Title:
Path Of Destruction
Stars:
Danica McKellar, David Keith, Chris Pratt, and Stephen Furst
Director:
Stephen Furst
Running
Time: 90 minutes without commercials
Media:
SCI FI Pictures Original Movie (NTSC DVD Screener)
Premiere
Saturday, September 24, 2005, at 9pm (ET/PT)
Network:
SCI FI Channel (Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV
Rating: Not Available At The Time Of Review
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Actor and Director Stephen Furst, who is perhaps best known for his character roles in both “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Babylon 5” has directed his second feature film for the SCI FI Channel entitled “Path Of Destruction.” His last SCI FI Pictures original “Dragon Storm” was one of the highest rated original features to ever air on the network. Furst also has a brief role adding some light comic relief to the disaster film that stars David Keith (Daredevil), Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years), and Chris Pratt (Everwood.) “Path Of Destruction” follows an aspiring journalist (McKellar) who witnesses the complete destruction of an oil rig following the accidental release of nanobots that dissemble anything organic or metallic in their path as if they were literally eating something away while it was still alive. Framed as an eco-terrorist by a shady Industrialist (David Keith), who secretly developed the critters with an eye toward selling it to foreign investors after the U.S. government withdrew funding for the project.
The nanobots form a “death storm” as well as collective conscious that heads down the northern pacific coast from Alaska to Seattle and towards Los Angeles. Unless a way is discovered to stop the deadly mini robots, all life on the planet could become extinct. Stephen Furst’s screen direction seems a bit more polished here though he is marred with a low budget that at times makes certain CGI action sequences look less believable than a video game and Danica McKellar’s acting is pretty bad. She’s nice to look at, but this is definitely not the type of film she should restart her acting career with. Worst of all is Furst’s cameo. He hams it up too much for his own good. The script isn’t exactly a knockout homerun either so I think Furst’s instincts were correct, but the execution was flawed. David Keith basically just sleepwalks through the entire film and looks like he’s grinding his teeth at times.
For what
it is, “Path Of Destruction” is above mediocre, but definitely not great.
See it for yourself when it debuts on SCI FI on Saturday, September 24, 2005 at
9pm (ET/PT).
©
Copyright 2005 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.