Film Review: Fortress 2: Re-Entry (2000)

Making a sequel better than original film is difficult, but not so much if the original film was bad. That was the case with Fortress, 1992 science fiction film, which seven years later received much better sequel in the form of Fortress 2: Re-Entry, directed by Geoff Murphy.

The plot is set in (then futuristic) world of 2025. Seven years earlier John Brennick (played by Christopher Lambert) has escaped from Fortress, until then inescapable prison controlled by Man Tel corporation, which made him a legend among people opposed to government. John, who lives with wife and son in mountains, is approached by resistance, but the encounter ends in disaster. He is captured and brought to another, even tougher prison from which escape seems even less likely. The New Fortress happens to be an orbital station. Sadistic warden Peter Teller (played by Patrick Malahide) immediately introduces newly arrived prisoners to surgically implanted chips that cause unbearable pain to anyone disobeying him. Brennick, however, doesn’t reconcile with his fate and, together with few other inmates, plans another seemingly impossible escape.

Shot in Luxembourg, Fortress 2 has much simpler and less encumbered plot than its predecessor. This prevents some of unconvincing and over the top details from the original to make the film less plausible. Experienced action director Geoff Murphy puts studio resources to good use and zero gravity is recreated quite convincing, while CGI, which was quite decent for late 20th Century standards, does the rest. Fortress 2 looks much more attractive, and one of the reasons might be British actress Liz Mary Brice who, while playing female inmate, doesn’t mind appearing nude during showering scene. Yet, those details won’t compensate for the use of prison film cliches, predictable division of characters and even more predictable ending. The cast, that involves veterans like Malahide and Pam Grier, isn’t too interested in roles. There are some minor details that could thrill fans of BBC science fiction series Blake’s 7, mainly the references to computer named Zed, but at the end of the day that isn’t enough to make Fortress 2: Re-Entry into anything more than watchable.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

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