Warning: This article contains spoilers.

“My grandma called it a new christmas[sic] classic and my dad called it one of the top 5 worst movies he’s ever seen in his life, so honestly a success.” That’s X user @wisetruecorrect’s confusingly accurate review of Red One, the Christmas action comedy that has been dividing audiences since November 15th. The film follows Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), a North Pole “E.L.F.” operative who is on the verge of retirement, and Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), an anonymous black-hat hacker and “level-4 naughty lister,” who must work together to rescue Santa Claus (JK Simmons) after he is kidnapped from his impenetrable North Pole headquarters.

Though it worked well as a popcorn movie, Red One’s primary issue is that it wants too much. It tries to be a comedy and a thriller. It hopes to follow the straight-to-streaming formula and be a theatrical spectacle. It wants Chris Evans to have a New York accent, a Boston accent, and none of the above, all at the same time. It’s almost as if he was given different instructions before each take.

The film’s budget totaled a whopping $250 million, 20% of which allegedly went to paying Dwayne Johnson for his role as a giant bald elf. For reference, Wicked had a production budget of $150 million (two Dwayne Johnsons fewer than Red One) and Deadpool and Wolverine had a budget of $200 million (one Dwayne Johnson fewer). While Deadpool and Wolverine made over $1 billion at the box office and Wicked grossed $164 million globally in its opening weekend alone, as of December 1st, 2024, Red One has made about $150 million. That’s two Dwayne Johnsons short of making a profit.

While Dwayne Johnson’s performance was exactly like all of his others—see the Jumanji movies, Red Notice, or Black Adam for reference—Chris Evans’ character had marginally more depth and appeal as a morally gray hacker and jaded, absent father struggling to reconnect with his son. In his first scene, Evans’ character sets fire to a public pavilion in order to steal data from a nearby building—and, just in case you still couldn’t tell that he belongs on the naughty list, he steals candy from a baby on his way out.

Though its characters are at least somewhat compelling, Red One suffers from an abundance of cliches. Between the Enforcement Logistics and Fortification (E.L.F.) taskforce, the talking polar bears, and the giant, evil snowmen, the movie leaned so heavily into over-the-top Christmas imagery that it began to feel contrived. The central villain’s motivation feels bland and impractical, too; she wants to punish all naughty listers, including anyone who has ever been rude or jaywalked, but her personal stake in doing so isn’t properly explored. The twists and conclusion are also predictable, from the characters’ formulaic escape from the villain’s clutches to the eleventh-hour sleigh ride to save Christmas.

Overall, Red One feels like it was meant to go straight to streaming—and, apparently, that’s because it was. The film was initially scheduled to be released on Prime Video during the 2023 holiday season, but stumbled into a theatrical release when the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike caused delays in production.

Still, that’s not to say that the movie wasn’t entertaining. While Red One might not be making an appearance at the Oscars (or any award show, for that matter), it boasts a sweet conclusion and an uplifting message about family. Besides, it delighted at least one person; the woman sitting behind us at AMC Theatres laughed at every single line, humorous or not.

Ultimately, this film earns a passable rating of 2.5 out of 5 Dwayne Johnsons, which translates into half of the film’s budget. Honestly, they could have made a film of the same quality with that much money.