Fortress (2021) User Reviews (117)

Bruce Willis, being forced to act.

[IvnSoft · 2/10 · 17 December 2021]

Man oh man. This one is BAD.

Willis does not care anymore. Perhaps it wasnt enough money, he was constipated, or having a stroke.

His acting is plain. Barely moves around, and speaks without emotion, like reciting lines in a play you just dont want to appear.

Action scenes are so shaky, that you cant even figure out whats going on.

And the characters ? Wow. The worst offender, Ken, is so annoying that youll be dissapointed that he doesnt get killed.

Bruce Willis is the new Steven Seagal. Barely moves, barely acts, and we are supposed to believe he is the only one who can save them all.

I kind of like some cringeworthy movies. But this one, is just BAD. (and there is a sequel coming.. :S)

"Wachu takin bout Willis?"

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 3/10 · 17 December 2021]

Welcome fellow subscribers to our next monthly installment of "Brucey's Monthly Crappy Movies".

From our last month's installment of "Survive the Game", nothing has really changed in Fortress.

In summary, Brucey's performances keep getting worse movie after movie. Again we have his smirking monotonic lines, only louder in this one. This guy is moving backwards in time with any acting skills or ability. Stay home Brucey, please retire. He was the worst I've seen in a long time in this one. For no reason, he's angry and talking loud. None of the other actor's performances were standout, and comparing even the many no-name actors, they were more convincing than Brucey.

The stories premise was interesting by newb writer (only 2nd writing credit) Alan Horsnail, (who also wrote "Midnight in the Switchgrass", of which I actually really enjoyed), but the screenplay was riddled with holes and some of the dialogue was cringeworthy. Some of the garbage that came out of Brucey's mouth will have you say "huh?" or my heading. Any attempts at humor were also cringe.

But were I once again was surprised, is that this horribly directed mess was from a seasoned director, James Cullen Bressack, who seems to direct most of Brucey's flops. Again in this mess, he gives us choppy blurred action sequences and horrible camera work. Did he even direct his cast? A 5th grader could've directed better. There is absolutely no excuse from anyone that has 43 directorial credits giving us this garbage over and over again. It's seems Bressack learns nothing from all his previous flops. Maybe take a break and go to film school? Funny as well, I saw Emile Hirsch and Randall Emmett's names in the closing credits as writers, but nowhere to be seen on this site. I'm guessing they deleted their names out of embarrassment.

The cinematography was decent, and the score was typical B-grade cheese. The pacing was very slow, that even at 99 mins, it felt much longer. There was just too much filler and very little substance. It's a very generous 3/10, mainly all going to Kelly Greyson, who's smokeshow bod woke me up every time she appeared on screen when I was dozing off from boredom.

What a shame for a fallen star

[iliasalk · 2/10 · 17 December 2021]

Bruce Willis and his recent films became the trade mark of cheep trash filmography. I stopped watching this after 20 minutes. The man must have serious financial problems, participating over and over in cheep and bad films. Not even for free this one. What a shame.

Sad....

[RhyZe-UK · 1/10 · 17 December 2021]

It's genuinely sad to see an Actor who once helmed some of the best films in the 80's and 90's, become such pathetic mess. He clearly has no care for his own reputation anymore.

I feel bad for the other actor's and crew, who try to put in their best effort and still believe they will get further in the industry by including such a lazy, money grabbing and egotistical 'famous' face on the cover of the film they are in.

It is no secret Willis has entered into the phase of his career doing 1 day's work with most minimum amount of screentime and actual work for directors that only get him into the film just so it marginally stands out by making seem like the film's true lead, to recieve slight profit and break even and he get's his 1 million, and the director can churn out the next one. A win-win for them both, however staining every single other crew member in the process, forcing them to be in the same cycle he is.

He has lost faith with nearly every friend he had in the industry, delivers lines like he is a wooden board and hasn't got even ounce of pride in his work whatsoever. He truly is the worst of them and needs to find another career path.

Problem is, every Director he has ever worked with (bar M. Night Shyamalan who gave him another shot in 'Glass') due to his conduct and ego making him be difficult to work with, made them enemies and apart from his current low budget buddies that are in it to milk his name for all it's worth until he becomes one of the world's worst fall from grace stories in hollywood, there is nothing to redeem him now in the eye's of anyone who can have faith in him to lead a blockbuster ever again. It's obvious he can't be bothered anymore to truly put anything into his work except the bare minimum and just want's his cool million to continue his cushy lifestyle with 0% effort, until the next day of 'work', repeating the cycle over and over. 7 Films in 2021 is all you need to know...

This isn't Cinema.

This is a sad, pathetic and tired old hustle.

0/10.

You too can be in a movie with Bruce Willis for $3.99

[mluinstra · 1/10 · 19 December 2021]

Another crap movie with Willis. Apparently he will do anything for a paycheck these days. It's sad to see an A-list actor end his career like this. If you wish to be in a movie with Bruce Willis just send him $3.99. No need for a script as he doesn't use them anymore.

Is there a way to give something a negative review?

[sanjsrik · 1/10 · 22 December 2021]

This. Crap. Should. Be. Burned.

There is NOTHING to recommend this movie. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE IN THIS MOVIE? Was this meant as a joke? I mean, think of anything bad you've ever seen, then put Bruce Willis in it and there you go. CRAP with Bruce Willis.

I am guessing he's paying for Demi's toyboy and really needs the money. That HAS to be the only explanation he made this movie. Maybe he lost a bet that he couldn't make a worse movie then the worst one ever made and decided, after reading the "script" (you have to wonder if there was a script for this or did the "actors" just say whatever came to mind?) that he could make the worst movie ever made and still walk away with a paycheck?

DO. NOT. WATCH. THIS. GARBAGE.

Instead of Killing Time... It kills Brain Cells

[zorroaca · 1/10 · 18 December 2021]

My question is... is Bruce in a contract he wants out of and just won't act or does he have Cognitive impairment. And anymore he is never in a film with another star. Does he need the money.

OMG what a turd

[brett-76260 · 1/10 · 8 January 2022]

This movie was so bad I don't even know where to start... the over acting, the terrible one liners, the dialogue, the script, Bruce's froggy voice, it all sucks. I have no idea why this movie was ever made and no question, its not even worth a few minutes of your time. I love a good "cheesy" flick once in a while but crikey this was bad. Put it this way Hudson Hawk is better than this thing... It's like the cast was trying to make a bad movie or something... Its so bad even Nicolas Cage and John travolta passed it up... I don't know what else to say other than this flick is nothing more than another warm moist turd... Flush.

Another nail in the coffin of Willis's career

[carlos-pires · 1/10 · 18 December 2021]

Barely watchable Z-grade action movie, with terrible acting, terrible editing, terrible direction, terrible everything. From the bad costumes to the bad botox on every actress.

Silly plot, terrible script, very long run time.

Everything about this is bad with the notable exception of the "Sargent Blain" character.

Anyway, do yourself a favour and skip this. Unless you wanna see yet another episode in the saga "How Bruce Willis Became the New Steven Seagal", 'cause that's what this is becoming, after so many crappy movies this guy puts his face and name on...

Willis will take any script at this point

[iamjamalwhite · 3/10 · 29 December 2021]

The girl was hot, that's all I got. Actually, the production values were good, great camera work BUT so boring. A paint by numbers and Willis is terrible. He looks bored. He reads his lines stone face. There are scenes (like the one with his son) where they aren't in the same frame the whole time, like they filmed the scene separately and put it together later. They leave it open to a sequel, please no. When 90210 stars are your leads with Bruce "any script" Willis, you know it is going to be a short ride to nowhere.

Better skip this one...

[imseeg · 2 January 2022]

Bruce Willis is still a great actor, but there is only so much a great actor can do to save an inferior movie. Imdb rating of 3.2, that'll predict not the highest quality possible, to put it politely. Especially the supporting actors are way below average. The special effects tend to look somewhat cheap as well. Lack of suspense is another topic...

BUT...

At an (excrucially) important sidenote, let us not forget WHY we are watching Bruce Willis movies to begin with. We watch Bruce Willis movies because of DIE HARD (1988). THE ONE AND ONLY BIGGEST ACTION AMERICAN ACTION CLASSIC OF THE CENTURY.

This classic is still standing strong after more than 30 years. Millions of people still REwatch it during every Christmas holiday. Recently a petition was launched to rename Nakatomi Plaza into DIE HARD plaza.

A life time achievement award for Bruce Willis is in the making.

DIE HARD (1988) NEVER DIES but is still ALIVE AND KICKING IN 2022. Happy New Year!

Amazing movie for its budget.

[yuankun99 · 10/10 · 24 December 2021]

The story is great and so are the acting of everyone involved. I realize that this is a low budget movie, so I have to rate based on what little money they had to make this movie and not try to compare with a blockbuster movie. So, for what it is, this movie is excellent and I loved the acting of every actor in it. It' is worth to watch.

So much cruelty here in these reviews.

[stacylduke · 6/10 · 11 December 2023]

I've always been a Bruce Willis fan. It had already been publicly reported about Bruce Willis struggling with a RARE BRAIN DISEASE by the time this film released. I commend the man who continued to FIGHT for normalcy in his life & work. The whole world saw with each new films release that his acting & ability to remember the script was declining rapidly. Rather than bash his sub par performance, I am reminded that here is person diagnosed with a deadly rare illness, yet he didn't throw up his hands & just quit living like a lot of people do. I commend his courage. He continued to work in a career he loved up until the time it was no longer possible. The latest home video his family released, Bruce can hardly form words & looked very frail, yet he was still smiling (& LIVING) with all his family by his side. THANK YOU, Mr WILLIS for entertaining us for so many years!! God Bless.

If only...

[nevermind_87 · 1/10 · 18 December 2021]

... Bruce Willis earned a hair strand for every cr*ppy movie he starred in, he would have a hair style Jimi Hendrix would be envious of.

... Bruce Willis, spare us please! Let us live with your Die Hard and other fond memories!

The info page for this says "Bruce filmed all of his scenes in 1 afternoon."

[Xavier_Stone · 1/10 · 23 December 2021]

That should tell you his level of commitment to his craft.

Hopefully with all his latest bombs his star has dimmed and his film salary will drop more. Although I don't know that this is an issue for Bruce. It seems like he enjoys getting a $50k cheque for one day's worth of work and tarnishing his image.

My only wish is that he never is in a blockbuster film again, as he will surely ruin it for the rest of his cast. This dude is toxic.

Even Nicholas Cage having a comeback, of sorts

[beatdownhxc · 1/10 · 17 December 2021]

Have not watched, and only commenting because of his last fiasco, who's name escapes me, right now, where he is hunted in the woods by those rich dolts, and he just wanders around in the woods eating blackberries. Even Wes Anderson won't touch him anymore, i.e. Willis isn't in French Dispatch.

There is bad, and then there is this...

[soundstream1111 · 1/10 · 18 December 2021]

Another old action hero going down the drain. Just like Nicholas Cage, now Bruce Willis seems to appear only in cheap and unoriginal B-movies. His acting has always been woody and fitted the hard boiled action hero stereotype. For that reason, I'm not even able to judge his performance here. He just follows the same pattern, although with less energy and conviction. Maybe he feels stuck in a rut and doesn't know how to get out of it at this point in his "career"? Maybe he has gambling debts with the mafia he's desperate to settle? A costly divorce? Why anyone would want to work (I can't say 'act') in this sort of train wreck film is beyond me.

The female co-star Kelly Greyson...I don't know her....is this her first movie? It certainly seems so from the way she acts. Cringeworthy at best.

There are just too many bad things to say about this and I've wasted enough time already talking about it.

So, unless you have masochistic tendencies, keep your mental sanity and avoid this garbage.

Is that a silencer?

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 28 January 2022]

Robert Michaels (Bruce Willis) lives in a remote retreat (namaste). His son Paul manages to locate him and has a need for money. Paul was followed there in what involves a shoot out as the bad guys seek out Robert, plot spoiler, former CIA agent.

This is a typical action film. The plot is predictable with no twists. Two more sequels are in the mix. Don't expect much, just enjoy it for what it is: an introduction of characters.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Why Bruce Willis making these bombs?

[loozzotys · 1/10 · 22 December 2021]

Really bad.

Worse than I expected. Bad action, bad script, comical dialogue, bad cinematography just all lame and bad and boring If I could give it a zero star I would. Waste of time really.

Another worst action film by Bruce Willis! Full of boring conversation, and abysmal action scene! Avoid at all cost!

[kwenchow · 1/10 · 18 December 2021]

This film start with man "Robert" practicing his shooting skill, and another man "Paul" watching video in the car scene! As turnout, this film is about a father, and son(Robert, and Paul) need to survive from the killing of a villain "Balzary", who targeting the code possess by Robert! Entire film full of boring conversation, and annoying overuse scene! Such as, overuse of the walking scene, overuse of the searching scene, overuse of the staring scene, overuse of the arguing scene, overuse of the calling names scene, overuse of the blackout scene, overuse of the surveillance video footage scene, overuse of the watching photo scene, overuse of the talking with the walkie-talkie scene, overuse of the driving scene, and overuse of the holding gun scene! Make the film unwatchable! All the action scene have blood, and explosion at certain point, but overall portray by sideways, and occur in too short of time! Make the film frustrated to watch! At the end, Balzary still survive after kill by Robert! That's it! Wasting time to watch!

Poor by even Willis latest movies standards

[mcummings-89092 · 2/10 · 13 May 2022]

For those of you who don't know Hollywood A List actor Bruce Willis randomly made a bunch of low budget straight to Streaming platform movies post pandemic in 2021 then announced his retirement in early 2022. Clearly this was a quick money grab because these films are in the main very poor with a few just about watchable. Although this isn't the worst of them it's still really poor. Why? The plot is bizarre, Willis a retired CIA agent is living in a remote retirement home in what appears to be a tropical island (it was filmed in Puerto Rico), This retirement home is monitored by armed guards and top security personnel yet living quarters appear basic with residents seemingly working on their gardens and living a quiet life - everyone appears to be American too. Willis estranged son who he has not seen for over a decade has tracked him down and comes to visit to ask for money to set up his own crypto currency. This is when things get interesting as a group of mercenaries (led by Willis old CIA adversary Jesse metcalfe) turn up and cause havoc. This is the cue for Willis to whip out his guns in an embarrassingly core-graphed sequence before hiding out in the retirement home bunker known as the fortress as the baddies seek to steel money. That's really the plot, everything in between is poorly scripted and acted.

I only watched this as I thought it was Willis final movie but it was a real chore. Oddly they are making a sequel - unsure if Willis will be in it given his retirement. All I can say is Amazon Prime must be desperate as this movie stinks.

A true movie

[sydmwswy · 9/10 · 7 July 2022]

Only someone who knows nature and cinema by nature can make such a film. If our measure for goodness or badness of a movie is cinema, this is a good film. The other things are details.

The Septuplets have landed

[theknownames · 25 February 2022]

Bruce is active, having fun and keeps working -acting is a skill. Audiences are unpredictable. It's hard work and hard work to find . He was in seven of these movies in 2021 and I am here for it ! I can see his name and expect big budget big directors, excellence , but these seem almost like a new kind of genre all together. I like to think these were fun projects for him , hit or miss may not be the point , no one's paying $20 to see this ... have they ?! Lol I appreciate the risk taking ,the surprises, cameos and resurrected actors as well. Bruce my baby , Rock On.

Not as bad as the critics say! Must be an action Bruce Willis fan to appreciate this movie!

[Harry_Wild · 6/10 · 26 June 2022]

Big mistake in direction is the numerous times Kate could obtain guns but they pass on it and choose to be unarmed when being chased by heavy armed pursuers. Also, mistake is the villains are dress in all black in a green forest. Communication works for the villain side but not the good guys side! The U. S. military, CIA nor law enforcement has no rescue efforts, plans either. They are all alone in the U. S. with a brigadier general in charge! I guess the general is shunned from everyone? The security guards are carrying barebone AKs and handguns while the villians are armed M4 carbines, high tech sniper rifles that are spec out.

Going to be 2 more of these.

[allboyzokfarm · 2/10 · 30 December 2021]

Going to be 2 more of these

Fortress Fortress 2 Fortress 3.

Bruce works 2 more days on 2 more movies. Could he pick better scripts ?!?!

Not sure how they blew that thick door.