Before Marvel, Chris Pratt Starred In This Baffling Sci-Fi Movie With A Wonder Years Star

Chris Pratt might've established himself as a leading man playing Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the actor starred in several compelling projects leading up to that. For starters, Pratt's first starring role was in the successful drama series "Everwood," and he later delivered a breakthrough performance as Andy Dwyer in NBC's "Parks and Recreation." In terms of sci-fi, Pratt starred in a string of films that ranged from modest to abysmal, including 2021's "The Tomorrow War" and 2016's "Passengers," which received a ton of backlash for good reason. Others, like the fairly recent "Mercy," became a streaming sensation on Prime Video despite being a flop. While "Mercy" is undoubtedly the most ideologically dubious of the bunch, Pratt was also a part of a poorly crafted made-for-TV movie called "Path of Destruction."

This Sci-Fi channel flick (before the rebrand to "Syfy") isn't particularly interesting or original — in fact, it's quite challenging to identify a coherent script driving this baffling Stephen Furst film. Apart from a very young Pratt slipping into the shoes of a nerdy meteorologist, we also have Danica McKellar of "The Wonder Years" fame playing reporter Katherine Stern. (For those unaware, "The Wonder Years" was an ABC coming-of-age comedy that ran for six seasons, with McKellar portraying Gwendolyn "Winnie" Coop in the show.)

While both Pratt and McKellar are gifted actors, the bland and derivative nature of "Path of Destruction" didn't give them enough material to work with. This is a shame, as Furst's 86-minute sci-fi disaster flick toys with a fun concept that could've paid off if it had been handled with more resources. The concept in question is nanomachines (!) going haywire and causing a severe environmental crisis. Whatever could go wrong here?

Disaster movies don't always have to be scientifically accurate to be entertaining. Take "The Day After Tomorrow" as an example, which has fun enough popcorn-thriller elements to distract us from its glaring flaws. There are also the ludicrous "Sharknado" films that deliver exactly what they promise, which is why they've become a staple entry in the "so-bad-it's-good" category. "Path of Destruction" doesn't belong to either camp, as it's not inventive or bonkers enough to keep us hooked to its meandering storyline.

The film opens with nanomachines being accidentally released into the atmosphere, with everything in their path being disintegrated. A literal storm is brewing, which is why reporter Katherine Stern and meteorologist Nathan S. McCain (Chris Pratt) come up with a plan to hit the storm with a massive EMP pulse. How did the nanobot mishap happen, and why is the military reluctant to consider McCain and Stern's plans? Why is McCain, a scientist, flying a plane that's supposed to save the world? We don't really know, because the film doesn't really bother answering these questions.

All the ingredients for a flawed but fun B-movie are right here. We have an evil megacorporation that evades responsibility after causing a man-made disaster. Two brave individuals challenge this status quo and are ready to lay their lives on the line to keep everyone safe. There's a long, drawn-out aerial mission to help save the day, which succeeds after a prominent character makes a noble sacrifice. What's not to like?

Well, these tropes might've worked in tandem if "Path of Destruction" wasn't so exhausting or boring. Still, I would recommend this film for Pratt completionists and anyone who doesn't mind watching a mindless disaster flick once in a while.