Rating 6/10
Red One originally began as a sleigh ride straight to streaming but was rerouted to theaters. This action-heavy romp was intended to be a Prime Video exclusive. However, Amazon pivoted to a theatrical release. The strategy was calculated to recoup its massive budget—$250 million—and build hype for its streaming debut. It’s been two decades since we’ve seen a Christmas movie ascend to the status of a perennial classic. The Polar Express is arguably the last to earn that distinction. Sorry, but Red One won’t be joining the seasonal canon.
Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) is head of security for Santa (JK Simmons), AKA “Red One.” Callum is disillusioned with the modern Yuletide spirit and wants to retire. More people are on the naughty list than the nice list for the first time ever. Meanwhile, Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) is a skillful but morally ambiguous surveillance tracker. When Santa is kidnapped by mercenaries working for a villainous witch named Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), the North Pole enlists Jack to help Callum rescue him. Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), the head of the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority (MORA), supplies support. Jack and Callum will face mythical enemies, including monstrous snowmen and a slap fighting contest with Santa’s estranged brother Krampus (Kristofer Hivju). With time running out, they must act fast.
Red One is a buddy comedy with “Luke Hobbs” and “Steve Rogers” dressed up in a wintry setting, and that’s what it delivers. The entire success of the account depends on the actors’ charm. If you find those stars appealing, then you should enjoy this. However, it’s a holiday-themed family film with an intellectual sensibility aimed at 12 year olds and under. Yet it’s rated PG-13 due to language. There are numerous choice words. They should have dialed the profanity down so it could be PG. Call me old-fashioned, but a Christmas movie with noble intentions shouldn’t take God’s name in vain a dozen times.
If you can get past those offenses, it’s mildly enjoyable. There’s plenty of action and some funny jokes. The sight of a physically lean, even muscular Santa working out made me laugh. The choreographed fight against a group of large, aggressive snowmen is a memorable sequence that blends slapstick humor and spectacle. It won’t replace classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or even Home Alone in your holiday viewing rotation, but it’s a pleasant diversion.
11-18-24