Solar Attack
| Solar Attack | |
|---|---|
_DVD_cover.jpg) DVD cover of Solar Attack (widescreen) |
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| Genre | Disaster film |
| Directed by | Paul Ziller |
| Produced by | Tom Berry Lisa Hansen Richard Schlesinger Gordon Yang |
| Written by | Michael Konyves |
| Starring | Mark Dacascos Joanne Kelly Kevin Jubinville Louis Gossett Jr. Sugith Varughese |
| Music by | Chuck Cirino |
| Cinematography | Robert Saad Kit Whitmore |
| Country |  Canada |
| Language | English |
| Release date |  December 5, 2006 |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
Solar Attack (also called Solar Strike) is a 2005 direct-to-video film by Lions Gate Entertainment.
It concerns large coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that cause the Earth's atmosphere to burn, potentially suffocating all life on Earth. All of this happens during a time of political tension between the United States and Russia. Disaster is eventually averted by the detonation of nuclear missiles at the poles and releasing vapor that extinguish the burning methane caused by the CMEs.
The film was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
A solar probe is operated by a fictional installation, the Solar and Near Earth Laboratory (SNEL). Soon, a large CME disables the probe while it was getting data. Later, a multi-millionaire, Lucas Foster (Mark Dacascos), funds a program to fight global warming. It is discovered that the methane in the atmosphere has risen to 5% of its composition. However, a manned spaceplane, Galieo gets caught in the CME and is destroyed, and the tragedy is blamed on bad Russian equipment. However, it is later discovered that a CME caused it. Moreover, there are multiple CMEs that are bound to hit Earth, and that will ignite the methane and suffocate all life on Earth. The CMEs also knock satellites out of orbit, turning them into deadly meteors. During the movie, a CME hits New Zealand, turning it into a huge pool of molten rock.
Foster, a knowledgeable scientist, tries to convince his skeptic colleagues, who do not believe him until it is too late. Because of this, the government is not keen on believing Foster either, including fellow scientist Joanna Parks, who is his ex-wife.
While the CMEs strike, it is determined that 25-megaton nuclear missiles will be fired at the North Pole to release vapor that will extinguish the methane flares.
Fortunately, Foster personally knows a Russian submarine captain who reluctantly lets him on the ship. Foster explains that while satellite communication is cut, the sub can communicate via a transatlantic telegraph cable at 800m deep. The submarine is only designed to dive to 700m, but the captain tells his reluctant lieutenant to do so anyway. The submarine survives with minor damage. Communication commences between the captain and the Russian president.
Meanwhile, the submarine has detected an American submarine, but not wanting to be detected, the Russian sub goes into silent running. Before the missiles are launched, the uncooperative lieutenant threatens the captain at gunpoint, but Foster wrestles the gun from him and the lieutenant is detained. Just then, the Russian sub is detected by the Americans, who threaten to use force if the Russian submarine does not surrender. The captain launches the missiles anyway and the American submarine fires two torpedoes. The Russian submarine releases countermeasures that destroy the torpedoes, and the process is repeated, although the Russian submarine takes damage. The Americans realize that the Russian sub is friendly after discovering the presence of Foster.
The missiles arrive at the ice caps and the Earth is saved. At the end, Parks and Foster hug, and he makes a comment about going "down the aisle," implying that they may renew their romantic relationship and re-marry.
[edit] Cast
- Mark Dacascos as Dr. Lucas Foster
- Joanne Kelly as Dr. Joanna Parks
- Kevin Jubinville as Brad Stamp
- Sugith Varughese as Patel
- Craig Eldridge as Jim Leeburg
- Tim Post as Joe Aguilar
- Stephen McHattie as Admiral Lawrence
- Conrad Coates as Colonel Alby
- Louis Gossett Jr. as President Ryan Gordon
- Damir Andrei as Russian President Yuri Ilyushin
- Bill Lake as Captain Misha Gregorovitch
- Genādijs Dolganovs as Lt. Troiska
- Romas Stanulis as Russian Crew Member
- Ronn Sarosiak as Captain Wade
- Duane Murray as Lt. Copeland
- Jason Knight as Delta Pilot
- Bill Hall as Reporter
- Gordon Masten as Hot Dog Man
- Neil Crone as Security Guard
[edit] Factual error
- The movie claims the ozone layer blocks CMEs when it is actually the magnetosphere that block these charged, solar particles.
[edit] Origins
The film bears a number of similarities to the 1961 film: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
