NOW IN THEATERS! There was a time when audiences would watch a movie solely based on its star power. This was a concept known as the “movie star.” While good in theory, basing an entire film around one or two A-listers occasionally led filmmakers to prioritize star power over storytelling. Does director Jake Kasdan’s Dwayne Johnson/Chris Evans vehicle Red One, written by Chris Morgan from a story by Hiram Garcia, fall into this trap?
Santa (J.K. Simmons) has been kidnapped by his evil sister Gryla (Kiernan Shipka). Now, it’s up to his Enforcement Logistics and Fortification (E.L.F.) security guard, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), to rescue him with help from the North Pole’s C.I.A., led by Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) and Mrs. Claus (Bonnie Hunt). The only clue they have is the identity of a hacker, Jack (Chris Evans), who was able to find the location of Santa’s Workshop. Callum abducts Jack because the North Pole needs his skills to track down “Red One.”
We learn that Gryla plans to siphon off Santa’s magic to forever trap every “naughty lister” on Earth in her evil snowglobes. To find Santa, Jack and Callum enlist the help of a talking polar bear (Reinaldo Faberlle) and Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) himself to save the day. Jack is struggling to be a good father to his young son, and this wild, life-threatening predicament only worsens his parental challenges. Can Santa, and therefore Christmas, be saved? Will Jack learn how to be the parent his child needs him to be?

“Callum abducts Jack because the North Pole needs his skills to track down ‘Red One.’”
Red One is a boring movie that tries to be many things only to end up being nothing. First, it’s a Christmas movie. Christmas movies are meant to embody the spirit of the holiday, not just use Christmas as a superficial overlay for an action film. Sadly, that is the case here, as Christmas is used to boost the box office and little else. The deadbeat dad subplot doesn’t play any role in motivation until the end.
The lore behind how Santa’s workshop operates is fine. However, elements of it seem to be made up to propel the narrative forward rather than organic to this world and version of Saint Nick. Nor does the plot give us anything authentic about the Krampus or Gryla legends that could have been much more fun. The inauthenticity of the lore leaves little for audiences to connect with.
Let’s face it: Red One is a vehicle for Johnson and Evans to star in an action movie together. Unfortunately, the action is mediocre and relies heavily on CGI. Due to the abundant computer graphics, there’s little that feels real, robbing the story of whatever stakes it could have built up. Ultimately, this is a film that checks all the action and Christmas boxes haphazardly while relegating the emotional sentiments of the holiday to the back burner.
While Red One boasts an impressive cast and a festive backdrop, it struggles to deliver the magic and heart of a true Christmas classic. Instead, it leans heavily on star power and CGI action, sidelining any holiday spirit that could have made it special. In the end, it’s a reminder that while stars may shine, a great story is what truly lights up the screen.