This article discusses the ending of the Netflix film America: The Motion Picture, so it will contain major spoilers.
America: The Motion Picture takes a few liberties with history — rather, it uses historical characters to tell a rip-roaring adventure. George Washington is a muscled, chainsaw-wielding action hero, leading a team to defeat King George and the treasonous Benedict Arnold. At the end of the second act, Arnold lives up to his reputation, ripping out George’s heart. “Why have one slice when you can have them all,” Arnold says, refusing the King’s offer of running a Dakota or two.
This comes as our heroes barely survive an ambush, where Revere’s horse Clyde is decapitated in a blast. Luckily…it is apparently fixable, and so Revere stays by his hospital bed while the rest of the gang gather to face off the British army — complete with London Bus AT-ATs. They are hopelessly outmatched
George plays the national anthem; Free Bird, of course (“I’m gonna request this song at every party,” says Sam Adams). Suddenly the hills are filled with Americans of all stripes (including a giant Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox). “Why settle for 20 bros when you could have a million.”
It turns out Washington spent all night printing and delivering flyers –– with help from Revere and Clyde (now a centaur robocop). They rush into battle and the bloodshed begins. Bunyan is killed by Big Ben, but his blue ox avenges him. The AT-AT buses surround the Americans. It’s a massacre until Revere takes them down Luke Skywalker style (if you’re gonna go for the reference go all-in). Washington goes to rescue Martha, to find that she’s been converted — the’s now British.
Netflix’s America: The Motion Picture ending explained
Seeing his side loses, Arnold enters the battle himself. He releases his secret weapon — an airship carrying two giant teabags that would rain tea down on everyone, turning them all British (that’s how those things work). Luckily, Edison has a plan. Using science (proving that she is correct), she uses a keg and a cannon to shoot beer into the sky. It works, and as Martha closes in on Washington, beer rains down, turning all the soldiers into frat bros (beer is the opposite of tea, obviously).
“Bros, Bros, everywhere. It reeks of ye olde ax body spray,” cries Arnold, who is taken out with a silver bullet hurled at him baseball style. The battle is over. They detonate the evil Washington monument and build a new one.
Lincoln returns as a Force ghost to deliver Washington a taped-together Declaration of Independence. Under a George W. Bush-style banner, Washington announces that everyone is free. And it’s a happily ever after…
“What about slaves” someone pipes up. And women, and Native Americans, the voices cry. Washington struggles to remain calm as his new nation descends into infighting. “We get to keep our guns.” “There’s healthcare, right?” No sooner is America founded than the chaos begins. Washington looks out on his creation and sighs. “Oh God, we are gonna fuck this up aren’t we.”
In a mid-credits scene, the “e” characters (Washingten, Adems, Edisen) joked about earlier in the movie appear…a little too late for the battle.
What did you think of the ending of America: The Motion Picture? Comment below!
