limitations. The pacing is quite good and keeps things moving along. The character angles are decent and the overall design is nicely innovative and not overdone with a fake gloss. However, the film does fall a bit on its face with providing any sort of metaphor or truly thought provoking science fiction. You've kind of seen all this before in some form or another and the biggest disappointment is the abrupt and sappy ending. "Re-Animator" had a very nice and catchy ending so I thought Gordon would have another surprise like that waiting here, but sadly there is none.

But that aside, this is an enjoyable film and seeing those early 90s computer effects at work is always fun, especially since the ones here never try to outrun themselves. Fun stuff, save for the ending. 7/10

Rated R: graphic violence, and profanity
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