FORTRESS 2: RE-ENTRY

US, 1999, 92 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Lambert, Patrick Malahide, Liz May Bryce.
Directed by Geoff Murphy.

Fortress 2: Re- Entry is a sequel to the 1993 film about a high security prison, starring Christopher Lambert. This film is something of a repetition of the original themes, the imprisonment of Christopher Lambert, the difficulties in prison, the sadistic head of the prison (Patrick Malahide, enjoying himself as a villain) and the attempted escapes and their being thwarted.

To that extent, the film seems rather unnecessary.

It is not the most exciting of films about prisons and escapes even though there are many action sequences. Christopher Lambert has done this kind of film many times. Liz May Bryce is a vigorous leading lady and Patrick Malahide strong as the warden. There are a number of prisoners, with their minds being controlled. There are Russians as well as Americans. They are political prisoners.

Much of the film shows the guards, the surveillance of the prisoners, the clashes with the guards and the warden’s arbitrary allowing struggles and physical fights. It also shows punishments. The prison is in outer space and this provides a challenge to those who are trying to escape. Unlike many films, the authorities find out about all the escape attempts which means that the finale is a build-up to a confrontation between prisoners and guards.

The film was directed by Geoff Murphy, the New Zealand director who went to Hollywood in the late 80s and made a number of action films including Young Guns, Under Siege 2, but returned to New Zealand in 2004.

1.The popularity of this kind of action film? Prison? Harsh treatment? Mad warden? Escape attempts?

2.The opening, John Henry Brennick and his family, idyllic life, with his son, wife? The agents coming? The pursuit, capture? His imprisonment? The political reasons? His grief for his wife and son?

3.The prison, the sets and the interiors of the prison? The technology? The surveillance? The musical score?

4.Brennick, the processes for mind control? His work, the technology? His interaction with the guards? With the other prisoners? With Elena? The past and having worked with her? The possibility of romance? His shrewdness, his noting the characters of the prisoners, getting the mentally impaired man to help with the plan? Using the others for technology, cameras? His attempted escapes? The warden always finding him? The confrontations with the warden? In solitary and surviving? The various attempts, the allies, the Russians? The build-up to the final confrontation and fight?

5.The other prisoners, Elena, working with John? The skills, the cameras? The deceiving of the warden? The build-up the attempts at escape, the betrayal, the discoveries? Deaths? The Russians, their plans, language, killings?

6.The warden, his personality, his commission, running the prison? Arbitrary? The assistant, the information, the computer and the corrections? His relationship with Susan Mendenhal? Her relationship with the owner? The confrontations via screen? Her coming to the prison, the confrontation, his trying to kill her? Survival, helping the prisoners?

7.The warden and his style, his office, confronting the prisoners, his thwarting their attempts? Finally over-reaching himself? His defeat?

8.The personalities of the guards, the Asian- American and his cruelty? The others and their being ciphers of the company?

9.Interest in this kind of futuristic picture of prisons in space, tyrants and control, big companies and globalisation?