[ARC5] Movie Review: "FORTRESS" (2012)

[David Stinson]

Fortress (2012)
Director: Mike Phillips
Writer: Adam Klein
Stars: Bug Hall, Donnie Jeffcoat and Sean McGowan


Recently rented the small-budget movie "FORTRESS," 
about the B-17E and -17F crews that flew out of North Africa 
to support the action in Italy during WWII.  
This is a "small studio, small budget" film that relies heavily 
on CGA aircraft action scenes.   A couple of hundred B-17s
for those scenes might have been difficult to find.

IMHO, these folks did a great job with the resources
they had and did their best to present a respectful and 
authentic tribute to the men and aircraft of  the USAAF of 1943.

Concerning the CGI- there've been complaints about this,
saying it's "video game like."  Well- it is.  But people have
been terribly spoiled by 100-million dollar special effects.
One of the things we agree to do when we read (or watch) 
a fiction piece is "suspend our disbelief."  Don't look for 
reasons to pick things apart- if you do, you'll find plenty.
Get into the story and learn something.

There are plenty of "howlers" in the movie and
"gotcha" moments- especially when a pair of P-40
Warhawks take-on SIX ME-109s and WIN...
One Warhawk defeats a 109 by out-climbing him,
which is pure fantasy.   109s shooting from the nose
guns- a brief glimps of the 274-N set with no antennas,
opening scene where the 274N shelf hasn't been finished,
etc. etc.  Forgive the film makers for these brief missteps;
that anyone would attempt to make a "tribute" movie
like this today is wonder enough.  

There is some strong language.  But unlike the 
gratuitous slime-ing of vile filth every other word
that is typical of  Hollywood's spew these days,
the strong language is no more or less than you would 
have expected to hear had you been with these crews.
There is also a lot of drinking and rationalization about it.
That might be distasteful, but it's authentic.

Take an evening and go rent it.  They have it at RedBox.
I think you'll like it.   Here's the YouTube trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRjhgTqOuU4