''Polar Storm'' (also known as ''Pole Reversal'') is a 2009 American-Canadian

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

disaster A disaster is a serious problem occurring over a short or long period of time that causes widespread human, material, economic or environmental loss which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

that is directed by Paul Ziller and was aired on

Sci-Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...

on March 28, 2009. The film focuses on the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

suffering a reversal of

polarity Polarity may refer to: Science *Electrical polarity, direction of electrical current *Polarity (mutual inductance), the relationship between components such as transformer windings * Polarity (projective geometry), in mathematics, a duality of ord ...

, caused by the impact of the

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ar ...

's fragment in

Northern Alaska Arctic Alaska or Far North Alaska is a region of the U.S. state of Alaska generally referring to the northern areas on or close to the Arctic Ocean. It commonly includes North Slope Borough, Northwest Arctic Borough, Nome Census Area, and is ...

that sets off its cataclysmic, electromagnetic polar reversal storm.

Plot

In a dark television news studio,

news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

Lou Vanetti broadcasts as Earth approaches the final hours leading to

Earth's magnetic field Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is the magnetic field that extends from Earth's interior out into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun. The magnetic f ...

disappearing. Cynthia and her stepson Shane pass through a deserted Lindenville,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

during the electromagnetic storm, only for the former to be "swallowed" into the ground after an

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

. One week earlier, Lou discusses the comet Copernicus' path with Doctor James Mayfield, an

astrologist Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...

and astrophysicist from the Storm Hazards Department (SHD). A piece of Copernicus splits off on a

collision course {{wiktionary A collision course, also known as a ''kamikaze run'', is the deliberate maneuver by the operator of a moving object (or often in Sci-Fi a spaceship) to collide with another object. It is a desperate maneuver since it often damages ...

for Earth. James' colleague Pam tries to warn James and his colleague Peter in North Alaska that the fragment will land not far from them, but interference cuts her off. The comet's fragment hits

, generating the

shock wave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a med ...

blast bringing severe damage to Canada, Alaska, and the Russian Far East. Peter is among the quarter-million dead, while James Mayfield survives because he took cover in an avalanche bunker. He returns home to Lindenville and is displeased by the President's speech because of his

near-death experience A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death which researchers claim share similar characteristics. When positive, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations including detac ...

. While at home, their

television set A television set or television receiver, more commonly called the television, TV, TV set, telly, tele, or tube, is a device that combines a tuner, display, and loudspeakers, for the purpose of viewing and hearing television broadcasts, or using ...

suddenly emits

static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...

, followed by an unknown

tremor A tremor is an involuntary, somewhat rhythmic, muscle contraction and relaxation involving oscillations or twitching movements of one or more body parts. It is the most common of all involuntary movements and can affect the hands, arms, eyes, fa ...

. Recognizing the Earth's tremor preceded by the EM disturbance, he tries to log into SHD to review the data Peter uploaded during the comet's impact. His access is blocked, its data classified by the administration, following the

gag order A gag order (also known as a gagging order or suppression order) is an order, typically a legal order by a court or government, restricting information or comment from being made public or passed onto any unauthorized third party. The phrase may ...

of the whole department. He continues regardless as he becomes more suspicious when the sun unexpectedly sets at

Eagle Peak Eagle Peak is the name of 44 mountain peaks of the United States including: *Eagle Peak (Alaska) * Eagle Peak (Admiralty Island), in Alaska * Eagle Peak (Washington), a summit in Mount Rainier National Park *Eagle Peak (Mariposa County, California), ...

. James' son, Shane, meets Zoe and Kevin at the park, where the latter challenges Shane in

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...

to settle a dispute over who repays the damage to a telescope they broke during a fight earlier that night. As they prepare for a drag race, an electromagnetic interference suddenly occurs, followed by an earthquake that swallows Kevin and his car. Shane and Zoe make a run from the park. At the same time, James explains in an interview with Vanetti about the misalignment of the Earth's axis due to a sudden axis tilt following the cataclysmic events in Alaska. James' findings have received enormous attention. As a result of violating the gag order and U.S. government-imposed censorship, he was being called by his father, General Mayfield, to report to the Gilboy Air Base. James tries to warn the President and Doctor Elman of the consequences of the Earth's axis shft, but they dismissed him and his findings. Later, a 40

Khz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...

electromagnetic pulse tears through Lindenville and the world, resulting in a blackout knocking out communications and killing anyone inside buildings, cars, and while using electronics. The President declares

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

throughout the United States and orders all civilians to evacuate to

emergency shelter An emergency shelter is a place for people to live temporarily when they cannot live in their previous residence, similar to homeless shelters. The main difference is that an emergency shelter typically specializes in people fleeing a specific ...

s. James instructs his family to leave Lindenville and head to Little Brook, a town 40 miles away. While on the road, members of the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

force Cynthia and Shane to turn back and take shelter in a parish. Returning to Lindenville, they find their road blocked. An EMP shock wave and an earthquake force Shane and Cynthia to run on foot, narrowly surviving the tremor after the crevice nearly swallows Cynthia before making their way to the Lindenville Parish. She tries to persuade the people inside and the General in charge to evacuate, but they refuse. Only Michael and Zoe leave the Lindenville Parish with Cynthia and Shane before the electromagnetic shockwave fries everyone inside. While heading for Little Brook, Michael dies of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

after the EMP wave disabled his

pacemaker An artificial cardiac pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the natural cardiac pacemaker) or pacemaker is a medical device that generates electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to the chambers of the heart eith ...

and after a looter's death by electrocution by the shockwave as he tried to steal Michael's SUV. Despite the vehicle being fried, Shane turns it back on by using the EMP wave to ignite the

spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

s and start the engine. At the same time, James and General Mayfield, along with the Russian Navy Captain Yulenkov and his

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

crew, dive and head towards the

Mariana Trench The Mariana Trench is an oceanic trench located in the western Pacific Ocean, about east of the Mariana Islands; it is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth. It is crescent-shaped and measures about in length and in width. The maximum know ...

in a plan to bring the planet back into regular axis tilt by dropping two

nuclear warheads A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission, fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion, fusion reactions (Thermonuclear weapon, thermonu ...

into the bottom of the trench, however, they are aware that the diesel-powered submarine; the one necessary for the operation as it remains functional even with the EMP shockwave, might not outrun the nuclear blast on time given its slow speed, making it a

suicide mission A suicide mission is a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to include suicide attacks such as kamikaze and suicide bombings, whose perpetrators actively commit s ...

. After dropping the warheads and the crew preparing for the inevitable death, James points out and uses the underwater volcanic geyser for the submarine to propel themselves back up to the surface right as the warheads detonate. The combined efforts between

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

ultimately became a success, nearly risking the lives of the crew but saving the Earth. The film ends with James Mayfield returning home in Lindenville, and introducing Shane to his grandfather.

Cast

* Jack Coleman as Dr. James Mayfield, a government astrologist & astrophysicist working for the Storm Hazards Research Lab. *

Holly Elissa Dignard Holly Elissa (born 1 October 1979, as Holly Elissa Dignard), is a Canadian artist, actress, filmmaker and activist. She is an advocate for women's rights, child welfare, social injustice and discrimination as well as a supporter of animal and e ...

as Cynthia Mayfield, Shane's stepmother, and science teacher. *

Tyler Johnston Tyler Johnston (born June 14, 1987) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Stewart on the comedy series ''Letterkenny'' and Danny Lubbe in ''Less Than Kind''. Career Johnston's credits include appearances in the television se ...

as Shane Mayfield, James' son. *

Terry David Mulligan Terry David Mulligan (born June 30, 1942) is a Canadian actor and radio and television personality based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Life and career Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Mulligan worked as a Royal Canadian Mounted Pol ...

as General Mayfield, James' father, who works at the Gilboy Air Base. *

Roger Cross Roger Cross (born October 19, 1969) is a Jamaican-born Canadian actor who has made numerous appearances in several films and television series, mostly on productions shot in Canada. He is known for his work as CTU Agent Curtis Manning in the ...

as the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

* David Lewis as Lou Vanetti, local

News anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

in Lindenville working in KJRX. * Rob Morton as Michael *

Emma Lahana Emma Kate Lahana (born ) is a New Zealand actress. She is known for her roles as Kira Ford, the Yellow Dino Ranger, in ''Power Rangers Dino Thunder'', Jennifer Mason on '' Haven'', and Brigid O'Reilly in '' Cloak & Dagger''. Career Lahana play ...

as Zoe, Kevin's girlfriend * Nicholas Carrera as Peter, James' colleague from the Storm Hazards Department, who was killed by the blast from the comet's impact in Alaska. * Marsha Regis as Pam, working in the Storm Hazards Research Lab. *

Jay Brazeau Jay Brazeau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Sam Fisher in ''Cold Squad'', as Harlan in ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and for voicing Uncle Quigley in '' Sabrina: The Animated Series''. He is also known for his role as Bobby in ...

as Dr. Elman. *

Scott Lyster Scott Lyster (born January 22, 1987) is a Canadian actor. Career In 2010 he played Randy Jackson, sheriff's son, in '' Psych'' episode ''Dual Spires''. In 2012, he starred as Richie in the indie film ''Locked in a Garage Band'' and in 2016 p ...

as Kevin, Shane's classmate who got into an altercation and was killed at the park during an astronomically agitated earthquake. *

Dean Redman Dean Redman is a British-born Canadian actor. Career He is known for his work on '' War for the Planet of the Apes'' (2017) and appeared in two roles, playing the characters Varis and Caged Frost Wolf in the live action film, ''Warcraft'' (2016 ...

as Sergeant * Kurt Max Runte as Russian Navy Captain Yulenkov *

Brent Stait Brent Stait (born September 9, 1959) is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Rev Bem in the science fiction television series '' Andromeda'' and Louis Ferretti in ''Stargate SG-1''. Biography Stait was born in Snow Lake, Manitoba. Th ...

as Guard Captain * Donovan Cerminara as a U.S. Army Soldier at a roadblock, who ordered Cynthia to turn back and take shelter in the church, despite Cynthia's pleas to flee Lindenville. * Darren Moore as Looter, who tried to steal Michael's SUV before being fried by the EMP shockwave.

Critical reception

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

gave it 1 out of 5 stars, and called it an "ineffectual, made-for-TV disaster movie".

Home media release

The film was released on DVD by First Look Home Entertainment on February 9, 2010.

References

External links