‘Red One’ Review: Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in a Holiday Action Fantasy That Gives Christmas a Backstory It Didn’t Need

As a seasoned movie buff who’s seen his fair share of holiday films, I must say that “Red One” is a peculiar blend of Christmas spirit and chaos. It’s like someone took a sleigh ride through the North Pole, crashed it into a video game arcade, and then decided to call it a movie.

These Hollywood Christmas films often start and finish with a traditional holiday atmosphere, but in between, they deviate significantly from the Christmas spirit. Instead, they embrace a more modern American ethos: crude, violent, filled with artificial joy, glorifying their own crassness. To understand the origins of these anti-Christmas Christmas movies (“Jingle All the Way,” “Violent Night”), you might need to delve into some films that are considered classics (although I don’t count them among those), such as “A Christmas Story” and “Home Alone”. These films are like eggnog with a dash of misanthropy.

To put it another way, it’s questionable whether any Hollywood film has started off a Christmas season with less genuine holiday cheer than “Red One.” Despite J.K. Simmons portraying Santa Claus, who gets kidnapped, and Simmons excelling in his role of crinkly old-man wisdom, the movie is not primarily a comedy. Dwayne Johnson, as Santa’s bodyguard grappling with a faith crisis, maintains his usual oversized charm. The peculiar aspect of the film lies in its somewhat sarcastic tone, yet it doesn’t fully embrace the comedic genre. Directed with an unappealing level of enthusiasm by Jake Kasdan, “Red One” is simultaneously an action movie, a thrilling kidnap-rescue story where toy store supply closets serve as magical gateways, and an attempt to construct a new Christmas universe – as if that’s the missing piece in our holiday traditions.

Initially, Simmons’ Santa sits on his throne, welcoming a stream of children in a bustling mall, a place he considers the most spiritually resonant (a stark contrast to “Jingle All the Way” as even Santa seems fond of its commercial spirit). The highly sought-after toy this year, the one repeatedly requested from him, is a video game titled Vampire Assassin 4. We’re meant to smile at how unfestive that name sounds. However, “Red One” could easily be the film adaptation of Vampire Assassin 4, given its chaotic and crowded nature, its abundance of flashy digital effects, and its generic imitation of violent entertainment.

Stepping into the theater, I was immediately struck by the unexpected blend of Christmas cheer and military precision in this film. The movie humorously suggests that Santa Claus’s operation bears an uncanny resemblance to a U.S. military mission. The protagonist, Cal, is given the code name Red One, hinting at his role as a key figure. He works for ELF, which stands for Enforcement Logistical Fortification, making him dart around like a seasoned secret-service agent, constantly barking orders into his wrist walkie-talkie.

This storyline can be described as a “buddy movie” as well. However, it’s not about Santa and his bodyguard; rather, the two protagonists are Cal and Jack (played by Chris Evans). While Santa gets kidnapped at the beginning of the story, he becomes less significant afterward. Cal is assigned to track down Santa’s whereabouts, whereas Jack, a disreputable sports gambler, divorced father, and super-hacker, is hired by shady forces worldwide to locate hidden people or items. He manages this task with surprising ease.

It was Jack who unveiled Santa’s specific hideout at the North Pole, which resembled a Christmas-themed Pentagon. This discovery led to Santa being abducted by Grýla, an ancient witch portrayed by Kiernan Shipka, whose talents I’ve admired since “Mad Men” and continue to do so. In this film, we see the reasons behind my belief that she will become a prominent star. Grýla is a typical villain with no nuances, reminiscent of characters from a “National Treasure” sequel. However, Shipka brings a sense of intensity to her anger. Her malicious goal is to discipline everyone on Santa’s naughty list.

In this story, we encounter Santa’s reindeer, which are surprisingly large and digitally created figures, often referred to as “females” for convenience. One might wonder why these reindeer are so tall and all female. This is a type of unusual assumption found in the narrative titled “Red One.” At the beginning, characters Cal and Jack find themselves in Aruba, with no particular reason given. On the beach, an amusing twist occurs when Cal mysteriously changes size during a fight, forcing the pair to defend against fierce snowmen. However, this is just one of several stops on their journey. They eventually end up in a medieval cantina reminiscent of “Star Wars” in Germany, trying to evade Santa’s estranged brother, the giant goat-man troll Krampus (played by Kristofer Hivju). At this point, either you find yourself drawn into the story or, as in my case, you might start glancing at your watch.

In this movie, the main antagonists are versatile and can change their form, but an intriguing aspect is that the entire film itself is a shape-shifter: it encompasses various genres such as intense action sequences, lighthearted comedy, heartwarming Christmas tales, buddy films, family reconciliation stories – catering to all audiences. During movie screenings, Christmas has transformed from a traditional holiday into a concept that can be adapted and reimagined. Can you hear the sound of sleigh bells ringing? Let’s embark on an extraordinary journey together – a trip reminiscent of a magical flight over the North Pole, complete with a secret supply closet portal and a thrilling cargo plane ride!

2024-11-06 08:16

‘Red One’ Review: Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in a Holiday Action Fantasy That Gives Christmas a Backstory It Didn’t Need

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