‘Red One’ review: America is once again the sponsor of Santa Claus and his party this year
Director: Jake Kasdan | Script: Chris Morgan | Cast: Chris Evans (Jack), Dwayne Johnson (Callum), Lucy Liu (Zoe), JK Simmons (Nick), Bonnie Hunt (Mrs. Claus), each | Playing time: 124 minutes | Year: 2024
‘Santa Claus’ sounds Dutch to us: ‘Sinterklaas’ indeed. The idea of a man giving out gifts each year originally comes from Europe. Americans fused Dutch tradition with other European legends, such as the British “Santa Claus,” into the jolly figure we know from movies and advertisements. Of course, the characteristic feeling of superiority is not lacking: his Santa Claus is a world hero who offers gifts to the entire world. one red goes one step further: behind Santa Claus is an American organization to which all children in the world owe Christmas happiness.
Santa Claus is kidnapped. Unknowingly, illegal digital detective Jack intervened in this, so Santa’s team comes knocking on his door to help track him down. They’re not happy about it, because Jack has been on the “naughty” list since he was a child. Together with Callum, Santa’s muscular right-hand man, Jack sets out to discover where the red and white benefactor is and why he has been kidnapped.
one red It’s an action movie, but not like alone at home of Santa Claus. How could it be any other way with Chris ‘Captain America’ Evans and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in the lead roles? They are an entertaining and enjoyable film with a solid climax, but they don’t create a Christmas feeling. The exciting story and terrifying monsters make one wonder what target group the creators had in mind.
Santa Claus has the secret support of an organization that oversees mythical creatures. The only known one is the ‘Headless Horseman’, the rest are anonymous figures. Among them are monsters and hellhounds, but they are not as cute as the ones in Maze. This is not a Christmas movie for little kids or tweens who quickly find something too scary.
In one scene, Eastern European mercenaries pass by, which gives the film an adult twist, but it’s out of place. It’s still a family movie. The creators take a lot of time to come up with the entire shadow organization, but only briefly elaborate on the underlying universe. It’s like going to men in black It seems like there are only two aliens in the entire movie.
Of course, the organization is run by an American and is made up exclusively of American employees. The film hints that everything related to Christmas and mythical creatures is led by the United States. Even the Harry Potter stories point out that magic is global and not exclusively British. The film offers a one-sided view of Christmas and ignores the fact that Christmas is not as big everywhere as it is in America. one red That’s why he feels megalomaniacal and arrogant.
Aside from this American Christmas claim, it’s not a bad movie. It contains the universal message that within every bad person there is a good, innocent child, and that adults would do well to remember this (and act accordingly). It’s also the reason behind the best joke in the entire movie: people are angry because essential oils are running out everywhere.
The chemistry between Evans and Johnson is excellent, it is an entertaining duo. They could have been on each other’s lips a little more, and it’s predictable where this goes, but they provide plenty of laughs. Kiernan Shipka as the villain is an odd choice, but not a bad one. JK Simmons as a muscular Santa is perfect. Although his screen time is understandably limited, he could have had a few more jokes.
Despite being two hours long, the film feels fast. The bigger evil plan isn’t revealed too quickly, there’s a slight plot twist, and it’s full of little jokes (I have no idea why Johnson calls a newly revived chicken “Ellen,” but it works). The climax is typical of an action movie: not bad, but it doesn’t give the movie any extra dimension or deeper appreciation.
Warner Bros. I’m early by releasing a Christmas movie in early November. Of course they hope that this becomes a classic that is broadcast at the end of each year. Given the low Christmas content, this is not very likely, but a specific visit to the cinema is possible, but without the little ones.