Christmas movies usually have one thing in common: there is a character that has lost their way or “Christmas Spirit”. Throughout the movie, we see this character being shown images from their past, shown people in the Christmas spirit, and by the end of the movie they have found their way again. Red One is that movie with a twist. We are introduced to two characters Collum Drift, played by Dwayne Johnson, and Jack O’Malley, played by Chris Evans, who are at different spectrums of the Christmas spirit. Cullom is Santa’s Number One head of security. Cullom is at the point where he doesn’t find joy in the season due to the way the adults act now. He feels they are rude and just don’t care about anyone else anymore. Yeah, the talk about people being rude does come off heavy but if you feel the shoe fits…maybe look in the mirror.
Alright, preaching aside, Cullom makes a decision that will alter his relationship with Santa. During this time, we are introduced to Jack. Jack is an infamous bounty hunter who can find anyone. His only priority is himself. We see that when it comes to helping out his family. Jack would rather sleep in a tub with pizza than help out when needed. As you can expect, putting these two characters together will lead to some hilarious and heartwarming moments. What happens to make these two team up? Red one AKA Santa, played by a buff JK Simmons, is kidnapped and Cullom has to use Jack’s skills to find him.
The movie switches to a buddy cop flick as the two men go out to try to find where Santa has been taken. It is great to see how the mythological world of the North Pole gives access to how Santa can travel throughout the world in one night. Through Callum, we see how all toy stores are connected and make for easy travel from one location to another. We also get to see how Callum can alter the reality of toys to use them in their search for Santa. A lot of Christmas elements are explored in the movie and again, it is great how Red One expands the mythology of Christmas.
In saying this, we get to learn a little more backstory on the relationship between Santa Claus and Krampus. The tale that Callum shares with Jack is interesting and it is cool to hear about what happened to this relationship. The entire scene at Krampus’ castle is incredible to watch and seeing all of the characters in there makes us wish we could see more stories about those characters.
As the movie progresses we understand the importance of believing in characters like Santa Claus and believing in oneself. Christmas takes on different meanings in our lives as we get older and because of this, it tends to lose its magic. Red One shows us through Callum and Jack that as jaded as we get in our lives, there are still things to hold on to. We may get older and have different views but if we focus hard enough we can get those feelings again and enjoy the true spirit of the holidays. Red One does have some moments of cringe in the story but it is a fun Christmas story that will put a smile on your face.
Final Thoughts: Red One is a great throwback to Christmas movies but with a twist. The combination of Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans is hilarious and the team we did not know we needed. Having Santa kidnapped is an interesting way to tell a story about finding yourself again and making positive changes in your life. The action sequences are imaginative and
Kid-Friendly: The story of still believing in the goodness of people is a great theme in today’s time. Kids will gain a lot from this message. There are a good amount of curse words said throughout the movie and an F-word is interrupted in one scene. Seeing the growth of Callum and Jack is also great for kids to see.
Violence: There are a lot of action and fighting sequences. The fight scenes are on par with anything that has been shown in Marvel movies.
After Santa Claus – Code Name: RED ONE – is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.