History Film / Fortress1992

In a dystopian future, in order to [[PopulationControl control the overpopulation]], the law dictates that only one child is allowed per woman. John (Creator/ChristopherLambert) and Karen (Loryn Locklin) Brennick end up in [[TheAlcatraz a futuristic prison]] for being "breeders", people who violate said law. Now it's up to John to break them both out.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Zed-10 is really the one in charge of the futuristic prison, not the cybernetic warden- [[spoiler:whom it even disposes of after he outlives his usefulness]]. When the heroes escape the prison it downloads itself into other mobile systems so it can keep pursuing them.

* DoomedDefeatist: During the big escape scene, [[spoiler:Stiggs]] panics and decides to surrender. He slowly rises from behind cover, hands first, and is shredded by bullets by a Strike Clone.

* EyeScream: When Brennick is subjected to the mindwipe, he sees a vision of himself ripping his eyes out (or perhaps merely wishes he could rip his eyes out). D-Day also disposes of a cyborg by striking them with a pickaxe right into their eyepiece, though it's unclear if there is an actual eye behind it.

* PopulationControl: The movie has the protagonist and his pregnant wife try to leave a dystopian US after it has implemented a one-child policy to fight increasing population growth. In fact, their first baby was stillborn, though the government apparently doesn't make an exception-one shot is all you get. For this "crime" their sent to a huge underground prison.

* SaveTheVillain: At the end of Brennick and Maddox's last fight, Brennick tries to save Maddox from falling to his death but Maddox is then [[TorsoWithAView gorily eliminated by the prison security system on the Warden's orders]].

-->'''Prison director Poe:''' Sit down 95763.\\

* AllCrimesAreEqual: In the dystopian future, everyone is sent to a high-security Alcatraz-esque prison for crimes ranging from homicide, breaking the [[PopulationControl pregnancy statute]], or bouncing checks.

* AxCrazy: Maddox. That he has a "187" tattoo on his ''forehead'' makes him something of a CardCarryingVillain, as well.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Brennick and his wife are captured and locked in a future Alcatraz for [[SarcasmMode the horrible crime]] of "breeding" a second child. Bonus points for the first child being a ''stillbirth'', which makes the sentence utterly nonsensical, even InUniverse.

* FlippingTheBird: Nino does it while distracting a security sentry so that he, Brennick and D-Day can hop aboard it to escape from the incoming Strike Clones and be taken up to Poe's headquarters.

* MasterComputer: Zed-10. It's so extensive that when [[spoiler:D-Day infects it with his computer virus]], systems all over the fortress malfunction right down to the lifts falling down their shafts. Then again, this ''is'' a prison, so maintaining control over everything was likely a secondary priority to safety of the prisoners.

* MindRape: Very disobedient prisoners are subjected to a mindwipe, which leaves them braindead.

* TheOldConvict: Abraham has been in the prison so long that he's become a 'trustee', a privileged inmate who is entrusted with some responsibilities by the guards. Brennick tries to ask him for help, but he's so jaded that he would rather keep his head down. He does eventually aid the heroes when he realizes that he'll never be allowed to leave by the prison director.

* PostClimaxConfrontation: After Brennick and co. escape from prison, Zed-10 takes over their escape vehicle to eliminate them.

* SacrificialLamb: There's a nervous guy in the opening when Brennick gets sent to prison who is just there to demonstrate the prison's security systems by getting his stomach blown up.
* SaveTheVillain: At the end of Brennick and Maddox's last fight, Brennick tries to save Maddox from falling to his death but Maddox is then [[TorsoWithAView gorily eliminated]] by the prison security system on the Warden's orders.

* TakeMyHand: After Brennick manages to defeat Maddox in a one-on-one fight, Maddox is left hanging on a ledge. Poe then orders Brennick to finish the job. As a proverbial middle finger to Poe, Brennick offers Maddox his hand instead.
* TattooedCrook: Maddox has a very unconvincing tattoo of 187 - the homicide statute - on his forehead, for the crime he's in for.

In a dystopian future, in order to [[PopulationControl control the overpopulation]], the law dictates that only one child is allowed per woman. John (Creator/ChristopherLambert) and Karen (Creator/LorynLocklin) Brennick end up in [[TheAlcatraz a futuristic prison]] for being "breeders", people who violate said law. Now it's up to John to break them both out.

* CatchPhrase: Zed-10's "crime does not pay".

* ExplosiveDecompression: Wonderfully averted in the sequel.
* ExplosiveLeash: The Intestinators, which are put into prisoners when they arrive and are designed hurt or kill them as necessary.
* EyeScream: When Brennick is subjected to the mindwipe, he sees a vision of himself ripping his eyes out. D-Day also disposes of a cyborg by striking them with a pickaxe right into their eyepiece, though it's unclear if there is an actual eye behind it.

* HellholePrison: The titular Fortress, built inside a mining facility with NoOSHACompliance, massively overcrowded, petty criminals are thrown together with murderers and rapists, and prisoners routinely suffer physical and mental torture for the most trivial things, such as having a wet dream.
* HeroicWillpower: Brennick stands against the mindwipe for three days, whereas other prisoners could only take it for an hour.

%%* OneWordTitle

* {{Prison}}: The title and main setting of both movies.
* PrisonRape: Maddox's favourite pastime.

* SaveTheVillain: At the end of Brennick and Maddox's fight to the death, Brennick tries to save Maddox from falling to his death but Maddox is then [[TorsoWithAView gorily eliminated]] by the prison security system on the Warden's orders.

* TattooedCrook: Maddox has a very unconvincing tattoo of 187 -the homicide statute - on his forehead, for the crime he's in for.

* TorsoWithAView: [[spoiler:Maddox]], after getting blasted with an Ion Cannon by a sentry.

* WardensAreEvil: The wardens in both movies are more than happy to oversee a prison where the inmates are treated like cattle. However, the first movie provided a subversion where the Prison A.I. was revealed to be the one really in control.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The first film is set in 2017. It was released in 1992.

* TheAlcatraz: The second movie ups the ante by having the prison placed ''[[PrisonShip in orbit]]''.

* RecycledInSpace: The sequel is set in a space prison.

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The first film is set in 2017. It was released in 1992. The sequel is from 2000 and set in 2027.

A sequel was released in 2000, in which John Brennick ends up in another prison, which is in space this time.

* TheAlcatraz: The titular Fortress, located on a bunker deep underground, with [[ExplosiveLeash Explosive Leashes]], automated [[SentryGun Sentry Guns]] and heavily-armed MechaMooks. The second movie ups the ante by having the prison placed ''[[PrisonShip in orbit]]''.

* CameraSpoofing: Used in the sequel.

* KillSat: What the Warden of the second movie's prison was working to turn it into. Fired twice: once to destroy a [[KickTheSonOfABitch shuttle full of escaping (backstabbing) prisoners]] and the second time [[spoiler:fired by Brennan to overload the prison's solar panels and destroy the prison itself]].

* NumberedSequels: ''Fortress 2'' is the sequel to ''Fortress''.

* PrisonShip: ''Fortress 2''. In the first film, TheAlcatraz was built inside a mine in the desert. In the sequel, it's revealed to be a satellite orbiting the Earth.
* PunishmentBox: Fortress 2 has Brennick sent to one after being caught stowing away in a cargo crate bound for a supply shuttle. It is a very small cell that is cut off from the temperature control system of the prison, with a cupola window that gives him a pretty scenic view of the Earth, and that's not when he is subjected to the blinding light, extreme heat, and solar radiation from the Sun, or the frigid cold and darkness from the empty void of space.

* PunishmentBox: Fortress 2 has Brennick sent to one after being caught stowing away in a cargo crate bound for a supply shuttle. It is a very small cell that is cut off from the temperature control system of the prison, with a cupola window that gives him a pretty scenic view of the Earth, and that's not when the Sun is bombarding him with heavy amounts of solar radiation, or the frigid temperatures that come with the empty void of space.

* BigNo: Brennick yells out one just before [[spoiler:Stiggs]] gets shot.

* ShockAndSwitchEnding: [[spoiler: Brennick is left in tears when he thinks that destroying the truck piloted by Zed-10 has accidentally killed Karen in the burnt ruins of the barn, before hearing the wails of his newborn and discovering that she managed to get out in time.]]

* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: Brennick is left in tears when he thinks that destroying the truck piloted by Zed-10 has accidentally killed Karen in the barn, before hearing the wails of his newborn and discovering that she managed to get out in time.]]

* ArmCannon: The cyborg guards' machinegun-flamethrower. Brennick rips a dead cyborg's one and uses it to kick ass in the climax.
* BigNo: Brennick yells out one just before Stiggs gets shot.

%%Who does?%%* DoomedDefeatist: during the big escape scene, [[strike:Stiggs]] panics and decides to surrender. He slowly rises from behind cover, hands first, and is shredded by bullets.

%%* DoomedDefeatist

* EyeScream: When Brennick is subjected to the mindwipe, he sees a vision of himself ripping his eyes out. A cyborg also gets a pickaxe to their eyepiece later, though it's unclear if there is an actual eye behind it.

%%* FlippingTheBird

* TorsoWithAView: [[spoiler:Maddox]], after getting blasted with an Ion Cannon.

* SacrificialLion: There's a nervous guy in the opening when Brennick gets sent to prison who is just there to demonstrate the prison's security systems by getting his stomach blown up.

''Fortress'' is a 1992 scifi film by Stuart Gordon.

In a dystopian future, in order to [[PopulationControl control the overpopulation]], the law dictates that only one child is allowed per woman. John (Creator/ChristopherLambert) and Karen (Loryn Locklin) Brennick end up in [[TheAlcatraz a futuristic prison]] for being "breeders", people who violate said law. Now it's up to John to break them both out.

* {{Prison}}: The title and main setting of the movie.

* ScarpiaUltimatum: Karen agrees on one given by Poe, so he will release John from the mindwipe.
** However, it is notable that later on Poe was [[spoiler:revealed to be a cyborg, and he explicitly concurred with Karen's statement that he can't have sex, therefore it seems that Poe's motivations are not so much sexual but rather emotionally possessive]].

* TattooedCrook: Maddox has a very unconvincing tattoo of 187 -the murder statute- on his forehead, for the crime he's in for.

* YouAreNumberSix: John Brennick is assigned the number 95763 when he arrives at TheAlcatraz. Leading to the following exchange: