Fortress 2: Re-entry (1999)

Fortress 2

As Fortress was an excellent film I was very disappointed with this sequel. The first one had nice ideas not in a realistic setting but in a nice way. This was just repeated and overdone in the second part so that it became ridiculous, e.g. fighting in outer space for hour without oxygen and in jeans? So I recommend the first part but forget this. February 17, 2006

Oh the humanity!

The only word you need to know relating to the atrocity that is "Fortress 2: Re-entry" is, quite simply, LAMBERT! That's right, master thespian and international film god Christopher Lambert returns to reprise his role as the persecuted John Brennick, the bane of the powerfully evil Men-Tel corporation. The first film in the series, which arrived on the scene some six years before its sequel, was an enjoyable action/drama film larded with good characters, occasionally intriguing special effects, and lots of shoot 'em up action. The first film was even directed by Stuart Gordon ("Re-Animator," "From Beyond") and employed solid character actors like Jeffrey Combs and Kurtwood Smith to good effect. It got so you didn't even mind Christopher Lambert starred in the movie since the secondary elements made up for his lack of talent. You would think at least a little charm from the original might rub off on its sequel. You would be wrong. "Fortress 2" is a disaster across the board: bad acting, lousy script, slow pacing, and a forgettable supporting cast destroys any chance this movie had at success. "Fortress 2" is to the world of cinema what Linda McCartney was to Wings.

Once again John Brennick and his wife are on the run from the Men-Tel Corporation. At the end of the first movie the couple escaped the clutches of the evil plutocrats and went underground in order to defy the ban on having children. The opening of "Fortress 2" shows the Brennicks safely ensconced in a cabin somewhere far from the overpopulated urban centers run by Men-Tel. A group of rebels from the resistance pay a visit to Brennick so they can convince him to rejoin their efforts to destroy the corporation. Predicatably, Men-Tel thugs clandestinely follow these upstarts out to the cabin and launch a raid. Lots of bullets fly, Brennick and family escape through a tunnel under the house, and Johnny blows a helicopter out of the sky before the soldiers finally capture him. Brennick's spouse and young son escape, so there will be no wife in prison to compromise John's attention this time around. And prison is exactly where he is going, but this time the penitentiary is a floating space station revolving around the earth. It would seem that walking out of this situation will not be as easy as it was last time. C'mon, you know better! This is big, bad John Brennick we are talking about here. Of course he will escape. Our job is to play like good little sheep, shut our mouths, and watch how he does it.

The space prison is pretty much like the institution encountered in the first film with a few minor exceptions. First, the beloved intestinators from the first film are long gone, replaced with a different implant device that causes everyone to fall on the ground and roll around shrieking in pain whenever the guards punch a button. Second, one of Brennick's cellmates is a sexy young woman who takes lots of showers to distract the bulls whenever John and his allies are plotting something. Third, this is a dumb movie. There is a bunch of nonsense about Men-Tel building some huge project and using the prisoners as slave labor, but it is largely uninteresting most of the time. Pam Grier turns up in the role as the head of Men-Tel, perhaps the most egregious crime the film commits because she doesn't have much to do except threaten the prison warden via video screen and show up briefly in the end. Another wasted opportunity arrives in the shape of Yuji Okumoto as the sadistic guard Sato. Viewers will recognize this veteran character actor and loudly lament the inability of the script to put him to better use. By the way, did I mention this movie reeks?

I actually followed the movie for a bit before issuing an increasingly loud series of raspberries at the stupidity unfolding onscreen. A few things were slightly interesting, such as Brennick's turn in "solitary" after a failed escape attempt. The punishment differs slightly from a similar penalty on earth: guards lock Brennick in a transparent bubble on the outer shell of the station, thereby exposing him to extremes of cold and heat as the prison revolves around the earth. Alas, this scene is the only good point in an otherwise useless production. One need only watch one of the characters attach a miniature video camera to a roach to understand the ridiculous depths to which this movie sinks. The absolute worst, and I mean WORST, situation occurs when Brennick, in an effort to reach another part of the rapidly deteriorating space station, holds his breath and flies through space without any sort of protective gear. You heard me right. A man soars through deep space wearing nothing but the clothes on his back--with only a bloody nose to show for it--and survives to fight another day. This scene alone guarantees a one star review. How dare the screenwriters, the director, and the producer attempt to foist off such an idiotic scenario on viewers.

Brennick escapes in time for the inevitable reunion with his loved ones (in front of a picturesque sunset, no less), but the viewer has nowhere to go after watching this piece of crud except perhaps to the local pharmacy to pick up a bottle of Thorazine. Whatever your poison, pray it is strong enough to burn the memory of this film out of your head. The DVD is fortunately sparse, with a trailer for this film, one for a movie called "Resurrection," and a widescreen presentation of the movie. The lack of a commentary surprises me not at all; I wouldn't want to take any responsibility for such a worthless project either if I was associated with it. Good luck with this one, faithful viewers. January 22, 2004

Doesn't add up to the original...

Our story picks up about ten years where the original ended. Brannick is caught and put in a new prison, this time in space orbiting Earth. The characters are plenty fun and the humor is well-placed, but the acting and overall script leave much to be desired. The film is very watchable, but little comes from it. Christopher Lambert is not a good enough actor to make his character as interesting as he was in the first film, but his supporting cast is not all bad. Mostly, I liked the computer effects and some of the action was neat. The star rating can be ignored here. I really give it 2 1/2, but Amazon.com won't let me do halves. October 2, 2002

Sequel lacks the budget and performances of the original

Although I really enjoyed the original movie, "Fortress 2: Re-entry" is disappointing in comparison. The film offers a promising storyline: John and Karen Brennick are shown 10 years later with their son, hiding from the MenTel Corporation. John is eventually captured and sent to a prison space station to serve his sentence for having another child, while Karen and her son are still being pursued by MenTel. Again, John is driven to escape from this dismal prison. The magic that made the first "Fortress" work is not present in this film. The special effects are of poor quality, and the actors' performances are not very good. This movie may be worth renting just to see what happens to the characters from the first film. August 1, 2002

great stuff

Action, Sci-fi, nudity, 'behaviour modification' and Christopher Lambert? You know you're in for one hell of a ride!
This movie is at least as good as the original, and looks and sounds great on dvd.
No, it's not one of the most intelligent flicks out there, but who cares? The movie-makers set out to make the movie an exciting romp in space, and in that they certainly succeed.
The only thing that let me down a little was the abrupt ending, something the original suffered from too, but trust me, this is good fun if you're not looking for a masterpiece! May 4, 2002

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