Red One 2024
6.6 /10
112 Votes
After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous bounty hunter in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Videos & Photos
All 12 Videos & 32 Photoscast
Full Cast & Crew... Callum Drift
... Jack O'Malley
... Nick
... Zoe
... Gryla
... Mrs. Claus
... Krampus
... Ted
... Dylan
... Olivia
User reviews
See All 2 ReviewsA review by CinemaSerf
10 November 2024
I thought this came to the cinemas about a month early, but it's still an amiable adventure showcase for Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. It all starts on Christmas Eve when Santa Clause (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped from his North Pole home. It's retirement time for his head of security "Cal" (Johnson) so he's not best pleased after hundreds of years - and working with "Zoe" (Lucy Lui) he has to find out just how his boss's security was compromised in the first place - and then get to the rescuing bit. That search leads them to tech whizz "Jack" (Chris Evans) but he hadn't any idea whom his client actually was. After a rocky start, the two men must pull their resources and save Santa before Christmas really does start to deal with all of us on the naughty list. It's got bits of "Elf" in it, mingled with some "Harry Potter" elements and to be fair to all concerned, they all look like they are having some fun amidst a surfeit of CGI and very tightly choreographed action scenes that mix the modern and the mythological entertainingly enough. Simmons and Liu don't really feature so much and the moral of good vs evil isn't lost in the delivery but it isn't laboured either. Perhaps it's not a movie you will ever remember seeing, but as far as it goes it's a fun vehicle for it's stars to cheer us up as the festivities approach without too much sentiment or cheese.
Reviews of
Red One
I thought this came to the cinemas about a month early, but it's still an amiable adventure showcase for Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. It all starts on Christmas Eve when Santa Clause (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped from his North Pole home. It's retirement time for his head of security "Cal" (Johnson) so he's not best pleased after hundreds of years - and working with "Zoe" (Lucy Lui) he has to find out just how his boss's security was compromised in the first place - and then get to the rescuing bit. That search leads them to tech whizz "Jack" (Chris Evans) but he hadn't any idea whom his client actually was. After a rocky start, the two men must pull their resources and save Santa before Christmas really does start to deal with all of us on the naughty list. It's got bits of "Elf" in it, mingled with some "Harry Potter" elements and to be fair to all concerned, they all look like they are having some fun amidst a surfeit of CGI and very tightly choreographed action scenes that mix the modern and the mythological entertainingly enough. Simmons and Liu don't really feature so much and the moral of good vs evil isn't lost in the delivery but it isn't laboured either. Perhaps it's not a movie you will ever remember seeing, but as far as it goes it's a fun vehicle for it's stars to cheer us up as the festivities approach without too much sentiment or cheese.
The star-studded cast, featuring J.K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Chris Evans, and Dwayne Johnson, brings a decent level of chemistry to the screen, which is one of the movie's few strengths. While the actors clearly enjoy playing off each other, the story itself is expectedly generic, relying heavily on predictable holiday tropes. The script fails to inject enough fun to offset its cliché formulas, and despite its festive intentions, the film feels stuck in cruise control, never quite capturing the magic or excitement one might hope for from a Christmas blockbuster. Technically, RED ONE falters with its visuals. Almost every scene feels confined to a studio setting, and inconsistent VFX work makes it difficult to stay immersed in the story. The action sequences, though admittedly frequent, are mostly dimly lit, which diminishes any potential impact they might have had. None of these set pieces stand out, leaving viewers with little to savor beyond the familiar faces on screen. While it's not as terrible as some have claimed, Jake Kasdan ultimately delivers just another forgettable holiday flick, weighed down by formulaic storytelling and overshadowed - quite literally - by its murky, dark aesthetic. Rating: C-
Cast & Crew of
Red One
Directing
... Additional Second Assistant Director
... Director
Crew
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Fight Choreographer
... Stunt Double
... Stunt Double
... Stunt Coordinator
... Fight Choreographer
... Stunt Double
... Stunt Double
... Stunt Coordinator
Writing
... Story
... Screenplay
Production
... Producer
... Producer
... Producer
... Producer
... Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Co-Producer
... Producer
... Co-Producer
... Unit Production Manager
... Associate Producer
... Casting
... Casting
... Casting
Costume & Make-Up
... Makeup Artist
... Special Effects Makeup Artist
... Special Effects Makeup Artist
... Costumer
... Key Costumer
... Special Effects Makeup Artist
... Costume Design
... Makeup Designer
Art
... Set Designer
... Set Dresser
... Storyboard Artist
... Concept Artist
... Graphic Designer
... Production Design
Sound
... Original Music Composer
Visual Effects
... Digital Compositor
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Visual Effects Producer
Editing
Camera
... Director of Photography