Man Of War Ending Explained And Movie Recap: Is Koniev Dead?

There isn’t anything new about a brooding and masculine agent coming back to action to protect something he deeply cares about. William Kaufman’s “Man of War” is no different, but despite being a film full of familiar tropes, the slick action sequences and the realistic portrayal of the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes this film a pretty compelling watch. Kaufman doesn’t waste any time putting LaMonica Garrett into action, and the man looks like a tank all the way through the film. The story also tries to delve into the moral questions surrounding war and accountability, but the makers play it kinda safe and never really commit to a clear stance. Then again, you could argue that the main villain is a Russian commander, who’s an absolute menace and leaves very little room for sympathy. All in all, “Man of War” is a solid film despite its shortcomings, and I love how the supporting characters also get plenty of moments to shine, and it’s not all about the big strong protagonist. So without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about the film. 

Spoilers Ahead

What happens in the film?

Connor is an ex-special forces agent who’s clearly given up on life, as he sits in his dope loft in Barcelona, swigging whiskey straight from the bottle; his body is jacked, and the man has a pistol on his table, and you can imagine he’s been contemplating ending it all. But things take a turn when his niece, Riley, video calls him from Kharkiv, as the Russians have launched a full-blown invasion into Ukraine. Riley is an aid worker in an orphanage, and she lied to Connor weeks ago that she got out of there, and now the Russian army walks into the very building she’s in. Connor sees a Russian commander taking Riley’s phone, and he quickly takes a screenshot so he can know who he’s up against. As the call disconnects, Connor’s only hope is the smartwatch Riley has on her, as he can track her through the device. Connor calls Charlie, an old friend who can pull the right strings just sitting in a chair, and Charlie immediately manages to put Connor on an Ukraine-bound plane. But it’s not a solo ride, as a bunch of English mercenaries are also going to Ukraine to save a Ukrainian billionaire and his trophy wife. This squad is led by Bunny, a foul-mouthed and tough cockney man who is more than elated to do this job and bag a couple million euros. Even though Connor doesn’t like Bunny much, they agree to help each other if they need to. Charlie also tells Connor that the Russian commander who kidnapped Riley is named Koniev, and has multiple rape and murder charges against him. 

Why does Dany help Connor? 

Charlie arranges for one of his old local contacts to accompany Connor in Ukraine, a colorful man named Dany. He seems a bit silly at first, and the man caves when the mafia stops their car. Taking Dany’s advice, Connor agrees to let the mafia have their money and belongings, but when they also ask for Connor’s satellite phone, the only way he can track Riley, he puts the entire gang down in the blink of an eye. Dany is freaking out over this, but Connor is as cool as they come. But his perspective towards this changes when Dany takes him to his house, which is pretty much a bomb shelter. He has a wife and two little kids, and his wife, Anna, is worried out of her mind about their safety and wellbeing. Dany tells Connor that the only reason he’s brought him to his house is to show him that he wants to ensure his family’s safety in exchange for helping him. The Ukrainian government also orders every man between the age of 18 to 60 to fight against the invaders, and Dany wastes no time to gear up and leave. The two of them hit the road, but the Russian army opens fire, and their car is wrecked. Connor decides to complete the journey on foot, and Dany has no choice but to accompany the man. 

How do Connor and Dany reach Kharkiv? 

Connor and Dany hit the forest route, and they come across the Ukrainian army. The soldiers decide to help them after Dany introduces himself, and Connor sees that the Ukrainian soldiers are killing young Russian war prisoners because they have no time to move them into any facility. Meanwhile, Koniev’s men realise that the Americans are nearby because Connor is constantly calling Charlie. The Russians have picked up on the radio signal, and Koniev already knows that they want the billionaire, the same man they’ve been torturing for a while now. Koniev orders an air strike on the area, which almost kills Connor, but he survives. Thanks to Dany, Connor and he finally reach the outskirts of Kharkiv, and by now, the Russians have taken control over the whole city. The two men get into an argument when Connor makes an insensitive comment about what the Ukrainian army did back in the forest, but Dany reminds him that Americans should never lecture others about war, as they’re the ones who profit from wars the most. Dany is not wrong about how his countrymen are the ones who are suffering from this war the most, as they come across many innocent civilians who have no idea what to do, or how much time they have before a bomb drops on them. 

How does Connor find Riley? 

Connor is now getting closer to Riley’s location, but when he hears a woman crying out for help, he finds that a few Russian soldiers trying to rape a civilian. Dany and him save the woman, who also has a little boy with her. They take the woman and the child inside a building, and Connor finds out that Riley’s watch is on a dead Russian soldier. Meanwhile, another Russian unit surrounds them, and the English mercs come into the scene blazing hot. Bunny is still the same fun person we saw earlier, and the Englishmen find a deserted bar to gulp some drinks down. He tells Connor that the Russians are holding some aid workers hostage in the same location as the billionaire they’re here for, but getting access to that building is impossible. Dany comes in clutch here, as he knows about the secret tunnels underneath the city that were built during the Second World War. The daredevil group navigate through the tunnel with Dany’s guidance, and just as they’re about to blow up the wall that leads straight to the target building, Connor pushes Dany aside and asks him to leave. He’s already called Charlie to make sure that Dany’s family is extracted safely, and he doesn’t want his reliable guide to lose his life in a battle that’s not his to fight. Despite Dany’s hesitance, he gives in and goes the other way. The group then charges into the building and a lot of shooting ensues. The Russians are taken aback by this surprise attack, and Charlie manages to free Riley and her cellmate, Isabella. But Connor finally faces a real problem when Koniev shows up, and the two men engage in a hand to hand combat. For the first time in the film, Connor is overwhelmed by the Russian devil, and neither of them are ready to back down. When another soldier comes to shoot Connor, Riley picks up a gun and kills the soldier, and Connor and Riley make an exit. 

Is Koniev dead? 

Bunny figures that the Ukrainian billionaire and his wife are dead, so now their only option is to get out of the conflict zone in one piece. But that was never going to be easy, especially while Koniev was around. They face a huge obstacle when a Russian soldier blocks them in a hallway with a Gatling gun, but Connor uses his wits and eliminates the man with a T-bomb. The sniper of the English squad, Zeus, was providing great assistance with eliminating everyone blocking his mates, but Koniev spots him and fires a rocket launcher at him. Dany returns once again with a car, and Riley and Isabella get in the car with another Englishman to make their exit, but the Russian army riddles the car with enough bullets to kill the Englishman and Isabella, as Dany somehow gets Riley out of the car. One by one, the whole English squad gets killed, and even Bunny gets shot in the shoulder. Connor and Dany run out of ammo as well, and just when they think it’s over, a tank shows up. Now, earlier in the film, we see Dany and Connor hiding from a Russian tank, and the tank has the letter Z painted on it. Although there’s no official explanation to why they use this sign, it’s not hard to imagine that this mark helps them avoid the risk of friendly fire. Dany notices that there’s no Z marked on this tank, and the smile from Koniev’s face disappears as the tank fires at him, and he’s toast. The remaining Russian soldiers disperse and run away, and Connor and friends live to see another day.

In the closing moments of the film, Connor calls Charlie to thank him for all the help. Riley is alive and well, and even though Bunny has lost his team, it’s a miracle that he’s alive. Dany decides to part ways and join the Ukrainian army to fight the invaders, and his sacrifice is a reminder for the countless lives that have been lost in this meaningless war. Young men and women from Ukraine fight against the mighty Russian army till this day, and all we can do is hope that the two nations come to an agreement to stop the bloodshed.

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