The latest in an ongoing trend of action-packed Christmas movies, J.K. Simmons takes on the white beard from Kurt Russell, Mel Gibson and David Harbour in Red One, a $200 million Amazon MGM Studios streaming-turned-theatrical production that blends genres for some family-friendly holiday fun with a generous dose of self-aware absurdity.
The action comedy, which reteams filmmaker Jake Kasdan with his Jumanji leading man Dwayne Johnson, follows the latter as Callum Drift, the head of North Pole security, who is ready to retire just as Simmons’ Santa — code name: Red One — is kidnapped two days before Christmas Eve. With the help of legendary tracker and “Level 4 Naughty Lister” Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), Callum pays a visit to a few Christmas folk legends come to life, in the form of Kristofer Hivju’s Krampus and Kiernan Shipka‘s Grýla, the Christmas witch.
The star-studded ensemble also includes Lucy Liu as Zoe Harlow, a Nick Fury surrogate for this mythological universe; Bonnie Hunt as a Mrs. Claus who would probably fit right in on the Real Housewives; plus Nick Kroll and Mary Elizabeth Ellis.
Red One features plenty of action sequences for Johnson and Evans, plus a little for Liu. Even though Simmons is unconscious for most of the film, he gets in some rooftop parkour after Christmas is ultimately saved (with an eye-roll from the skeptical Jack, who’s there to verbalize what all of us cynical Grinch types are thinking). It wouldn’t have hurt to have Hunt kick some butt as well, since she and Simmons certainly break from the Santa and Mrs. Claus mold, working out together in their home gym. Who knew Santa was so hot?
‘Red One’
Frank Masi/Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection
And while finding the true meaning of Christmas might be an outdated concept, Santa does what he does best as an American marketing tool. The ultimate naughty vs. nice dilemma takes on a more nuanced perspective, teaching kids that they aren’t the sum of their naughty acts, and it’s never too late to be nice, a lesson learned by Evans’ Jack and his son Dylan (Wesley Kimmel). The deadbeat dad ultimately reconnects with his son, and in the process, his inner child — something Johnson’s Callum experiences in a much more absurdly literal sense when he regains the ability to see people’s inner child at the end, restoring his faith in the job.
Yes, it’s cheesy, but this movie is best when it leans heavily into the cheese. If that makes your eyes roll, keep in mind this is a Christmas movie ultimately intended for kids who’ve made it all the way through the MCU on Disney+ twice and their parents now need a reprieve. There are still some jokes aimed at the cold-hearted adult who will inevitably be dragged along on the family cinema outing.
Red One leans into the camp factor, taking itself so seriously that it whips back around to being totally absurd, 100% committed to the bit, with dialogue about the Naughty List that sounds like they could be talking about nuclear codes. It’s like when a toddler hands you a fake phone, you answer that call. Kasdan and screenwriter Chris Morgan definitely answered the call.
With a first installment ripe with DC and Marvel alums (and Hunt), it’s easy to imagine a holiday action franchise taking off in this climate of existing IP. After all, the Santa we’ve come to know in U.S. culture was originally an 1863 illustration for Harper’s Weekly with the intent of making children behave and spreading capitalism … so not much has changed. And although the idea of a Christmas cinematic universe might initially make one’s eyes roll, the addition of Krampus and other lesser known holiday lore offers a refreshing take. If Tim Allen can get three movies and a two-season Disney+ series as Santa, this is a franchise I can get behind.
Lucy Liu in ‘Red One’
Frank Masi/Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection
Producers are Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia and Melvin Mar, with executive producers Johnson, Morgan and Kasdan.
Title: Red One
Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios
Release date: November 15, 2024
Director: Jake Kasdan
Screenwriter: Chris Morgan; story by Hiram Garcia
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel, J.K. Simmons
Rating: PG-13
Running time: 2 hr 2 mins