Path of Destruction (film)

After the government cuts funding to a nanotechnology project, the fictional company StarkCorp stores samples on an oil rig near Alaska. However, an accident releases the nanomachines, and sinks the rig, with reporter Katherine Stern being the one of the only survivors, and her best friend Eric Lambridge being among the fatalities. StarkCorp CEO Roy Stark, and his assistant Krieger attempt to cover up the incident while the nanomachines form a large storm that disintegrates anything in its way. A group of fighter jets is sent to destroy the storm, although they're destroyed by the nanomachines. After a hailstorm strikes an Alaskan town, meteorologist Nathan S. McCain, who previously worked for StarkCorp, warns Colonel Thomas Miller about the storm, telling him that he should evacuate Alaska, although Miller dismisses his predictions.

When Stark discovers that Katherine is in possession of files that reveal his involvement, he frames her as an eco-terrorist that released the nanomachines, and a manhunt for her begins. Katherine reaches Nathan, knowing about his involvement in the StarkCorp project from the files she stole. Katherine shows Nathan the files she stole, and he reveals that he calculated the nanomachines for what was supposed to be a way to cut down pollution on Earth. Nathan, and Katherine realize that the nanomachines were taken to the oil rig after the government pulled the plug on the project, and they were released into the atmosphere during the accident, creating the storm. Nathan is initially reluctant to help Katherine, although is forced to after Katherine threatens to put all the blame on him.

A couple of federal agents trying to catch Katherine arrive at Nathan's house, and Nathan's colleague Terry Nash distracts them while Katherine, and Nathan escape a taxi cab that Katherine took to the house. They engage in a car chase with the agents, although trick the agents into crashing their car. Katherine, and Nathan later get into a traffic jam caused by the hailstorm, and are forced to abandon their cab while the nanomachines seemingly kill Terry at Nathan's house. A military helicopter arrives looking for survivors, and picks up Katherine, and Nathan. Nathan then manages to contact Miller to get him to evacuate people in the path of the storm, although he still disbelieves him, and the connection is disrupted by the storm.

The storm arrives at Seattle, and Katherine, and Nathan fly into the path of the storm. After the pilot of the helicopter is killed, Nathan has them crash land in the city, and they escape the helicopter as it is destroyed in a gas explosion. A medical camp soon sets up in the city, and Katherine discovers that the nanomachines have been eating some of the victims, and takes a sample of the nanomachines from one of the bodies. Katherine, and Nathan take the nanomachines to Miller, who is at the camp, and they examine them. Nathan predicts that a worldwide storm will soon form, and they have to act fast.

Katherine, Nathan, and Miller arrive at StarkCorp headquarters to get more information from Stark himself. StarkCorp head scientist Dr. Kirk Van Owen shows them an example of the nanomachines' abilities to regenerate plant life, Stark explains how the nanomachines ended up at the oil rig. Unbeknownst to the group, Stark is attempting to sell the nanomachines to the Chinese government. Katherine, Nathan, and Miller head to a military base. Van Owen later reveals to Stark that the nanomachines can essentially self-destruct in the event that their integrity is compromised. Van Owen contains the codes to purge the nanomachines. Meanwhile, Miller sends another group of fighter jets to destroy the storm, although after one jet is destroyed, the others are forced to subsequently retreat.

Miller proposes firing a nuclear missile at the storm as it heads over Los Angeles, against the wishes of Katherine, and Nathan. Stark leaves StarkCorp headquarters in a plane to avoid interrogation from the government leaving Krieger, and Van Owen to deal with the authorities. Katherine, and Nathan decide to hit the storm with a giant electromagnetic pulse, although the military is reluctant to go with the plan. Miller suggests using a specially designed aircraft called Icarus to detonate the EMP from. The nuclear missile is launched as Katherine, Nathan, and Miller take off in Icarus.

At StarkCorp headquarters, Van Owen interrogates Krieger, and he reveals that Stark fled the building. The authorities arrive, and Van Owen remotely activates a bomb on Stark's plane before being shot, and killed by the agents, followed by Krieger shortly afterwards. The Icarus, in the meantime, is damaged by the nanomachines, preventing the EMP device from being deployed. Miller then has Katherine, and Nathan escape in two escape pods while he sacrifices himself to detonate the EMP manually, killing him, and destroying the storm. The missile strike is then aborted. Meanwhile, it is revealed the agents at StarkCorp headquarters were Chinese, as they were intending to buy the nanomachines from Stark so they could stop the experiments. The bomb on Stark's plane detonates in the meantime, killing him. The deactivated nanomachines then fall to the ground as Katherine, and Nathan crash land in the ocean.

Sometime later, Katherine is reporting the story on air, with the shootout that killed Van Owen, and Krieger being framed as a shootout between each other. Terry is revealed to be alive, and is being nursed back to health in the hospital. Katherine, and Nathan prepare to go on a date after visiting Terry.

Sloan Freer of Radio Times rated it 1/5 stars and called it an "increasingly ridiculous sci-fi yarn" with "a laughably unbelievable climax."[2] Matt Paprocki of Blogcritics called it a bland film that borrows from the Michael Crichton's novel Prey.[3]

• Grey goo

• Official site
• Path of Destruction at IMDb