RED ONE – A Review by John Strange
It’s time again to watch Christmas movies! Red One takes a whole new look at the Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus legend. Unlike Tim Allen’s 1994 The Santa Clause, Red One’s Santa Claus is a buff older man, who regularly works out to keep up his stamina.
There are lots of other differences as well. This is a film with some dark scenes. The only example I can give comes from the trailer, the evil snowmen! They are bad to the bone (or snow)! But at its heart, this is a story of hope and love.
Shot for IMAX, this film’s action sequences are a bit bigger than other films of this genre. The bad guys and the not-so-bad guys are fun to discover, and in some cases, are very eye-opening. That also goes for the good guys, who all work for either M.O.R.A. (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) or E.L.F. (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification). Think of them like the FBI and the Secret Service, only with MUCH better gadgets!
Dwayne Johnson plays Callum Drift, commander of E.L.F. while Lucy Liu plays Zoe Harlow, the head of M.O.R.A. Another notable talent in the film is Bonnie Hunt as “MC”, who gives as good as she gets in the family business. Her husband is played by J.K. Simmons as the buffest Santa who was ever portrayed in a Christmas movie!
As the required ne’er-do-well who is redeemed, Chris Evans plays a young man who grew up not believing in Santa. He isn’t a very good person overall, and he’s a terrible father to his son, Dylan (Wesley Kimmel).
This is a fun film to watch on the IMAX screen. I put it ahead of The Santa Clause series (my previous favorites). I think it has a very good chance to have legs this season and to become a yearly classic on the digital circuit. I plan to buy a copy as soon as it becomes available to be ready for next year!
Director: Jake Kasdan
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel and J.K. Simmons
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for action, some violence, and language)
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 122 Min.
Release Date: 11/15/2024
Wide Release
Language: English
Genre: Holiday Comedy, Action, Adventure,
Movie Site: RED ONE Official Site
Trailer: RED One Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
