Breaking into the Christmas genre is no easy task, as there are plenty of contenders who try to fight there way to holiday icon status (at which they become a title synonymous with the holiday, such as Elf, Home Alone or The Grinch) but more often than not they become just another passing snowflake that melts upon impact and is rarely brought up in any future conversations. In 2024 Dwayne Johnson stepped into the ring to square off for the holiday crown with Red One, and he didn’t come alone, bringing Chris Evans along, as well as J.K. Simmons as a shredded Santa Claus, and a blockbuster budget of over $200 million. So, did all of this help Red One enter the holiday record books?
The short answer is no, it did not; however, that doesn’t mean that Red One will just be forgotten. Unlike so many others that take their shot, Red One does at least offer something different and is packed with star power and fun effects that it’s still an entertaining sleigh ride to take, even if it’s not one you’ll be constantly talking about once it lands. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as Callum Drift (I mean, ridiculous, yet fittingly cool leading character name, check. I do partially respect that they didn’t force a Christmas pun in there…you know, to keep things realistic!), the head of Santa’s security team E.L.F. (Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification) who is looking to retire from this job after the upcoming Christmas delivery. Though those plans are put on hold when Nick (Simmons) is kidnapped from the North Pole on Christmas Eve and Drift, alongside MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) have to find and rescue him before Christmas is lost.
Drift and Zoe (Lucy Lui), the Director of MORA, can’t do this alone though, and they recruit freelance hacker Jack O’Malley (Evans) to help locate Santa – considering he’s the one who unknowingly sold the location of Santa’s shop in the North Pole to the kidnappers. Right away we get the back-and-forth banter between Drift and O’Malley that’ll be with us for the remainder of the movie, but for the most part it’s fine.
Not much in the movie tries to break new ground, but it does try to build a mythological universe that could potentially lead into future films. Luckily, it’s not done enough that it hinders this film in any significant way, but it’s clear seeds are being placed. The story is fun enough, with O’Malley being the fish out of water in this mythological world that’s hidden in plain site, but the pacing is the biggest hindrance the movie faces.
I saw this theatrically and while I hadn’t followed news of it prior, I felt halfway through that this was a movie that was better fit for streaming. Low and behold, reading up on it afterwards I found that it was made for instant release on Amazon; however, it was decided that it should be given a theatrical release. This is a movie that could’ve worked, but it would’ve had to have been reworked and tightened up to work properly on the big screen. It sounds weird that a movie could work at home but not in theaters, yet that’s just the feeling it gives and how it’s paced. It’s slower in its delivery, certain scenes go on a bit longer than they normally should, and overall it just feels like a movie that’s more enjoyable to watch in the comfort of your own home – and it is!
When watching this at home there’s a feeling where you can just take it in differently and enjoy things that just kind of dragged on in theaters. Maybe that’s just how we’re programmed now, where we can watch seasons of shows at home, pausing here and there, and continuing without feeling like we’ve missed a beat. When you’re in a theater a movie needs to keep you captivated for 90-120 minutes (or more, depending) or else it isn’t doing its job. At home, pacing gets a bit more leeway, as if things slow down for a moment you can pause and grab a drink or refill your snacks and then continue on with a bit of a fresh spark.
That’s just how Red One feels like it was designed, and while it was okay theatrically (I took my parents, as my mom is a huge fan of all things Christmas, and she enjoyed it enough with the same thoughts about pacing I mentioned. She felt it was entertaining enough, but it just felt a bit long) it does benefit from a viewing with home court advantage. That’s not to say that makes it a fantastic movie at home, but it’s entertaining enough to recommend to someone to try and have them decide for themselves.
My favourite aspect of Red One is actually the cliché “one last job” angle that Drift is facing, as the world we live in truly is incredibly toxic and exhausting these days, so him telling Nick the reason that he wants to retire is because he just doesn’t feel “it” anymore when he looks at how people are acting in the world, and how the Naughty List is so much larger than the Nice List actually hits home quite hard. For a movie that’s (purposefully) beyond unbelievable in its fantasy ways, this reasoning is completely logical and Johnson delivers the reasoning earnestly and in a way that makes it ring true.
Red One is full of cliché and predictable moments, and it does suffer from poor pacing; but it’s also got plenty of family-friendly action, as well as a decent amount of heart and a message that speaks truer than I wish it did these days. The chemistry between Johnson and Evans is good, and the world that they’re attempting (or attempted, as I’m not sure if we’ll ever see a sequel) to create is a fun one, with unique creatures and interesting ideas. While it won’t go onto the yearly list of “must-watch Christmas movies,” I do believe that the star power of Johnson and Evans will at least keep Red One on the radar of fans when the holiday season rolls around.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
The 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer looks solid all around. There are bright beach scenes, neutral street scenes in the day, and some dark, evil aura scenes that still look clean and clear over the course of their search for Santa. Everything looks good and blends nicely together, with details popping in every locale. Overall, there’s no complaints to throw out there with this 4K transfer and if you’re looking to bring this film home then there’s no better choice than this 4K delivery in which to do so.
On the audio side of things we’ve got a Dolby Atmos mix that nails it from start to finish, bringing you into every location with the characters and putting you right in the action – especially during the kidnapping scene, which sees Callum flying all around Santa’s workshop via slides. The dialogue is clean and clear, front and center and never does battle with the sound effects or music mix. As a whole, the audio truly brings you into the film, and the picture looks good enough to keep you there.
Special Features:
Sadly, there are no special features with this release. I’m fairly surprised, as a behind-the-scenes – even one that’s more puff piece than informative – seems like a no-brainer for a movie of this size, and with the stars involved; however, it wasn’t meant to be this time around.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Red One. Directed by: Jake Kasdan. Written by: Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia. Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Lui, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll. Running time: 123 Minutes. Rating: PG-13. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Mar. 4, 2025.
About Brendan Campbell
