Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Ricardo Daly The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

merklekranz It would be very easy to pick "Fortress" apart by challenging everything that is not dripping with logic. If you do that however, you will be distracted from a highly entertaining movie. The film is atypical, and difficult to classify. Part kidnapping gone wrong, part hunted in the wild, part revenge flick, "Fortress" is the sum of all these. Rachel Ward bravely adapts to the situation and rallies the children in their quest to survive. Featuring not one, but two separate caves, an escape swim through an underground stream, along with some savage retributions against the masked tormentors, "Fortress" delivers enough entertainment that the plot holes are best forgiven. - MERK

dst-thomas This is a really enjoyable film within its genre. Rachel Ward delights as a complex and heroic character, with an adequate supporting cast of kids. Ms. Ward plays Sally Jones, a (very) rural schoolmarm whose class is abruptly abducted by a few degenerate crazies who hope to ransom the entire class to the government for a huge payoff (based on true events). Her character development throughout this suspenseful and terrifying film is wonderful. Various remarks have criticized the film for reasons such as "Sally removing her bra to swim underwater makes no sense." Or, "Why does she need to pull off her bra to swim the first time, and not the second time?" And that's what I like about the film. There's more than enough meat in the end product to give you plenty to chew on. Let me explain a bit, using these scenes as an example. When the group is first locked into the cave by the kidnappers, Sally goes off to find a way out. This she does - an underwater stream. She takes the oldest boy with her, and strips to her underwear to make the exploratory swim to find a passage out of the cave. There is more than enough energy exchange between Sally and the boy as she undresses to give us a good story. It's obviously complex, and there are all sorts of factors at play. Her age, his respective age, their respective student/teacher roles. She may be drawing power from the experience of dominating him energetically. This is power she will need for the rest of the saga. She may be trying to garner his undying allegiance - she will need this from every member of the group. My point is that in the exchange of expressions between the boy and the woman, and the body language of both - there's plenty of juice to supply a good story. Once again, when the group is getting ready to make the swim to escape, Sally is about to pull off her bra (topless swimming is not considered odd in Australia) until she sees the discomfort/anxiety of the oldest and most sexually developed girl (played by Rebecca Rigg/Riggs). As braless Narelle is about to pull off her top in response to Sally's lead, we assume Sally sees the anxiety on Narelle's face and decides to leave her own bra on to spare Narelle the experience of having to strip in public - something Narelle obviously sees as terrifying. This is a good call, because if any of the kids are close to freaking out it is obviously (to Sally) Narelle. Or, Sally sees that Narelle has some goodies of her own and decides she doesn't want the competition. I think there's that much potential complexity portrayed in the film at a number of turns in the story, and it is why I think this film stands out in spite of a low budget and a thin script. Mostly due to the acting and the editing that allows that acting to come forward, I give it three strong, solid stars and recommend it if you like the idea: a framework of terror and brutality surrounding a group of kids and their teacher who discover the inner primitive savageness that is, in the end, their only possible savior.

BA_Harrison Kidnappers bite off more than they can chew when they abduct a teacher and her class from a remote school in the Outback. Escaping from the cave in which they are held hostage, Sally Jones (Rachel Ward ) and her pupils must fight for survival against their captors.This surprisingly well made film, based on a true story, is an exciting, gritty and disturbing tale which shows how the the human instinct for survival can turn even the most innocent of people into savage killers. Sally and her class, pushed to the limits, revert to an animalistic state which, by the end of the film, sees them wildly stabbing and tearing at their attackers in a frenzy of blood-lust.Director Arch Nicholson develops the story well, at first having the children bickering with each other, but eventually seeing them teaming together to beat a common foe. There is plenty of tense action and a few surprisingly gruesome moments, and the talented young cast give some great convincing performances.As made for TV fare goes, this one is well worth a viewing.

lost-in-limbo During an ordinary day at school, suddenly four men in novelty masks kidnap and hold ransom a schoolteacher Sally Jones and her nine students. At every opportunity they get they take the chance to escape, but are always thwarted. So, when they finally escape, instead of running they decide to take a stand against their captors.Well, this is kinda disturbing for a TV movie, but I knew what I was getting myself into as read the novel by Gabrielle Lord when I was at school. I didn't really know that there was a movie adapted from this tale that's loosely based on a true story until recently. So, I snapped it up when I came across a VHS copy and was looking forward to it, as I really enjoyed the book. While, I might prefer the novel as there's quite a lot depth surrounding the brutally, harrowing situation and characters are definitely more fleshed out, especially the kidnappers and we really get into their heads. But saying that, this Australian TV movie is efficiently solid and packs a sting in its observation of the unsettling change in the children and their teacher when they come face to face on even ground with their captors. How they rejoice in their actions is quite unsettling and the shocking conclusion is a bone-rattler. I've read there's two versions of the film's conclusion you can get, with one being little more effectively sinister than the other.Don't be expecting a whole lot of narrative and even a composed structure lingering off the story (if you want that read the book), as it's simply plotted to give you a rush and rally up the suspense in its visually potent set pieces. Missing out deeply, are extensive back-stories of these characters and so they become rather two-dimensional. At times it can get rather mechanical, but these moments are sprightly jacked up with brash surprises. It's sure-footed direction by Arch Nicholson, adds a sense of realism about it and depicts the situation like pulling a drawstring real tight. He makes great use of the beautifully alienating landscapes to fit in with the context of the film. When the innocence on the surface can take a sudden turn into harshness. A agonizingly eerie music score does touch a nerve and fluidly earthy camera-work paints a rough edge that only enhances the desperateness.The evocative screenplay by the well renown Everett De Roche (Long Weekend, Patrick, Razorback and Harlequin) really does explore the nature of survival and the close bonds that occur from it. Despite their niggles, they learn how valuable each one are to another. While, the focus on the villains might lose out and their motives are never really explored. Even that of the towns' folk and their worries aren't even touched on, but this gives it a claustrophobic feel as it mainly centres on the children and the teacher. As if it's pointing out that they're the only ones who can get themselves out of this ordeal and that savage intent is the only way they'll make it out. Somehow this nerve-wrecking, grim concept does capture the strong emotional impact that is bubbling within and it doesn't take long for all of this to transform. There's some plot holes, but its far from damaging.The performances by all are immensely raw, but do pack a lot ticker. This goes for the villains who were real jittery, as if they had too much coffee. But then again this was to prove how amateurish they were in putting together this kidnapping. The Santa Clause, Pussy Cat, Dabby Duck and Mac the Mouse masks they wore, were downright chilling in appearance. Peter Hehir stood out as the smutty, plotting and hot-headed leader Father Christmas and Rachael Ward provides strong conviction in her extremely gritty turn, as Sally. The kids were so-so, but competently believable in their deliveries, since it's mostly played out through their point of view.Not bad at all. Don't pass this one by if given the chance. Recommended.