REVIEW: The ‘Red One’ Haters Are Just Naughty-Listers

From Amazon MGM Studios, directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan and Hiram Garcia, Red One starts on two essential notes. First, we see a disillusioned young Jack O’Malley attempting to ruin Christmas for his whole family, just because he’s a Grinch himself. But his uncle won’t let him. No matter how ridiculous Christmas and Santa may feel to Jack, preserving the potential for magic is essential to making joy.

Second, Santa Klaus (J.K. Simmons) is working hard to stay swole for the incredibly athletic feet that is delivering toys to every child in the world, when his closest friend, confidant, and coworker Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) walks in to tenure his resignation. Nick and Cal don’t talk about it, though. Ripped Santa and his friend have a heartfelt conversation instead. They talk about the meaning of Christmas and why the two of them have worked so hard to bring children joy for so many centuries together.

Dismiss these opening scenes as place setting or trite holiday movie exposition at your own peril. These are essential character-building moments upon which the entirety of Red One hinges. As Simmons plays jolly against type, Johnson feels more locked in than usual. He produced this movie, after all. They both come across as true believers in the moral of this movie—that how we treat each other matters and that everyone deserves a chance to learn that lesson. And that makes all the difference in a movie as otherwise outlandish as Red One.

Because shortly thereafter, Saint Nick is kidnapped, and an international agency led by no-nonsense Zoe (Lucy Liu), responsible for protecting the world’s myths and legends, shows up on adult Jack’s (Chris Evans) doorstep to solicit his help in getting Klaus back. There are talking polar bears, toy cars that turn real, and magic toy shop portals. Evans has an accent that’s impossible to pin down and the editing doesn’t always get the most out of the big action scenes unless The Rock is centered in them. There’s a lot of goofy yet overly serious elements to contend with here.

And yet. It works, and it’s not because of some Christmas magic. It’s because their mission feels truly heartfelt. Because of that early exposition, we care about Nick and Callum’s relationship. It’s heartbreaking to think that Zoe may have to tell every world leader that Christmas is canceled. And it feels earned when Jack slowly learns that he can actually be the father he never had if he just tries.

You can call it corny. You can say it has a few too many low-hanging jokes. You’d be right. But Red One never promises you more or less than exactly that. And nonetheless, the movie has a completely original take on the Santa mythos, strong lore, a few decent action scenes, and a bunch of well-earned, heartfelt moments. Without ever asking you to hold your breath for a sequel, the movie naturally invests you in its vast world of possibilities.

You’ll be yearning to know what other myths and legends could appear in this movie or beyond. And whether it’s slapboxing with giants or riding in Santa’s sleigh with his oversized steads, the action has an appeal that’s assisted by a fair amount of solid creature design. It is genuinely hard to tell if some creatures are CGI, practical, or a mix. Some look a bit goofy, but often, that adds to their appeal.

The minor characters are hit or miss. Bonnie Hunt is severely underutilized as Mrs. Klaus, while Nick Kroll has a few moments of solid physical comedy. Kiernan Shipka fluctuates as the main villain. She has some strong acting moments early on, but as the plot wears on, we see less acting from her and more monologuing, which is a shame. Her minions are aggravatingly stereotypical, but Kristofer Hivju breaks that mold by delivering a nuanced take on the character and his relationship with Santa and Christmas.

The Red One haters are just naughty-listers. The movie is fun and delivers more than its fair share of heartwarming moments. Playing J.K. Simmons against type up against a Rock who clearly cares about this movie diminishes the impact of whatever weird decisions Evans makes at any given time. But Jack’s plot with his estranged son pays off when you see the look on their faces when they finally see each other the way the movie is building towards from the beginning. It’s a fun and creative take on the holiday spirit.

Red One is in theaters everywhere November 15th.