Review of Fortress (1992) by David. B — 13 May 2008

Well, who would have thought the man behind Re-Animator would go on to release this futuristic sci-fi actioneer epic. Well, epic is what I thought when I saw it as a 12 year old kid, but now it only ever makes an appearance on my tv when I have time to waste. Yeah, it's a guilty pleasure. I guess Gordon has delved into experimenting with the sci-fi genre with his previous films, but this is his first major successful attempt. The concept is still impressive and could definitely be used in the west one day, so to give our future generations a positive future where they can continue developing as intellectual beings on a prosperous/healthy planet. Gordon's unique b-grade way of directing is all over this. It stinks of him actually. Especially when we are confined to the smaller spaces within the Prison.

The script which was written by I don't know, is macho. It delivers a few whacks in the face with it's light social commentary on population and systems etc, which I like in stories. If only they can stand the test of time and not become dated though. And I believe Fortress has succeeded in that department. With visuals and production values, it will always be identified as a film from the 90's.