Fortress

Somewhere in the future, a husband and wife are on the run for pregnancy.

In the United States of the 21st Century, each couple is only allowed one child; John (Lambert) and Karen Brennick (Locklin), having already had one child die at birth, have broken that law. They seek to escape to Mexico and safety, but are caught at the border crossing; sentenced to 31 years imprisonment; and locked into the penitentiary known as the Fortress. Devices are implanted into their stomachs that cause pain or kill if they fall out of line. Mind scanners rumble along the ceilings, detecting illegal dreams. Particle cannons stand by to reduce humans to powder. Ruling the Fortress is a corporation, who lese their franchise from the government; all prisoners are property of the company, to do with as they will. The question is: how do you get out?

From the same company who have recently made Highlander III, this is a futuristic prison-break adventure with as many topical dystopian elements thrown in as possible. The horrors of genetic experimentationm, megacorporations, private prisons, child quotas - all beginning to make themselves felt today are here, but really, it's about getting out. Out of prison, out of America, just out.

The special effects work quite well; though not one of Hollywood's best budgeted productions (indeed, principal photography took place in Australia), it's cleverly worked out enough that the threat of imprisonment is real, and what they achieved is truly impressive; particularly the cyborg army. All in all, a fun evening's entertainment; weighty themes and a thrill-a-minute escape story.

Paul Hardy.