In many ways this feels like the bastard child of Robocop and The Great Escape after one to many vodka's, at least for me it does.

Its standard dystopian stuff, the world has become overpopulated and a strict 1 child per couple rule has been implemented. But for Christoper Lambert and the Wife more babies are desired. Unfortunately for them their nabbed and packed off to the maximum security underground prison the Fortress.

I know its a cliched thing to say but they just don't make silly sci-fi trash like this anymore, the laughable mainframe computer that controls the facility with its firm female voice repeating the crime does not pay line a bit to much fits in perfectly with all the other standard pieces like the butch prison inmate Lambert butts heads with and Kirkwood Smith's warden delivering a character that feels like the geeky twin of Clarence Boddicker.

The intestinator idea designed to keep the inmates from escaping is pretty effective, and when it goes to kill mode the results are messy. Still I found myself laughing everytime Smith commanded random intestination's. What the hell did the other inmates do I ask you?

The amount of blood and gory is pretty high without becoming silly and the eventual escape does work pretty well, althou Fortress re-inforces the fact that Lambert can't emote to save his life.

Overall a more then passable sci-fi actioner worth a watch.

B

Fortress

I had fond memories of watching this as a child. Just rewatched it, and sadly it's pretty crap. I remembered the escape plan being a lot more methodical and articulate, but instead they basically just wing it. I remember than having more obstacles to overcome. I also remember feeling a much greater sense that this "fortress" was inescapable. But they escaped without much trouble, and on their first attempt. Lambert is a terrible actor. It was nice to see Vernon Wells, I suppose. I now have second thoughts about rewatching another childhood Lambert favourite as well, Gunmen, fearing that it might also reveal itself to be trash.

A very generous C for nostalgia.

This and the sequel, steal everything in the book, but on an obvious lesser scale. But always have a soft spot for an above average lambert film. If it was DTV it's one of the better. As a theatrical, it's still at least better than most of the other low key action stars of the era that caught on more than Chris.