Red One  - Review

Rating: 2 out of 5

THE biggest compliment you can pay Red One is just how well the cast does to keep a straight face. An action-adventure based on the kidnapping of Santa, this plays things so straight and sincere/sentimental that it must have been hard to prevent any eye rolling or sniggering throughout.

Alas, that’s just about the only good thing to say about Red One, an otherwise lame attempt to mix action, comedy and seasonal goodwill with fantasy, both light and dark.

Dwayne Johnson shares the spotlight with Chris Evans in the starry ensemble - the former playing Santa’s disillusioned bodyguard, who must work overtime to rescue his boss and save Christmas. Evans, meanwhile, plays Jack O’Malley, a level 4 naughty lister turned career criminal and lifelong cynic, who is enlisted to help Johnson’s Callum Drift find the missing Saint Nick, given that he was inadvertently instrumental in exposing his whereabouts in the first place.

Standing in their way is a wicked Christmas witch named Gryla (Kieran Shipka) as well as an array of fantastical henchmen (including hefty CGI snowmen) and other hindrances such as Santa’s brother, Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), who offers a dark detour into the underworld (complete with hell hounds).

If the set-up sounds ludicrously OTT, that’s because it is. Director Jake Kasdan throws everything at the screen in an attempt to dazzle kids and play to the strengths of its leading duo - who are both veterans of action-heavy romps such as the Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji reboots and Marvel. But in doing so, he largely forgets to offer anything of substance - not that a film about saving the commerciality of Christmas (it is part funded by Amazon Prime) has anything much to say in the first place.

Early on, there’s nods to genre subversion, as the Evans’ character, in child form, dares to question the existence of Santa (hence earning his place on that naughty list), as well as questions about the state of humanity (which has led to Drift’s crisis of faith).

But none of these ideas are followed up with anything meaningful, lost amid the banter and the mayhem. Humanity’s meanness (or naughtiness) is rather glossed over, Drift’s loss of faith is more in service to Santa than anything remotely religious (or Christian) and finding the good in every character becomes tedious. There’s never any doubt that either O’Malley will become a good father or Drift will rediscover his faith. Even Krampus errs on the side of good.

None of this would be so bad if the film delivered things a little more, well, playfully. But it’s too often over earnest and cloyingly sentimental. Evans has the measure of the material and quips away relentlessly, but Johnson is too righteous and straight - doing his best impression of himself.

The likes of JK Simmons, as Santa, and Lucy Liu, as Santa’s chief, barely get chance to register.

Red One promises action, excitement and festive cheer. Instead it arrives like a krampusschlapp to the face.