Fortress 2 (2000) Reviews

• Not an utter disaster

  Jonathan Horner2001-03-02

  I wouldn't say Fortress 2 was an utter disaster like many of you have pointed out. I'm a big fan of the first Fortress movie, and recently while in my local Blockbuster store I spotted Fortress 2 sitting on the selves. So me being a massive Christopher Lambert & Fortress fan I jumped at the chance of renting it. I don't like the idea of the new Fortress being located in space it doesn't work out right in the long run. Fortress 2 is pretty much the same. The intestinators from the first movie have been replaced by a sort of camera which is implanted into your brain there's the usual evil prison director controlling the Fortress and ZED the talking computer is back. Brennicks wife, Karen, is also back, but replaced with a different actor. To cut a long story short. The Fortress has now been turned into a giant power station which is floating around in space and is owned by the Mentel co-oporation. Inmates are kept there to keep it in working order and to build new structures for the Fortress. John Brennick (Christopher Lambert) gets caught (again) and is thrown back into the Fortress. He then sets out struggling to find a way out. Like most sequels Lambert has starred in. I feel that Fortress 2 was rushed, there's giant gaps in the movie which could of been filled in with maybe some clever dialogue or interesting scenes. Overall, being a massive Lambert fan even I must agree that this movie is below average. 4/10

• Not as good as the original...

  bazthegreat2000-03-05

  I had no idea that a sequel was even being made to the 1993 movie until a few days ago. I arrived at the cinema complex where I work and was totally shocked to discover that a Fortress 2 had been released! The film was officially released in Australia on 2. March, 2000, but I'm afraid it hasn't been too popular... We're only screening it in one small cinema and, so far, we've probably had about 200 patrons in four days (and that's being generous). Considering the fact that our largest cinema seats 500 for one session, this is not good popularity odds. It was released suddenly, without advertisements or even posters. You could tell from the start that this was going to be an unfortunate, B-grade sequel to the enjoyable, well planned original. Still, I thought I'd give it a go. I loved the first film and Christopher Lambert had returned to reprise his role, so I thought why not? Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. The script was very lame, with characters suddenly having the "convenient" skills to make an escape possible at just the right time. Not much planning went into set design. There were very little of the fancy, modern gadgets of the first movie, and you can tell they were cutting costs. Much of the film was computer generated to cover the missing pieces. As for the plot - it was far too unbelievable and, dare I say it, actually quite boring. This time, the prison is in outer space (!), and instead of those little metal tracking devices used in the first Fortress, prisoners are given a "behaviour modifier" than is implanted in their brain. These ones definitely can't be removed. It is a rehash of the first. Christopher makes some friends inside, and then they help him to escape. None of the characters other than Chris are very likeable, and I found myself not really caring if they survived or not. Chris seemed to just cruise through the film without much effort - what more could he do?

• Follow-up in similar style , full of action , violence and technological elements

  ma-cortes2011-02-21

  This is a Prison movie with high-tech science fiction , following to ¨The fortress¨ directed by Stuart Gordon in which Lambert is imprisoned because another son was born and in the future it's prohibited . In a futuristic USA , it's forbidden to give birth to more than one child for each woman and then things go wrong . The motion picture is supposed to take place 7 years after the former , as John (Christopher Lambert) is a rebel whom the resistance asking for help , but he escapes to avoid the authorities in USA , which is exactly what he and his wife Karen Brennick (Beth Toussiant replacing Loryn Locklyn) were trying to do when with her second son (their first child was born dead) escape . When they think they have made it , he is discovered and put to prison . With those odds , John still plans to getaway . Prison's chief (Patrick Malahide , replacing Kurtwood Smith) , located in a space station , is a villain who punishes to inmates with tortures and using cruel technological security measures . This is a modern and more sophisticated prison called the "Fortress" where the prisoners are controlled by lasers , neutron-cannons , cameras , mind-scanners and electronic pain-causing devices in their stomachs . John/Christopher Lambert along with other prisoners (Liz May Brice , Nick Brimble , John Sharian) will face off the prison director (Patrick Malahide) and his wardens (Okumoto). The picture blends thrills , suspense , violence , drama, action ,struggles and some nudism . It is set 7 years after the original when rebels are captured and sent to a new fortress prison , in outer space , there takes place an exciting final confrontation between the starring and baddies , it is very stimulating and gets some exciting surprises . Special appearance of the Blaxploitiation goddess , Pan Grier . Runtime film is adequate , it is fast moving and is neither boring , nor tiring , but bemusing . Atmospheric cinematography and adequate score fitting to action by Christopher Franke . The motion picture obtained little success and failed at Box office . This second part bears a similar plot to previous entry , but isn't as nice as the first . The picture was regularly directed by Geoff Murphy who also realized the second installment to ¨Young guns¨ with more success than this one . The film will appeal to Science fiction buffs and Christopher Lambert fans . Rating : 5/10 , average .

• Everything you could want and more in a Lambert movie sequel.

  The-Evil-Dead2005-04-26

  Well, lets be honest here, the first Fortress movie was nothing too special even though it was directed by Stuart Gordon and featured some excellent cheese filled moments. You may think that the craptacular enjoyment provided by the first movie would translate over to the lower budgeted, even more b sequel. Sadly I was totally wrong with this assumption. Things just happen in this movie... There's really no effort by the script or director to give us any characterization. We're stuck with " Brennick is in prison, now he must bust out " as soon as the movie starts. There's plot holes galore, stupid scenes, and some terrible special FX. Lambert must have been really hungry for the fifty or so grand he was paid to do this train wreck. I'm a fan of cheeseball, low budget films... But they have to at least be entertaining in some form or another to be enjoyable to me. There are a few moments like that found in this film, but unless you want to see how NOT to make a movie, don't bother with this one. 1 out of 5.

• I could be so good for you...

  Leigh L.2001-02-09

  So Patrick Malahide is Teller, the prison governor. Okay. However, Patrick Malahide was also Chisholm in Minder, and I don't think the filmmakers realised just how off-putting that would be - you keep expecting a spluttering Arfur Daley to be hustled into his office instead of a stony-faced Chris Lambert. Well, I did, anyway. Of course, that wouldn't be too likely as this new Fortress is in orbit 26,000 miles above Earth, which, when it's suddenly revealed (to the horror of the oblivious prisoners/"labourers"), feels like it should have been a key twist that you couldn't possibly have seen coming... bit of a shame that it's given away in the tagline on the front of the video, then. Anyway, yeah, what everyone else said: it's Fortress 1, only not as good. The sets and effects are basically fine, some of the set pieces are pretty tense (if ridiculously set up), but the flimsy script, non-existent pacing, absence of worthwhile new ideas and charisma-free supporting cast all seem to have come from a film with one tenth of the budget - Pam Grier excepted, though she may as well not be in it at all considering the total irrelevance of her character. And does everyone really have to talk so quietly? I know they're in prison, but Mr. Lambert always whispers everything anyway - and here so does Patrick Malahide, so get ready for a lot of scowling and rewinding if you want to follow the few halfhearted shreds of plot on offer. Oh yeah, and that very last scene is, basically, the worst thing ever. It's not even as if The Laugh can save it, as Chris has already put The Laugh to much better effect about twenty minutes earlier... "YOU are going to pardon ME? Heh heh heh." He hasn't lost it.