Solar Attack

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Solar Attack
DVD cover of Solar Attack (widescreen)
Directed by	Paul Ziller
Written by	Michael Konyves
Starring	Mark Dacascos
Release date(s)	2005
Running time	91 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	English
IMDb profile

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]

1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Factual errors
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[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 probe 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.

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 Lucas either, including fellow scientist Joanna Parks, who appears to develop an interest in him.

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, Lucas personally knows a Russian submarine captain who reluctantly lets him on the ship. Lucas explains that while satellite communication is cut, the sub can communicate via a transatlantic telegraph cable at 800 m deep. The submarine is only designed to dive to 700 m, 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, Joanna and Lucas hug, and Foster makes a comment about going "down the aisle," implying that they may begin a romantic relationship and eventually 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
Genadijs 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 errors

Nuclear weapons are not powerful enough to send such vapor clouds into the upper atmosphere.
Real satellites would most likely burn up in the atmosphere instead of hitting the Earth.
CMEs are gas, and cannot knock satellites out of orbit. The only thing that can do that is the swelling of the earth's atmosphere.
The movie claims the ozone layer blocks CMEs when it is actually the magnetosphere that block these charged, solar particles.