Film: Red One

We have officially entered the Holiday Season. The weather is starting to turn, outdoor plans are on the horizon, and films to distract you from your family are arriving. In recent years these wholesome seasonal stories are blanketed with sarcasm and action, straying into untapped territory, and the most recent example of this is Jake Kasdan’s excellent new film Red One.

Written by Chris Morgan and Hiram Garcia, Red One is a single-focused film, Santa Claus, (J.K. Simmons) code name Red One, has been kidnapped. The head of his security, Drift (Dwayne Johnson) reluctantly teams up with the infamous tracker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) as they travel around the globe in search of Red One. It may be a simple storyline, but elaborate situations unfold to fill out this robust holiday action film.

And action there is. With the yearly discussion on whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie (yes, it is), Red One will never be up for debate. The action is embedded within Christmas elements, so while there is extravagant action, the focus is always on the holiday feels. For me, this blend of the two opposing elements makes the film fun, which is what Kasdan is wonderful at, look at how wonderful of a ride the two Jumanji films were. You could tell he had fun with blending the action with the holiday fair by being creative. It’s not every day you see a  Christmas movie with buff ice monster snowmen wreaking havoc, but in Red One you surely do. The action allows the film to expand the mythology of holiday creatures into something unique. 

This is unlike any film you’ve seen, and that in and of itself is entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, though, the elements of Christmas go beyond snowmen and elves. There is also the heart that Christmas movies generally exhibit. It’s about building relationships and looking past the outward appearance to see who someone is deep down. Some may see this as an afterthought, but I think it worked well into the plot. There was a through line they explored from Drift to O’Malley, and the payoff made sense. Holiday movies are supposed to be a bit cheesy in the emotions department, this movie fits that stereotype well.

Who better to lead an action film than Johnson and Evans. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like this, but I enjoy watching any film with either of these two actors. They both bring joy to everything they're in, with chemistry always on point with their fellow cast members. When you have both in one film, it’s just a blast to watch. They bounced well off each other, allowing their opposing characters time to shine and lift the other up when needed. 

The cast in general is wonderful. Supporting players like Lucy Liu, who plays the head of a world mythological protection agency, Kristofer Hivju, who brings to life the other infamous Christmas being of Krampus, and Kiera Shipka, who plays villain Gryla, the film is well-rounded with acting talent. It’s fun to see this group interact with each other, bringing their own brand of energy to the film. Each of these actors has such an impressive and vast resume, but seeing them together in a project that is pure entertainment was enjoyable.

Red One is an enjoyable holiday film with little of everything to satisfy the masses. It’s a unique talking point in the conversations about holiday action films, and one that is a perfect excuse to escape the rollercoaster that is the holidays. Its main purpose is supposed to be entertainment, and it succeeded.

Written by Lisa M Mejia
Images provided by Amazon MGM Studios