Fortress (1992)

Directed by: Stuart Gordon | 95 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Loryn Locklin, Clifton Collins Jr., Lincoln Kilpatrick, Jeffrey Combs, Tom Towles, Vernon Wells, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Alan Zitner, Deni Gordon, Eric Briant Wells

If there’s one thing that’s entertaining, it’s watching “old” movies set in the future. Take ‘Fortress’ from 1992. This action film is set in 2017. Pulp director Stuart ‘Re-Animator’ Gordon’s vision for the future was not optimistic to say the least…

American society is in free fall and in 2017 women will only be allowed to have one child. John (Christopher Lambert) and Karen (Loryn Locklin) Brennick try to get out of this dubious law and flee to Mexico. Then the couple is grabbed and dumped in a futuristic prison. John does not give up and tries to escape from this ‘Fortress’ together with his wife.

The 2017 from ‘Fortress’ is a bit different from the 2017 we experienced. Computers run entire prisons, criminals’ memories are erased and cyborgs are part of the staff. Anyway, it should be clear that this film did not become a truthful prediction of the future (which was probably not Gordon’s goal for a second). Fortunately, because this dystopian vision does not make you really happy. There is a good chance that you will be with this unpretentious action film that flies past you at full speed.

The nostalgic quality of ‘Fortress’ is great. In the 90s, this film was a blockbuster and the pinnacle of science fiction. Gordon’s horror background comes to the fore a few times. Not so much in gore, but in ingenuity. The special effects are creative and so is the grime. Before CGI, there was artisanal handiwork. It gives ‘Fortress’ something charming, because all the trickery is handmade (and sometimes looks a bit clumsy).

Lambert is well suited as a cynical anti-hero. With his closed appearance and raspy voice he creates a bad ass antihero that you like to cheer for. Kurtwood Smith is on a roll as a gruff prison warden and his portrayal evokes memories of RoboCop in which he was also so good as a villain. Genre icon Jeffrey Combs emerges as an annoying computer geek. The cast embraces the pulp content of this production, resulting in a highly entertaining sci-fi film. Time has not been kind to this film, but 90s kids and fans of old school action are sure to love this cult classic.