Solar Attack

Solar Attack

Year: 2006

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Paul Ziller

ActionThriller

Prepare for the apocalypse as the sun erupts with increasingly violent plasma bursts that could ignite the methane-rich atmosphere. As the threat looms, global tensions flare and governments brace for crisis, while a team of scientists scrambles to devise a last‑ditch solution to prevent a worldwide natural catastrophe.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Solar Attack yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Solar Attack (2006) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Solar Attack (2006), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

When a Solar and Near Earth Laboratory (SNEL) solar probe is deployed to gather data, a massive CME erupts, obliterating the probe and taking down the crewed spacecraft Galileo. The disaster is quickly blamed on defective Russian equipment, a spark that sets off a broader chain of crises as CMEs shove satellites out of their orbits and transform them into dangerous flying debris. One such flare even reaches New Zealand, reducing the country to a vast, molten landscape.

Lucas Foster [Mark Dacascos], a bold multi-millionaire who funds a program to fight global warming, discovers that Earth’s atmosphere has become alarmingly methane-rich—about 5 percent. He fervently warns his colleagues, but many remain skeptical, and even his ex-wife Joanna Parks [Joanne Kelly] doubts his claims. The tension between caution and urgency flickers as the planet teeters on the edge of a climate-driven catastrophe. Foster remains convinced that time is running out and that drastic action is necessary.

As the CMEs intensify, experts determine a radical plan: fire 25-megaton nuclear missiles at the North Pole to release vapor that could extinguish the methane flares. The fate of humanity appears to hinge on this gamble, and Foster sees a narrow path forward even as others doubt the feasibility and the risks. To carry out the mission, he reaches out to a Russian Navy submarine captain, who reluctantly agrees to assist. With communications severed by the disaster, the submarine can still coordinate using a transatlantic telegraph cable located at a depth of 800 meters, a route that keeps the plan alive even as surface systems fail.

The submarine’s captain and his crew push forward, diving to 800 meters as commanded, enduring some damage but staying intact enough to carry the mission. Meanwhile, back on land, the chain of command cooperates across borders: a conversation between the submarine’s leadership and the Russian President Yuri Ilyushin [Damir Andrei] confirms permission to proceed. The information reverberates to the highest levels of power in the United States, with the U.S. President Ryan Gordon [Louis Gossett Jr.] briefed and aligned with the extraordinary plan. The tension between nations grows as they navigate a crisis that could redefine global security.

A tense mid-ocean encounter erupts when the Russian submarine detects an American submarine nearby. A sudden, high-stakes confrontation unfolds as a lieutenant threatens the captain at gunpoint, only for Foster to intervene and wrest control of the weapon. The collision of identities—two nations in crisis, a mission of last resort, and one man’s stubborn insistence on perseverance—peels back the layers of geopolitical brinkmanship. The American sub retaliates with four torpedoes, while the Russians unleash countermeasures that blunt the attack and inflict damage on their own vessel. In the fog of war and with time running out, Foster manages to reach the American sub via short-wave radio and negotiates a fragile stand-down in exchange for the Russians’ surrender, describing the surrender as a mere formality.

In the end, the missiles reach their target and the plan succeeds—the methane threat is neutralized, and the Earth is spared from an atmosphere-wide suffocation scenario. Foster is brought back to the United States aboard an American naval vessel, where he is warmly reunited with Joanna Parks and his longtime friend Jim Leeburg [Craig Eldridge]. The close-knit circle of collaborators and survivors reflects the movie’s core message: even in the face of planetary crisis, human collaboration, courage, and perseverance can steer humanity away from disaster.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:45

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Global disaster thrillers like Solar Attack

Rapid-fire thrillers where humanity races the clock to prevent planetary doom.If you enjoyed the urgent, world-saving mission of Solar Attack, you'll find more movies like it here. This collection features similar high-stakes science fiction thrillers where teams race against time to avert a global cataclysm, blending scientific problem-solving with tense geopolitical drama.

race against timehigh-stakessuspensefulcollaborativeurgenttenseapocalyptic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves the sudden emergence of a global threat, leading to a series of escalating crises. The story follows a team of experts as they devise a complex, high-risk solution, often facing political obstacles and a literal countdown to catastrophe, culminating in a tense, large-scale intervention.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a specific, propulsive plot structure centered on a planetary emergency. They combine high intensity, fast pacing, and a tense tone driven by the urgency of the countdown scenario, delivering a consistent experience of collaborative crisis management on a global scale.

Procedural crisis movies similar to Solar Attack

Stories where solving a complex technical problem is the key to survival.For viewers who liked the scientific problem-solving aspect of Solar Attack, this list features movies with a similar procedural focus. These stories pit intelligence and resourcefulness against overwhelming odds, offering a satisfying blend of tactical suspense and intellectual triumph in the face of disaster.

proceduralproblem-solvingsuspensefulstrategictechnicaltensehigh-pressure

Narrative Summary

The narrative journey is less about personal drama and more about the mechanics of solving a crisis. The plot unfolds like a high-pressure puzzle, moving from initial discovery and analysis to planning and execution, with setbacks and breakthroughs driving the tension towards a climactic, often technological, resolution.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their focus on a procedural narrative. They prioritize the intellectual and logistical challenges of crisis response over deep character arcs, creating a specific kind of suspense rooted in problem-solving under a deadline. The emotional weight is typically medium, with the primary investment being in the success of the mission.

Unlock the Full Story of Solar Attack

Don't stop at just watching — explore Solar Attack in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Solar Attack is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Solar Attack Timeline

Track the full timeline of Solar Attack with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Solar Attack Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Solar Attack

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Solar Attack. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Solar Attack

Solar Attack Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Solar Attack that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Solar Attack Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Solar Attack

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Solar Attack: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Solar Attack

Similar Movies to Solar Attack

Discover movies like Solar Attack that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.