meltdown open on a scene of scientist prepare to conduct an important test on a missile system develop to deflect asteroid should they be on a collision course with earth . nathan ( vincent gale ) mention some misgiving to his and but the test appear to be an unqualified success . then the asteroid break apart and and the large piece be push into a direct collision path with earth . fortunately and the huge rock skip off of earth outer atmosphere and ricochet into space . unfortunately and the glancing blow be just enough to alter earth orbit and and the planet begin to spiral close to the sun . while all of this be go on above their head and los angeles cop tom ( casper van dien ) and mick ( greg anderson ) be on a stake out . theyre suppose to collect evidence against a suspected drug dealer and but the deal theyre watch quickly devolve into a shooting match . afterward and tom take a few minute to be interview by a local television reporter who also happen to be his girlfriend and carly ( stefanie von pfetten ) . at a nearby hospital where mick be treat for a minor injury and tom have a brief chat with his ex girlfriend bonnie ( venus terzo ) and who be a nurse . he tell her he concern about the fact that their 17 year old daughter kimberly ( amanda crew ) be date a man name cj ( ryan mcdonell ) . once tom explains to bonnie that he discover cj have a criminal record and she a little worried herself . it not long and however and before everybody have something else to worry about . the temperature be rapidly rise all around the world . carly be one of the first non scientist to learn what really happen . nathan and who be her brother and call her to say he may have a way that they can survive . carly call tom while he and of course and promptly contact bonnie . in relatively short order and the motley group be on the road . before they can reach their ultimate goal and however and they have get to make their way through band of looter and deal with a catastrophic water shortage and and manage to travel in temperature that be high enough to kill . casper van dien be a good look guy and and i actually enjoy him in starship trooper . that may be because he good in action scene . it might also be because he do not talk much in that movie . in meltdown and he unfortunately give just enough line in situation that be just dramatic enough to showcase his entirely average acting ability . amanda crew be also okay and and ryan mcdonell isn not bad and either . vincent gale and stefanie von pfetten be also both reasonably good and but venus terzo be sadly on a par with van dien . what really make or break a movie and though and be the story and the script . while the story here be okay and actually have some real potential and the script be just awful . the science part of the science fiction be non existent start with the asteroid push the earth out of orbit and escalate with the notion that the gravitational balance of the solar system might pull the earth back into it usual orbit over time . when the temperature in la hit 120 degree and car start blow up . you know what even bad than the bad science . the bad continuity . okay and really hot . why be people in the movie not only wear long sleeved shirt and but jacket and too . why be people mug each other for bottled water instead of turn on the tap at home . why be the street completely empty and but the freeway completely full . and why be the freeway full of unexploded . it almost superfluous to note that the set and costume and and production value be good and especially when that only force me to say that the edits be not . so basically and you take a pretty good story idea and combine it with mostly mediocre acting and a terrible script and low end special effect and utterly irrational plot twist and and poor edits and and what do you have . a movie that even less than the sum of it inconsiderable part . i be sorry to say that i can not recommend meltdown represent day of destruction to anyone . political note represent there be mention here that congress finally loosen the purse string enough to fund the test that start the movie rolling . while the test here be wholly irresponsible ( target an asteroid with a nuke and not know the composition of the big rock be and in fact and well beyond irresponsible and approach the insane ) and the fact be that such scenario be a very real danger to the planet . unfortunately and we have track nowhere near all of the near earth asteroid that could be worrisome in some orbit some day while and our ability to spot something on a collision course with u be limit at best . once we do discover be go to be hit and we quite literally have no system in place to deal with it . there be no nuclear tip space missile we can launch while the space shuttle be completely incapable of go beyond earth orbit and and if it be and we couldn not launch enough of them or launch them quickly enough for it to matter . i be not big on the government do anything beyond it constitutional mandate and but i certainly think protect the planet from destruction come at u from out space could be construe a defend the country and do not you . family suitability represent meltdown represent day of destruction be rat r for some violence . i frankly do not find the violence here anything beyond a fairly typical t rat video game . if your teen be keen on see meltdown and you can not talk them out of it and the r rating shouldn not dissuade you from let them see it . it not and however and a good idea to leave the young kid in the room with their elder sibling . while the shooting aren not too graphic in the main and some of the dead body be .