Fortress 2The bad guys in Fortress 2 are represented by the Men-Tel corporation. Call me deaf. Call me stupid. But I heard that name initially as being another similar sounding, real life, very public and very powerful real life corporation. Hmmm, I thought, that must have some interesting legal applications for the film makers.But no, it's Men-Tel not the other and likewise, this film is bad film making not the other. The initial Fortress in 1993 was pretty good with a snappy set and some impressive sci-fi gadgets. In the original Christopher Lambert played John Brennick who was in jail (the fortress) for the crime of "breeding" - having an unauthorized child, offending the law of the nasty Men-Tel mob. He breaks out wrecking the prison in the process. Nearly ten years has passed. Brennick, his wife and the illegal child are hiding out in the woods. There's the regulation helicopter attack by Men-Tel and before you can scream "sequel!!" Rennick is incarcerated in the new Fortress (prison) 26,000 miles from Earth in space. Goony inmates, a sadistic guard, a scheming commandant, nude co-ed showers and a loathsomely bland script, combine with the wooden acting of Lambert to produce an "action" film of which only Claude Van Damme might have been proud. There are some snappy spacey effects, the only features to redeem Fortress 2, but who says that ANYBODY can hold their breath and float unprotected in space as Brennick does here! And I know that it will sell tickets in some circles, but painting Russians as being mafiositic, chess playing weasels, and Japanese as being sadistic slugs won't be offset by having token black and hispanic cast members. One Space Walk Fly |