Dog’s Movie House: “Red One” A Christmas Movie Disguised As An Action Film!

The centrak conceit of “Red One” is that Santa Claus requires Secret Service-like protection. That comes in the form of Callum Drift (Johnson) a tank of an Elf who takes his responsiblities very seriously. But as the movie opens, Callum’s having a crisis of faith and plans to retire shortly after this last Christmas. He still loves the kids but the adults and their self-absorbed antics are causing him to doubt his purpose. Despite Saint Nick’s encouragement, the Naughty List is larger than ever.

Enter Jack O’Malley (Evans) an expert hacker, tracker, and mercenary with a gambling problem who’s been on the Naughty List for decades. When his latest job for an annonymous employer results in the kidnapping of Santa by a deadly witch with designs on punishing everyone on the Naughty List, Callum and Zoe (Liu) the head of a government organization regulating mythological entities, recruit Jack to help track down Santa and save Christmas.

So “Red One” works the holiday theme and wraps it around the framework of an action movie. The first third is a little jarring as the entire Secret Service and military aspect is played straight. I don’t think Johnson smiles once during this part of the film. The movie picks up when Johnson and Evans are teamed together, their chemistry allowing Johnson’s natural charisma to shine through a bit. Evans is a hoot as the pessemistic O’Malley who hasn’t believed in Santa Claus since he was a child. As Evan’s serves as something as an audience surrogate for us, it allows Kasdan and his team to delve deep into the world building aspects of “Red One.” Explanations for the list, how Santa and his team travel the world so quickly, and a device that allows Callum to make toys into real transports and weapons (think Hot Wheels as real vehicles), and interesting takes on snowmen and reindeer, all give the movie a unique feel.

The mythology of “Red One” is interesting as well, with big parts for such characters as Krampus and the witch Gryla. Krampus, in particular gets a meaty roll and is played with a combination of flash and meloncholy by Kristopher Hivju. Gryla, played by Kiernan Shipka, is the primary villain of the film and she has some good scenes, particularly during the finale. The idea of different cultures being involved in the Christmas holiday really presents a sense of world community that reinforces the idea of unification through giving during the holidays.

The performances are all uniformly good, with Evans and Johnson enjoying an easy chemistry. Hivju has a sense of playfulness as Krampus without sacrificing any of the character’s essential menace and Shipka does a good job as the ice cold Gryla. Bonnie Hunt and Nick Kroll do good supporting work as Mrs. Clause and an informant for Gryla, respectively. But the MVP of “Red One” has got to be J.K. Simmons as Santa Clause. Yes, he’s buff and clued in to the latest tech and trendiest toys, but Simmons manages to project an almost otherworldly calm combined with an unquenchable enthusiasm for the holiday that is a hard combination to beat. You believe in Simmons as Santa and it becomes easy to believe that this is a man everyone in the North Pole would fight for. It’s his performance that grounds the film and provides the uplilfting message without getting overly sentimental.

“Red One” is far from a perfect film. It gets too busy at times and some of the CGI is a little dodgy, especially for a film that comes with a $250 million budget. Many times it seems to try too hard to be a Christmas version of “Lethal Weapon” only it lacks the edge or the overall writing to nail that tone. That said, “Red One” is mostly entertaining with some interesting set pieces and a winning message. It’s like a simple gift that is wrapped in a ton of gaudy wrapping paper. It takes a massive effort to get through the busy stuff, but the present is still pure and satisfying! 3 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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