Solar Attack
Encyclopedia
Solar Attack is a 2005 direct-to-video film by Lions Gate Entertainment
.
It concerns large coronal mass ejection
s (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
.
), 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.
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
.
It concerns large coronal mass ejection
Coronal mass ejection
A coronal mass ejection is a massive burst of solar wind, other light isotope plasma, and magnetic fields rising above the solar corona or being released into space....
s (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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. 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
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
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 DacascosMark Dacascos
Mark Alan Dacascos is an American actor and martial artist. He won numerous karate and various styles of kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18....
), 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
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
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
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
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
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
at 800m deep. The submarine is only designed to dive to 700m, but the captain tells his reluctant lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
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.
Cast
- Mark DacascosMark DacascosMark Alan Dacascos is an American actor and martial artist. He won numerous karate and various styles of kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18....
as Dr. Lucas Foster - Joanne KellyJoanne KellyJoanne Kelly is a Canadian actress, known for her appearances in films such as Going the Distance and in TV series such as Warehouse 13, in which she plays Secret Service agent Myka Bering.- Career :...
as Dr. Joanna Parks - Kevin Jubinville as Brad Stamp
- Sugith VarugheseSugith VarugheseSugith Varughese is an Indian-born Canadian writer, director and actor.Born in Cochin, Kerala, into a Syrian Christian family , he immigrated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as a child when his neurosurgeon father obtained a professional appointment there...
as Patel - Craig Eldridge as Jim Leeburg
- Tim Post as Joe Aguilar
- Stephen McHattieStephen McHattieStephen McHattie is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:McHattie was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia....
as Admiral Lawrence - Conrad CoatesConrad CoatesConrad Coates is a Canadian actor. He has primarily been cast as bit parts, but has carried supporting character roles in several television series, including Dresden Files, Kyle XY, The Zack Files, Le Femme Nikita, and These Arms of Mine. He appeared in Degrassi: The Next Generation as Jimmy...
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 CroneNeil CroneNeil Crone is a Canadian voice actor and comedian who does the voices of Gordon the Big Engine, Splatter and Diesel 10 from the film Thomas and the Magic Railroad. He does Phillip the Concierge in the My Secret Identity episode "Sour Grapes"...
as Security Guard
Factual errors
- The movie claims the ozoneOzoneOzone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
layer blocks CMEs when it is actually the magnetosphereMagnetosphereA magnetosphere is formed when a stream of charged particles, such as the solar wind, interacts with and is deflected by the intrinsic magnetic field of a planet or similar body. Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere, as are the other planets with intrinsic magnetic fields: Mercury, Jupiter,...
that block these charged, solar particles.