Red One: Movie Review

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, JK Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Nick Kroll
Director: Jake Kasdan

There's a kernel of a great idea and concept in Red One, a film about the kidnapping of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

It has potential for a perennial Christmas Odd Couple film, but what permeates much of a bloated runtime is a lot of dark and dour CGI that never quite hits the mark.

Johnson plays the wearied bodyguard Cal, the head of security for Red One (AKA Santa AKA JK Simmons). On the eve of his retirement because he can't see the good in people anymore, Cal finds himself paired off with the world's number one tracker and perennial naughty list inhabiter, The Wolf aka Jack O'Malley (Evans, in a flatly humorous role) as they try and save Christmas - while working out who is behind the snatching.

While having a lot of potential as a festive film, Kasdan drapes proceedings in so much visual darkness, dour tones and a lot of ropey CGI. The end result means what could have been a frothy odd couple dramedy, complete with two leads who usually radiate charisma, is little more than a snoozefest that squanders its high concept.

Johnson is dialled down gruffness - with an obvious arc of a cynic being once again turned into a believer - and Evans is a wearied disbeliever whose journey is also obviously signposted. But whereas the two could have had frothy chemistry, most moments between the pair (other than toward the end) feel flat and uninspired.

It's a shame because the world-building and the Christmas backstory sets up several intriguing propositions and potential for enough mythos to propel any further stories and ideas. Bringing in the Krampus story and the idea of the world being swamped in naughtiness are good solid ideas, but here in Kasdan's hands, they feel limp, unexplored and unnecessarily dour.

Sadly, this Christmas tale lacks any of the magic you'd expect of a film entrant this time of year - complete with any lacking stand-out sequences, it's incredibly flat and while not entirely without some charm and potential, Red One feels like it could have placed just a little bit more under the cinematic Christmas tree.