After watching an hour and a half of “One Ranger,” our first question was why was the ranger needed for the hunt to begin with. We believe that Thomas Jane was exemplary with his swag and charm, but the script let him down. We get that he was special, but why was he special enough to be taken to another country to hunt down a terrorist? What set him apart from the agents who were there to begin with. Additionally, why did we struggle to pay attention to what was going on screen? If we had to pick, we would say that John Malkovich, who played Chief Geddes, was a moment of respite in an otherwise boring script. To sum it up, we recommend that you watch other movies by Thomas Jane and John Malkovich and skip this one. Yet, here is a summary and ending of “One Ranger.”
Spoilers Alert
Why Does Alex Tyree Have To Go To Britain?
Alex Tyree is a very competent ranger who can do any job with precision and ease. While tracking a criminal who broke probation, Alex gets involved in fighting with a bunch of high-profile criminals who were escaping after killing two officers. Soon enough, he is contacted by British intelligence, who have a mission for him. They want him to go to Mexico to arrest a particular prisoner that neither their country nor the US has access to. Since Alex is a Texas Ranger, he can unofficially do the job. Alex agrees when he learns that the prisoner is Declan McBride, a terrorist who steals money from banks to fund other terrorist organizations. He goes on the mission, but it is unsuccessful until Declan’s gang drops by unexpectedly and helps him escape. Ranger Daniels, who is one of Alex’s closest friends, loses his life in the ambush, and Alex washes his hands off the job while Declan prepares for a massive operation by collecting explosives.
Agent Smith convinces him to come back by telling him about Aden Kashmiri, a terrorist suspected of being behind many prominent terrorist activities, who is planning something similar in London with the help of Declan. Since Alex is the only person to have seen Declan McBride, the FBI needs his services.
The Hunt For Declan Mcbride
We regret how little we know of John Malkovich because we are officially fans after watching “One Ranger”. He plays Chief Control Geddes, and his deliberate way of talking has us confused about whether to laugh or be scared. Either way, Alex and Smith start the investigation by meeting Angel, an ex-IRA agent who has a grudge against Declan for turning his back on her and her friends. She gives the agents what they are looking for, which is the location of Declan, in exchange for some money and the freedom of three of her friends. Angel is likely setting right whatever was Declan’s mistake through this.
But Angel’s information leads them to Oleg and not Declan, who has likely escaped or was never there. Meanwhile, Declan kills a scientist after promising him that he will give a lot of money to his family. Oleg then proceeds to attack Alex in a very public place, but he and Smith escape and hide in a motel, where Alex treats his wounded colleague. Smith can’t help but investigate why they tried attacking Alex in such an open place, and their question leads them to an address. Declan isn’t there again, but Oleg shows up. He and Alex get into a fight, and it feels like ever since the episode of Game of Thrones aired, where Pablo Pascal was killed with his eyes squished, everyone wants to recreate that scene.
But moving on, Oleg escapes, and Smith and Alex end up in the hospital, with a very displeased Geddes hovering over them. He informs them that Declan is making a nuclear bomb, and they have one of the shooters from the duo’s onsite mission strapped to a self-detonating bomb. They need to speak with him before it is too late. Smith and Alex are up to the job, and though the shooter kills himself, he informs Smith that the bomb will explode two days later at the Big Ben.
‘One Ranger’ Ending Explained: Does Alex Tyree find Declan McBride?
As the day of the bombing approaches, Declan finds that his boss, Aden Kashmiri, doesn’t actually want him to detonate the bombs. They were just a fear tactic he had been using. Declan is done with being told what to do and acting as a stooge for people with more power. He decides to go ahead with the mission anyway. What follows is the FBI reaching the scene of the crime to be committed and trying to ambush it. Oleg and Alex get into another fight, and this time, Oleg actually dies. Alex and Smith find Declan, but they are not able to arrest him. He slips away from them, but it is still a victory for everyone since they have stopped the bombing. Declan has lost all of the power he ever wielded due to people turning their backs on him; therefore, he is not a threat anymore, at least for now. Geddes is very happy with the agents’ work and asks Alex to send him a Ranger hat in the mail.
When Alex leaves, there is an understanding between him and Smith that he will continue looking for Declan, and that is what he does. In the beginning of the film, when Alex tells Smith that he doesn’t want the job anymore after the debacle in Mexico, we feel as if the ranger has approached the whole matter from a professional perspective. But in England, when he and Smith go to a certain place after the tip-off from Angel and he shoots at people so recklessly, that is the first time we see how personal this whole thing is for him.
Ranger Daniels, Alex’s partner who died in the failed mission, was a close friend of the latter. Not only had they worked together for so many years, but Alex had promised Daniel’s wife that he would look out for the man. Alex had lost his family due to the nature of his job and his own workaholism. This meant that his friends and the people around him meant a lot to him. Alex thought very highly of Daniels, who was a family man, which means he was what Alex wished he had been. There was a lot of love and respect there, as well as some attachment. When Daniels died, Alex realized that it was not just the death of an individual but the obliteration of an entire world centered around the man, and Declan McBride would have to pay the price for that. Alex finds Declan in Mexico, running a smuggling ring in the desert. Well, Alex is a straightforward man, and he just walks up to Declan and his gang with his gun. At the end of “One Ranger,” to make a long story short, Alex shoots down Declan’s gang and injures him in the leg before turning him over to law enforcement. Alex did win this round after all.
Final Thoughts
We would wish “One Ranger” on our worst enemy. They deserve to have their time wasted with a meaninglessly disorienting narrative. There were so many loose ends, so little interest, and an overall lack of commitment in the story to make the most of its actors. It is time to start focusing back on quality instead of just the copious production of content. That will save the world from movies like “One Ranger”.
