‘The Wrecking Crew’ Ending, Explained

Spoilers for The Wrecking Crew are below!

Prime Video’s latest action release sees Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa teaming up as estranged half-brothers reuniting after years apart. The Wrecking Crew sees the duo investigating their father’s death, with the movie packed to the brim with endless comedic beats as the brothers bicker, and heaps of bloody action sure to thrill fans of the genre.

Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto is at the helm of The Wrecking Crew, bringing the film’s well-choreographed action to life and allowing the Hawaiian locales to truly shine on screen. However, what appears to be a bombastic action movie hides a more complex plot than some fans may assume. The story kicks off with a death, but as the layers are peeled back, a ring of deception and numerous villains emerge, with the film itself struggling to guide the audience through it. Luckily, all the puzzle pieces fall into place, making The Wrecking Crew a worthwhile mystery to solve.

What Happens in ‘The Wrecking Crew’?

Their Father’s Death Brings Estranged Half-Brothers Back Together

Dave Bautista Jason Momoa The Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew starts with the death of Walter Hale, who audiences see frantically making his way through a festival. He drops a small package into a mailbox before stepping out into the road, where he is violently struck by a van that then pulls away. Viewers are then introduced to Walter’s son James (Bautista), a Navy SEAL instructor in Hawaii who identifies the body, but shows a clear lack of emotion toward the man, even when discussing it with his wife. The movie also shows that James has two kids, and his relationship with his brother, Jonny (Momoa), is strained enough that he doesn’t even want to call him about their father’s death.

Audiences then meet Jonny, a police officer in Oklahoma, whose girlfriend, Valentina (Morena Baccarin), breaks up with him. James’ wife eventually calls Jonny to tell him about Walter’s death, before he is attacked by Yakuza members who are looking for a package that his father supposedly mailed to him. After an extremely violent fight, Jonny makes his way to Hawaii, reuniting with James at their father’s funeral. The two still clearly harbor resentment toward each other, which the movie clues viewers into: they share the same father but have different mothers, and they have a complicated upbringing. While their mothers were revered figures in their lives, they equally detested their father. Audiences also meet Governor Peter Mahoe (Temuera Morrison), a family friend.

Due to his attack, Jonny is convinced Walter’s death wasn’t an accident, prompting him to begin looking into it. He begins by looking into Walter’s business, as he was a private investigator. Bautista’s James does a bit of snooping on his own after he picks up his father’s belongings from the police, stopping by the scene of the hit-and-run to get footage from a security camera. Their efforts collide, leading them to conclude that their father was likely killed because of something he discovered, which is solidified when they are violently attacked by the Yakuza again.

Walter’s Death Was Not an Accident

Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista on the street in The Wrecking Crew

James and Jonny discover blueprints for a casino to be built on community land, noting that gambling is illegal there. These blueprints lead them to the man behind the project, Marcus Robichaux (Claes Bang), who is hosting a high-end party. They gain access thanks to Pika (Jacob Batalon), Walter’s employee. At the party, Jonny meets Monica, Robichaux’s wife, who claims to have hired Walter to investigate her husband. The two then have a sit-down with Robichaux, where they deduce he’s lying about Walter when he tells them he hired their father, a claim Jonny knows is false.

While they don’t have the proof, the brothers feel Robichaux is heavily involved, which is only furthered by Monica’s death shortly thereafter. Valentina then comes back into play, calling Jonny to inform him about the package Walter had mailed to his house. He convinces her to hop a plane to Hawaii with the thumb drive that was in the package, only for them to be attacked in a harrowing chase that sees a helicopter firing on their minivan. Thankfully, they survive, allowing them to access the thumb drive, exposing the mystery behind what ultimately led to Walter’s death.

How Does ‘The Wrecking Crew’ End?

What Scheme Did Walter Uncover?

Dave Bautista Morena Baccarin Jacob Batalon The Wrecking Crew

The thumb drive reveals to James and Jonny a series of bank transfers in which Robichaux sent $12 million to the same account. They are then able to surmise that the payments were intended for Governor Mahoe, with Robichaux using the money to bribe the public official to change the gambling laws. If the island’s laws allowed gambling, Robichaux could build his casino, potentially making him hundreds of millions of dollars.

Walter stumbled upon this information when he was hired by Monica Robichaux, which proved to be a deadly mistake. Robichaux had brought the Yakuza in as extra muscle to help control the criminal element on the island, giving him an edge against local gangsters, with the evil landowner also using them against James and Jonny.

Who Killed Walter?

Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in 'The Wrecking Crew' — Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista in ‘The Wrecking Crew’

Robichaux had Walter killed because of the information he discovered about the bribes to the Governor. The Yakuza carried out the hit-and-run on Robichaux’s behalf, hoping it would put a stop to the information leak. Thankfully, Walter got the thumb drive to Jonny, which blew the case wide open. With Jonny and James now knowing everything Robichaux is up to, they find their family snatched by the villain, who holds them hostage in an attempt to silence the brothers.

The Wrecking Crew ends with a brutal assault on Robichaux’s mansion, where audiences watch as Jonny and James fight their way through numerous hired goons. James ends up taking down the final Yakuza boss, with Jonny killing Robichaux. They successfully save their family, and the film ends with Governor Mahoe being arrested for his involvement in the illegal scheme. While the brothers still have a lot of growing to do, Jonny looks to stay in Hawaii, living where he belongs with James and his family, bringing a beautiful end to the thrilling action comedy.