Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is a complete dud. Even as straight to VOD sequels go, Fortress: Sniper’s Eye offers nothing but a short runtime and bad fights. Based on source material from actor Emile Hirsch (Into The Wild) and a screenplay by Alan Horsnail, the story is as boring as it is predictable. There is no need to go back and see the original Fortress, because 20 minutes of this movie are flashbacks from that film. Director Josh Sternfeld did what he could but it's doubtful anyone could have saved Fortress: Sniper’s Eye.
Robert (Bruce Willis) kills Balzary (Chad Michael Murray) and now his wife Sasha (Natali Ura) wants revenge. After Robert takes a bullet in the line of duty, he is hospitalized. Sasha takes this chance to reveal that Balzary never died and lets him into the base as all hell breaks loose. Balzary is after hundreds of millions of dollars he stole and only Robert’s son can access it. After torturing half the base, Balzary starts to lose control of his hostages as they are all well-trained fighters and shooters. Eventually, Robert awakens to save the day and end what he thought he already finished.
Chad Michael Murray has a wild energy about him that at times is very compelling. The One Tree Hill star is unhinged in scenes where he delivers obtuse exposition and is very physically domineering when imposing his will on others. From a performance standpoint, he is the lone talent. Every other actor in the film is firmly in the B genre. Lines of dialogue are delivered flatly and every word feels like a performance, with the script being the main impediment.
Perhaps the most surprising element of Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is the overall lack of Bruce Willis. For a movie where he is clearly the draw, his screen time is lesser than that of all of his costars. He is a huge part of the film's opening but does not have a presence again until the climax. The cast at large is very underwhelming and the film isn't Willis' best. Ultimately, Fortress: Sniper’s Eye just rambles on in a slew of clichés and bad one-liners. The most disappointing part of Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is actually the action. the audience knows what they're getting into when watching a straight-to-VOD action sequel, but, even by those standards, the film is lacking.
No one needs Fortress: Sniper’s Eye to be John Wick, but it would be nice if even the simplest action scenes had the choreography and sound design to create a believable fight. At its heart, Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is a Panic Room-style “trapped” movie. Unfortunately, no one in front of or behind the camera is doing what they can to uplift it to even the lowest bar within the genre. While the entire cast is being held hostage by Michael Murray's Balzary, two different characters escape through the ventilation ducts. Both times they leave the door wide open behind them. It’s in nonsensical and ridiculous moments like these that force one to question every part of Fortress: Sniper’s Eye.
Emilie Hirsch and Josh Sternfeld are far from a great creative duo, but the true culprit of Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is the cast. The action is dull, with punches and gunshots feeling more like slaps and BB guns being fired. Though Chad Michael Murray is engaging, it's not enough to make the viewer forgive the dozen other things that are either going wrong or are just tedious. Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is a total miss and, while it's strictly for the fans of the Fortress franchise, it's hard to imagine its base audience enjoying it.
Fortress: Sniper’s Eye is playing on-demand as of April 29. The film is 87 minutes long and is rated R for violence and language.