I have a fondness for Christmas movies but even more importantly, my favorite Christmas movie is an action film. So when I saw the trailers for Red One I was excited. With a fantastic cast and promises of exhilarating action, I looked forward to seeing the film. What I discovered when I watched the screening was a film full of Christmas magic, a well designed and detailed world full of mythological elements, fun action, and great acting from Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and the entire cast.

Red One is a Christmas action adventure fantasy comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan from an original story by Hiram Garcia. In the film, Santa’s head commander of E.L.F (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification) security, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), has asked to retire after one last Christmas, disillusioned by humanity and the naughty list. On Christmas Eve, a black ops team breaks into the North Pole and kidnaps Santa (J.K. Simmons). The head of M.O.R.A. (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) director Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) discovers that the North Pole was compromised by hacker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans). She and Callum recruit Jack to help find Santa as he claims to be able to find anything in the world. They team up to find Santa, soon finding out that the witch Gryla (Kiernan Shipka) has taken him for her own nefarious reasons. The pair confront Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) for information but the question soon becomes will they find Santa in time to save Christmas from Gryla’s plans. And will Jack be able to reconcile with his teenage son, Dylan (Wesley Kimmel)? The film also stars Bonnie Hunt as Mrs. Claus and Nick Kroll.

One of the elements that captured my attention with this movie is all the details of the world. There are incredible layers of worldbuilding that help the audience suspend disbelief. The reindeer that fly the sleigh are all female. The way the security force is able to create and use toys to help them on their mission is a fun bit. I love how they created a system for travel in the film. Even small matters like how Santa came into being and the use of Krampus in the story all feel natural and make great use of the mythology behind Christmas, adding in details from around the world that we might not be as familiar with in America. I also like that Santa is written as a tough, spry guy due to his need to deliver so many presents all in one night. From the creation of MORA to the ELF security team, there are a lot of fun elements that help make the film exciting. The set design is very slick and this aids the action, providing a compelling backdrop to the story details. 

The action doesn’t miss a beat. From the very beginning, Chris Evans gets to show off moves that help demonstrate his character in little ways like being able to steal objects and get into a secure building. Dwayne Johnson is a good choice for head of security. When he tells a man to back away from Santa, he doesn’t get much arguing. The chase scene when Santa is discovered missing is exciting but even more fun is the capture of Jack. The team up as he and Callum hunt for Santa keeps the film moving. 

The comedic moments also shine. Chris Evans is hilarious as Jack. His sarcasm and reactions to finding out Santa is real are some of the funniest moments in the movie. Callum Drift is the more serious character and the interactions between him and Jack are part of the comedy especially with polar opposite personalities.There are also some funny scenes with Krampus as he forces his guests to play violent games. Personally, I think Krampus steals the show a bit especially with some of his dialogue.

The best character growth is with Chris Evan’s character Jack as he learns to be a better person. Chris Evans balances the humor and cynicism of his character well, and his character growth is believable, especially in his interactions with Dwayne Johnson and the actor playing his son. Dwayne Johnson gives a solid performance. His dynamic with Chris Evans is rich with humor and there is change in his character as well. J.K. Simmons is terrific as Santa, warm and caring, his council of holding hope for the naughty list heartwarming. Kristofer Hivju as Krampus is absolutely fantastic, funny and steals the scenes he’s in. Lucy Liu kicks butt as Director Zoe Harlow. I found Bonnie Hunt charming as Mrs. Claus and the rest of the cast were excellent.

What I did find is that most of what happened in the film was telegraphed from the very beginning. While the action and comedy were well written, the plot was actually predictable. There were a couple small surprises but most of the story was clear from the very beginning. This is a film about redemption and it tells that story very much by the numbers. I also happen to love Lucy Liu as an actress and while she was quite good in her role, I felt that she wasn’t given enough time on screen. Her character felt a bit wasted. Despite a very slick design and wonderful story details, the film had a touch less heart because I knew what was coming. I still had fun, the movie was full of action and was funny.

If you like Christmas movies with action and comedy, I do think the team up between Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson will be satisfying. Chris Evans is playing a complex cynical character, far different from his superhero role which I love. The world of Red One is incredibly detailed and well thought out, exploring the mythology of the winter holiday and adding Christmas magic to the film. There were quite a few funny moments and the action scenes were explosive, especially the end scenes. The acting of J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Lucy Liu and Kristofer Hivju were fantastic. I loved the dynamic between Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson. If you like stories about saving Christmas, I found this film fun and exciting. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 reindeer. 

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