By Mark Fields
Holiday-Themed Action Comedy Tries, Fails to Replicate Other Formulas
We’ve all gotten Christmas presents that looked so much more appealing and intriguing with their outside packaging than the contents eventually, disappointingly reveal themselves to be. Red One is one of those questionable gifts, a beguiling premise with an encouraging pedigree that ultimately fails to deliver.
Dwayne Johnson plays Callum Drift, head of security for Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), referred to by the title of Red One. Drift is planning to retire from his position a few days before Christmas when unknown assailants kidnap Santa with sinister motives. He reluctantly joins forces with an opportunistic cyber-criminal (Chris Evans) to find and return Red One in time for his annual gift distribution trip around the world.
What follows is a mishmash of themes and rhythms that never really gel together into a coherent narrative. A little bit action comedy, a little international espionage thriller, a little CGI fantasy epic, a little PG holiday movie…a lot of mess. It’s difficult to figure out who the target audience for Red One really is. The movie features adult humor and action that’s not quite appropriate for the younger demographic typical of Christmas movies. But, it’s also wistful and idealistic in a way ill-suited for followers of action films.
The production team behind the movie suggests its schizophrenic nature. Director Jake Kasdan was also responsible for the recent Jumanji reboots (which not coincidentally starred Johnson). Screen Chris Morgan comes from the Fast and Furious franchise (occasionally featuring Johnson again!). But the styles of these cinematic tentpoles are somewhat incompatible, at least in their execution here. More than anything, Red One feels like it was genetically engineered to be a seasonal hit.
There are moments of surprise and delight in Red One, and a few genuine feels. Simmons, specifically, finds the charm in his portrayal of a fit, conscientious St. Nick. But much of the rest of the talented cast (that also includes Lucy Liu and Bonnie Hunt) serves merely as living cogs in this unexpectedly grim and disappointing Yuletide machine.
