In a future in which most water has disappeared from the Earth, we find a group of children, mostly teenagers, who are living at an orphanage, run by the despotic rulers of the new Earth. The group in question plays a hockey based game on roller skates and is quite good. It has given them a unity that transcends the attempts to bring them to heel by the government. Finding an orb of special power, they find it has unusual effects on them. They escape from the orphanage (on skates) and try to cross the wasteland looking for a place they can live free as the storm-troopers search for them and the orb.

'Solarbabies' is a poorly executed dystopian film that struggles with fundamental storytelling. While those with childhood nostalgia cherish its sentimental value and some praise select cast members like Jami Gertz and Jason Patric, the overwhelming consensus criticizes its appalling screenplay, illogical premise of teenagers roller-skating through deserts, and confusing plot holes. Most found it extremely difficult to watch, with many walking out or stopping partway through this derivative eighties clunker.