'Red One' Review - Even Santa Cannot Save This Flawed Festive Flick

A Christmas film, in November? Red One, the newest action/Christmas film starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu and more seemed to stir intrigue due to its stellar cast and interesting premise involving a 'heist' to save santa after being kidnapped. And even I'll admit, its intriguing - and one can only hope for at least a good time for a movie of this nature - some dumb fun to spend the lead-up to christmas. Though unfortunately, this movie ends up being a massive cash grab for the masses as it's set to go straight to streaming in time for the christmas period. Red One is a cliched mess, and this is the case for several elements of its prolonged narrative.

To begin, the film spends more time developing overused tropes rather than trying to flesh out anything original. 

As expected, we suffer from lackluster character development - with most characters following painfully predictable arcs rooted in overdone holiday themes. The family-centered tropes—think estranged relatives reconnecting, or characters learning the “true meaning” of Christmas—come across as recycled, there is no fresh perspective. This leaves the cast, despite their star power, constrained to generic, cookie-cutter roles.

Red One (Amazon MGM)

The narrative only worsens as the film progresses, veering into cringe-worthy territory rather than building anything genuinely engaging. Although there are a few fun moments, mainly when Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans simply lean into the absurdity, these scenes are rare. Even with their charisma, the two leads don’t get the chance to showcase much of their acting chops, though Johnson does feel at home in his role as a gruff, holiday hero. It’s clear that both actors are game for the ride, but the script and direction fall short, leaving them stranded in a sea of overplayed jokes and formulaic dialogue.

Visually, the film disappoints as well. The CGI is clunky and intrusive, failing to immerse the viewer in the holiday spectacle it aspires to create. Action sequences, which should be highlights in a heist-themed adventure, feel poorly choreographed and rushed, undercutting any potential thrills with unconvincing special effects and awkward staging. What should have been thrilling and festive set pieces end up looking like unfinished cutscenes from a budget video game, detracting from the film’s intended blockbuster appeal.

Red One (Amazon MGM)

Ultimately, Red One is more holiday filler than festive favorite, relying on its big-name cast and holiday branding to pull in viewers. While it may offer a few laughs and moments of charm, its predictable plot, shallow character arcs, and subpar visuals prevent it from becoming the fun, memorable holiday action movie it aims to be.