Fortress (2021)


REVIEWER RATING: 
8/10

DIRECTOR:

CAST:


Bruce Willis may be 66 years old, but his action hero days are far from over. Fortress explodes onto the screen with a stern and steady Robert Michaels (Willis), doing some target practice in the woods of his…well…retirement estate?

At the same time, his fast talking but well-versed son Paul (Metcalfe) is being taken to this unknown location (dad’s place doesn’t appear on the GPS! WTF?) to see pop after a long 3 years of estrangement. Could this be about money?

It’s always about money.

During this awkward reunion where Paul hesitantly pitches a loan idea for investment into his new crypto currency company, there’s a group of guerilla thugs tracking him into the woods for obvious reasons. Robert. Seems like everyone wants to catch up with Robert.

Quickly and methodically, the eruption of gun fire sends the Michaels men into a tizzy. Well, more like Paul who can’t figure out what is going on and more importantly…why isn’t his father reacting in a panic?

Cool, calm and ever-so-collected, the quiet existence of Robert’s life is shuffled into an immediate trek to the Fortress – an extremely advanced and enormous underground bunker of old operatives and military sharp shooters who have spent several years preparing for this moment: the arrival of their villainous enemy, Balzary (Murray).

When I think “bad guy”, Chad Michael Murray doesn’t quite scream Top 10 list. However, I can officially lose a butt load of money on that bet after watching Fortress. Witty, clever, remorseless and vicious, Murray plays the well-dressed role to an incredibly convincing level. Hard to believe this is the same love-sick puppy boy from One Tree Hill. Watching him taunt the young entrepreneur Paul (nice to see Metcalfe’s return!) as they play out their knowledge in global finance transactions, Paul is still reeling from the realization of who his father really is…and it’s not the all American dad.

Jump to the fortress General Dobbs (Yay Doherty!), the twists keep coming and just speaking on my own behalf, wow! I didn’t expect THAT!

Fortress isn’t just a story about greed, murder and action. It’s a strong theme revolving on betrayal and trust. Believe me, everything is in question when the character developments unravel.

Through the bloody, brutal kills and intense fighting (check out “Sheena-like” Kelly Greyson! Toss her on a zebra, and we have a sequel!), Fortress continues the sharp-tongued Willis performance he’s known for since playing David on Moonlighting.

OVERALL: 
Although Fortress takes a moment to unwind while setting up the structure for demolishment, the unexpected surprises along the way are not only unpredictable. They are outright fun! Bressack brings the heat once again by pulling out the most talented traits within each actor. The blend is natural, and the action is continuous. I can now add Chad Michael Murray to my list of evil-genius bad asses.


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