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With: Thomas Jane, Dean Jagger, Dominique Tipper, Jess Liaudin, John Malkovich, Alena Gerber, Rachel Wilde, Patrick Bergin, James Oliver Wheatley, Nick Moran, Gregory Zaragoza
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Written by: Jesse V. Johnson
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Directed by: Jesse V. Johnson
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MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence, language throughout and brief sexual content
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Running Time: 95
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Date: 05/05/2023
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Old Hat
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
This modern-day Western has two great central characters, but they're stuck in a story that's both convoluted and ridiculous, with many characters and much exposition that fail to drive the action.
Texas Ranger Alex Tyree (Thomas Jane) is tracking a thief (Gregory Zaragoza) across the desert, pausing only to take out three dangerous bank robbers attempting to escape. Only one, deadly terrorist and former IRA man Declan McBride (Dean Jagger), gets away. Before long British Intelligence agent Jennifer Smith (Dominique Tipper) shows up at his door, ready to recruit him to help bring down McBride before he can execute his plan to use a dirty weapon to attack the UK.
In London, Alex and Jennifer follow whatever scant leads they can dig up, while their Agency contact Geddes (John Malkovich) breathes down their necks. Their investigation leads them to many dangerous locales, as well as brushes with McBride's deadly, mountainous, right-hand man Oleg (Jess Liaudin), who takes special notice of Alex.
Thomas Jane's Alex Tyree is, of course, the One Ranger, a title that may have been meant to evoke "Lone Ranger," but is also explained by an opening-titles prologue. He speaks in a polite Sam Elliott-type gravelly grumble, wearing a mustache and crisp cowboy hat.
Dominique Tipper's Jennifer is a Black Englishwoman with braided cornrows, and the movie gets lots of credit for allowing these two to approach one another with professionalism and respect. Their quiet moments in which they ask each other questions only strengthen their bond; they have a lot in common despite their physical and geographic differences.
But the story, in which only two agents are sent after a dangerous terrorist is silly, and the movie has no sense of humor about it, nor any self-awareness. It also has little sense of the suspense of the chase, blandly crossing a talky, inert scene with a fight or a shootout, and then back again. One Ranger had promise, but instead it's merely old hat.
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