Starring: Christopher Lambert, Kurtwood Smith, Loryn Locklin, Clifton Collins, Jr., Jeffrey Combs, Vernon Wells
Director: Stuart Gordon
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax Echo Bridge
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A
“Fortress” is a very underrated sci-fi/action film from the early 90’s. It is directed by the amazing Stuart Gordon, who also delivered us the cult classic “Re-Animator”. It stars ‘Connor “Highlander” MacLeod himself, Christopher Lambert, who kicks some major ass. Besides Lambert, there is a very impressive supporting cast including Clifton Collins, Jr. (“The Boondock Saints II”), Jeffrey Combs (“Re-Animator”), Tom Towles (“The Devil Rejects”), Vernon Wells (“The Road Warrior”). The film still holds up today in terms of ass-kicking sci-fi action. This is the first time that “Fortress” has been released on Blu-ray, it is not the best we have ever seen it but for $5 bucks, can you really go wrong?
Official Premise: The year is 2017. The first child is yours. The second is “theirs.” After losing their first baby, John and Karen Brennick dare to have another. Caught trying to cross the border, the ex-war hero and his pregnant wife are sentenced to a sadistic futuristic prison buried 33 stories beneath the Earth. Computers control inmates’ bodies and minds, and newborn infants are being used to create a new breed of human robots. No one has ever gotten out alive. But not even the most overwhelming technology can extinguish one man’s passionate love for his wife and child.
The Blu-ray presentation is not the best that I have seen, especially recently from Echo Bridge. The 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 feels a little dull and missing a real polished finished. The colors are a little muted but the scale of the film still is well-represented in high-def, especially the aciton. Nonetheless, it is not perfect but still a sure step up from past DVD releases. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 surround track is decent but not phenomenal. It works well for the film itself and compliments the action and dialogue well. Lastly there are no special features included here like most Echo Bridge releases. I wish they would have taken a page from the impressive “Jersey Girl” and “Hellraiser: Deader” recent Blu-ray releases.