Directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan from an original story by Hiram Garcia, Red One is a Christmas-themed action-adventure comedy. The film features a star-studded cast including Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, J. K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Kristofer Hivju, and more. Dashing through the snow, Red One is now showing in cinemas worldwide.

With Christmas quickly approaching, Santa Claus with the head of North Pole security, Callum Drift by his side, decides to visit a shopping mall to speak with the children and see what presents they want, while their parents have no idea it’s him. Santa and Callum notice that the Christmas spirit isn’t what it used to be and that kids are becoming less interested in Christmas altogether. While on duty back at the North Pole, Callum discovers that Santa has gone missing, with no way of tracking down the kidnappers. He enlists the help of Jack O’Malley, the world’s best tracker, bounty hunter, and the man responsible for unknowingly revealing Santa’s secret location. Jack also lacks the Christmas spirit which puts him at odds with Callum, but this unlikely duo must travel the globe to rescue Santa Claus and save Christmas.

Chris Evans stars as Jack O’Malley, who makes a living by tracking and giving away locations to anonymous clients. As good as he is at his job, he struggles to be a decent father, believing his son would have a happier life without him. His performance in this film feels like the old Chris Evans prior to his role as Captain America, with his arrogant and obnoxious attitude which adds a lot of comedic value to the film. It’s quickly established that he couldn’t care less about Christmas, but he is in complete disbelief when he’s brought to the North Pole and sees everything, he thought to be all made up.

Dwayne Johnson portrays Callum Drift, the head of North Pole security, Santa’s personal bodyguard and close friend. He’s presented as a tough and no-nonsense guard with a stoic personality, but also has a soft side and still believes in the Christmas spirit. The WWE legend naturally plays the tough guy role well, but his performance here feels more deadpan, almost like he didn’t want to be there. Tough guy characters having deadpan personalities are common, but here it feels like Dwayne separates the two. He still puts in a decent performance, especially in the action scenes and he’s proven to be a talented actor in the past, but this performance isn’t one of his better examples.

Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson do have good chemistry on screen together. Being at odds with each other provides plenty of comedic relief with the cocky Jack barely taking anything seriously and the always-serious Callum staying focused on the mission. Jack shows plenty of character development as the film progresses, while Callum is mostly the same from start to finish.

J.K. Simmons plays a much leaner and buff Santa Claus with a more serious persona but is still the same jolly old Saint Nick on the inside who cares deeply for the children of the world. His unique take on Santa is one of the biggest standouts of the film and in true J.K. Simmons fashion. Unfortunately, though, because he was kidnapped, he doesn’t get as much screen time as he should have. It makes sense for the plot, but there still could’ve been some scenes with Santa interacting with the villains while imprisoned, so we could get more J.K. Simmons.

The film also stars Bonnie Hunt as Mrs. Claus and Lucy Liu as Zoe Harlow, who both feel like they were more there to fill some roles and don’t do a whole lot in the film. Kiernan Shipka portrays the main villain Grýla and although she has some big moments and makes a convincing villain, her screen time is also limited compared to the rest of the cast.

The biggest standout is Norwegian star, Kristofer Hivju who stars as Krampus. The costume and prosthetics he wore to become the half-goat and half-demon monster have so much detail to make him an imposing and intimidating figure. The practical effects do so much to compliment Kristofer’s performance and give him a larger-than-life presence on screen. Like a lot of the other cast, he also doesn’t get as much screen time, but he has some of the most memorable moments in the movie.

Red One has a nice mix of practical and special effects that all make the film look amazing on screen. Seeing a high-tech version of the North Pole, anthropomorphic animals working there, the biggest reindeer you’ll ever see, evil snowmen, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots come to life, fancy gadgets, vehicles and more, there is so much to see and be in awe of. They create a ton of entertaining moments to enjoy and laugh at.

This Christmas film is packed with action scenes while keeping the tone lighthearted. It has more cartoonish violence that is acceptable for families to watch and enjoy together. While the performances of the majority of the cast aren’t the most memorable, Red One is certainly a great-looking film. The soundtrack features familiar Christmas tunes to get you into the holiday spirit.

Red One is a unique take on a Christmas film with fresh ideas and isn’t afraid to try something new, even if it doesn’t create anything groundbreaking. It’s a fun and enjoyable film to watch with the family in a cinema and have a good time together. It features a star-studded cast but seems to struggle to fit them all in and the characters you want to see more end up with limited screen time. Overall, it is a great-looking film that lacks substance. Regardless of its shortcomings, Red One is simply a fun and entertaining movie worth seeing in cinemas.

Written by: Sammy Hanson