Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans Save Christmas In Red One
The holidays have arrived early in the form of a holly jolly team up between Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in Red One.
The Christmas caper finds The Rock as Callum Drift, the head of Santa Claus’ (J.K. Simmons) security team, who has lost his holiday cheer and become jaded by the job. A day away from retirement, his whole world is turned upside down when Santa is kidnapped from the North Pole just hours before Christmas! Alongside a Level 4 Naughty Lister in the form of the world’s best tracker Jack O’Malley (Evans), the duo go on a high-stakes adventure to save Santa.
Red One is an action-packed holiday showdown, but my favorite part had to be the mythology and world building introduced. They level up the holiday magic we know and love, while adding a fresh perspective with mythological characters we don’t often see represented. Regular toys are elevated into tools and epic rides thanks to Callum’s gadgets that channels the spirit of Christmas. There’s even a new look at Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) and the surprising introduction of Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), the Christmas witch.
Where the film falters is in its supporting cast. Actors like Lucy Lui and Bonnie Hunt are underutilized, while the polar bear Agent Garcia just comes across as cringeworthy. For a Christmas movie, the North Pole also could’ve been a bit more festive. It looked more like a high-tech military base than the home of Santa Claus.
All in all, Red One offers a heartwarming message of second chances and re-finding the holiday spirit at any age. A blast for the whole family!
Red One hits theaters on November 15.
