★★★☆☆
The newest holiday movie Red One, directed by Jake Kasdan, is a jolly and eventful holiday escapade with some big-name actors and impressive creative directions. Still, the film lacks any emotional impact amid the mediocre story and writing.
Red One follows protagonists Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) and Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson). Both characters wrestle with their internal conflicts throughout the film.
O’Malley, a mercenary hacker and the father of Dylan (Wesley Kimmel) struggles with his neglectful nature and inability to be present for his son. Drift, chief of the North Pole’s Enforcement of Logistics and Fortification, otherwise known as E.L.F., is responsible for protecting Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons).
Drift notes early in the movie that he grows weary of his role.
“I love the kids,” Drift laments to Santa, feeling unmotivated over the constantly growing naughty list. “It’s the grown-ups that are killing me.”
Drift and Santa agree to one last sleigh ride before parting ways. Shortly after, Santa is abducted by a mysterious winter witch named Gryla (Kiernan Shipka). Drift tracks down O’Malley, seeking leads to Santa’s whereabouts. Finally, the paths of the protagonists cross, and the journey to save Christmas begins in a dire race against time.
One of the best parts of the film is the fantastical imagery. Red One is unafraid to imagine the scale that a genuine Christmas operation would need to function, and it invents the technology to make that vision possible. In that respect, the North Pole is reminiscent of Wakanda from Marvel’s Black Panther.
Characters like the talking polar bear Agent Garcia (Reinaldo Faberlle) or the giant snow monsters are all instances of the picture’s spirit shining brightly through all of its scenes.
The film thematically emphasizes the empowerment of individual choice, specifically to act morally. The movie claims through its story that it’s never too late to try to be a better person. O’Malley’s plot with his son embodies these ideas, and the pair’s reconciliation runs parallel to O’Malley’s redemption.
One of the biggest issues with the movie is its general shallowness. With a PG-13 rating, Red One is intended for a teenage audience. Because the film is catered toward a younger audience, there is a missed opportunity to dive into more emotional depth and make the cinema feel the plights of O’Malley. Evans’ performance effectively generates sympathy for his shortcomings, but an absence of backstory makes it hard for the audience to empathize with O’Malley.
Other shortcomings in writing came from immersion-breaking lines. The movie is self-aware and does not take itself too seriously, but when bouncing back and forth from comedy to gravity, cliché lines like, “look what the cat dragged in,” from Santa, rip the audience out of the scene because of their inherent cringe.
Despite the ups and downs, there is enough soul put into Red One such that labeling it a “cash grab” would do it a disservice. Red One arrives along with holiday music to kick off the holiday season celebrations early. The film manages to stand out with its fun and creative personality that will keep audiences engaged and laughing throughout.
