Released in mid-November, the film Red One was a pre-Christmas movie that nobody expected and few people truly enjoyed, earning only niche reviews from most critics. The plot, which seemed interesting on paper, wasn’t executed as well as it could have been, while also failing to keep the tension established early in the film throughout its runtime.
The movie follows the concept of Santa Claus being kidnapped and his bodyguard, Callum (Cal), and Jack, an ordinary human, having to find him before Christmas Eve. The pressure of the plot hinges entirely on the countdown to Christmas Eve, which is an overused plot point often seen in other movies with similar “missing Santa Claus” stakes. This is the first prominent issue of Red One, and while not major and easily overlooked, is a bellwether of predictable twists and turns later in the film.
Though Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson played their roles well despite the lackluster script, it was hard to separate their characters from their real-life celebrity personalities. Throughout the movie’s runtime, it was difficult to differentiate Jack and Cal from Evans and Johnson due to the similarities between the characters and their actors. As for the other members of the cast, their acting talents served to aid what would have otherwise been a lackluster film. However, the casting alone was not enough to bring the entire movie up to the standards and excitement surrounding other movies releasing at the same time, such as Wicked, Gladiator II, and Moana 2.
In addition to the actors, the characters themselves underwent very little character development, and what development did exist was rushed and felt unearned. For instance, it was established early on that Jack has a weak relationship with his son, Dylan, and though this seemed like an interesting point for his character, the movie quickly forgot about it. This strained relationship was only picked up again in the third act when it became relevant to the plot, a relevance that also felt very forced. The father-son relationship was not well fleshed out and could have very easily been replaced with a sibling, parent, or romantic conflict with very little change. This discord between Jack and Dylan was resolved hastily in the movie’s last 10 minutes, with Dylan’s character being tossed aside soon after. This brings into question the point of including his character if it had such little impact on the overall narrative.
Although Red One lacked in many aspects, one of the film’s commendable choices is its introduction of characters usually not seen in Christmas movies. Instead of sticking to the classic cast of Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and the elves, Red One includes other mythological characters associated with the winter season, such as Krampus and Gryla. Grýla, a mythical figure from Icelandic folklore, is an ogre who desires to steal and punish misbehaving children, a backstory Red One reflects in its villain with decent accuracy, with only a few changes to fit its narrative and make it easier for children to digest. The second mythical creature included is Krampus, a horned creature from European folklore who is said to accompany Saint Nicholas the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6th) and punish misbehaving children. Due to their similar ideals, Gryla and Krampus are portrayed as forces opposing Santa Claus and are the two characters Cal and Jack look to when investigating who kidnapped Santa Claus.
Despite having a star-studded cast, Red One lacks in many aspects of its plot, characters, and overall energy. That said, the film felt like it made an effort to entertain all ages, with both its humor and general narrative feeling like it wasn’t simply for children. Though this is not a movie that will ever reach a “Top 10 Christmas Movies” list, there are far worse films to watch the night before Christmas. At the very least, it’s entertaining and manages to pass as an acceptable movie for everyone. With all criticisms and praises taken into account, the movie deserves a minimum 6.5/10.