Red One (Review)

Wanting to see some light-hearted entertainment, we decided to go the movie theater and bought tickets to the movie Red One, starring J.K. Simmons and Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, rated PG-13. The film begins with a boy who wants to spoil the mystery of Santa Claus for his friends and how it can’t possibly be true that presents are delivered to all children in one night. He is admonished by an adult as he is revealing his reasons.

Simmons plays Santa, who stays in shape by working out in his gym. We see some biceps instead of a fat gut on this Santa. Bonnie Hunt has a minor role as Santa's wife.

Dark characters include the White Witch and Krampus (Santa's brother).

Callum, played by Dwayne Johnson, is Santa's head of security. He keeps a tight watch over the Santa compound hidden behind a protective invisible dome. Santa's code name is "Red One." They have a security ring around him, similar to the Secret Service. He is important to the world - the giver of gifts to children everywhere, and his safety must be ensured. Santa's operation is quite high-tech because he must make it across the world in one night and deliver all the presents to billions.

Chris Evans plays Jack, a wise-cracking computer hacker, and throughout the movie, I laughed at his facial expressions. His timing is impeccable in every scene, and his sarcasm, coupled with smirks or raised eyebrows, is perfect. We watch Jack doing nefarious deeds and then returning to his computer room. Jack is the reason Santa is kidnapped.

Callum turns to Lucy Liu, who plays Zoe Harlow, the Director of MORA (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority), for assistance in saving Santa. A search ensues to find the cause of Santa's kidnapping, leading them to Jack. He is a "level four naughty-lister." His bad behavior from childhood has turned him into a money-seeking computer genious crook!

Garcia is quite convincing as an ELF security guard (you will get the pun when you see the movie). His open-mouth roar was so realistic and frightening that my back pressed into the theater seat. I enjoyed this character, an enormous polar bear who works under Callum on the North Pole Security team. Maybe a spin off with him could be made.

Jack won't spill the beans, no matter how hard Callum questions him, so Garcia is called in for assistance. When Garcia picks up Jack in his enormous arms—a bear hug for real—and lifts him eight feet off the floor, Jack is ready to give information. Anyone would! Garcia is a very impressive security guard in the guise of a polar bear.

This is an action-comedy movie with sci-fi, fantasy, CGI animals, a decent storyline, and well-rounded characters. The efforts to rescue Santa and the action scenes are intense!There were clever lines and some surprises, and it is an entertaining take on Santa doing his around-the-world trip after his gigantic North Pole Complex completes the production and packaging of the gifts. I did find the white witch a bit taxing, but overall, we enjoyed the movie. I would see it again. My family agreed.

We can now watch Red One during the holidays, replacing The Christmas Story with Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun. I loved the scene in that movie where the kids put tongues on the metal pole and the one when Ralphie goes bezerk on the bully. I insisted we watch that movie each year, for so many years, my adult daughter says, "NOOOOO," if I suggest turning it on! (So I can't resist.)

Copyright © 11/21/2024 by Andrea O. Corwin

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