Red One

NOW IN THEATERS! There was a time when audiences would watch a movie solely based on its star power—a concept known as the “movie star.” Are we running out of movie stars, or are filmmakers prioritizing star power over storytelling? Does the Christmas story, Red One, 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 (ELF) security guard, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), to rescue him with help from the North Pole’s ‘CIA,’ led by Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) and, of course, Mrs. Claus (Bonnie Hunt).

The only clue they have is the identity of the hacker, Jack (Chris Evans), who was able to find the location of Santa’s Workshop on the North Pole. Jack struggles to be a good father to his son, and being abducted by Callum only worsens his parental challenges.

We soon 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 (voiced by Reinaldo Faberlle) and Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) himself to save the day.

“Jack and Callum enlist the help of a talking polar bear and Krampus himself to save the day.”

Red One is a boring movie that tries to be many things and ends 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. There is the deadbeat dad subplot, but that really doesn’t play until the movie’s end.

The Santa’s workshop lore is fine, but elements of it seem to be made up to propel the plot rather than give us anything authentic about the Krampus or Gryla legend. Though not a traditional Krampus story, the inauthenticity of the lore leaves little for audiences to connect with.

Let’s face it: Red One is a vehicle for Duane Johnson and Chris Evans to star in an action movie together. Christmas is used to boost the box office. The action is mediocre and relies heavily on CG. I suppose it’s fine for a Christmas story, but I’m over it. Ultimately, it’s a film that checks all the action and Christmas boxes but relegates the emotional holiday story to the back burner. At the end of the day, story will always be king.

While Red One boasts an impressive cast and a festive backdrop, it struggles to deliver the magic and heart of a true Christmas story. 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.