So Red One is here, the first Christmas film of 2024 is an action movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (aka THE FINAL BOSS) and Chris Evans, back to be his funny everyman before he was Captain America, have to save Santa Claus, who J.K. Simmons plays. This film is trying to do a lot: it’s funny, it has good action, it’s world-building to maybe a holiday universe thing, but let me get right to it. See, they screened this film in 4DX and trill believers 4DX is an experience. See, earlier this year, I didn’t get a chance to see the film Twisters in a press screening, but online, there was talk of seeing this movie in 4DX because it was an experience. I can tell you that was one of the best $30 I spent all of 2024. It was like being in one of the Disney or Universal Studios rides, like the Back to the Future ride or any Star Wars ship ride, but instead of being in line for two hours, you’re in the ride for two hours. I was so enamored with this theater experience that I went to folks who do the screenings for us critic folks and made my case that they must do a screening about this experience because I knew my colleagues did not know the greatness of 4DX. Many months passed, and low and behold, we were blessed with this.
So, as I said, Red One stars Johnson as Callum Drift, the head commander of ELF (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification) security and Santa’s right-hand guy. Cal, as he’s commonly called, is having a crisis of faith in humanity and tells Santa this is his last Christmas Eve ride as he’s retiring. Yet, on his last day, Santa is kidnapped. Cal has to work with M.O.R.A (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority). This secret organization oversees and protects a secret peace treaty between mythological creatures and humans, led by Director Zoe Harlow, played by Lucy Liu. Signs point to a man named Jack O’Malley, played by Evans, who has zero belief in others and lost his Christmas spirit when he was a child. He can find people and exploit what people want. Since Jack was working for some mysterious figure he never met, he has to work with Cal to go and find Santa. Here we get the usual buddy cop dynamic, stoic, strong, by-the-book guy and funny, wise-cracking kind of crook guy. Very 80s and early 90s in how it is. They overload you with, as they say now, “lore,” but the action and fight scenes are very good.
The humor is carried a lot by the actors, especially Evans, but the story is lacking a bit for me. Nick Kroll has a funny scene in the way he does with some weird facial stuff. The film has excellent makeup and effects, and all of them feel consistent in this world. Kiernan Shipka plays the big bad here – Grýla, who wants to punish all the naughty people. Kristofer Hivju plays Krampus in a fun way in fantastic makeup and also seemingly also an ad for Dana White’s Power Slap sports league. Syngery folks. Yet, all in all, this movie is just okay. It’s something that you can put during the holidays while relaxing after a great meal or before. The whole family can watch and be entertained while not even completely paying close attention to the movie.
Now let us go back to the beginning of this review and 4DX, and man, oh man, it was an experience. You sit down, and from the first few minutes the seats are moving. The whole 2-hour experience was fun, and the movie not being that complex really helps with this type of movie-going experience. From air blowing around as the characters ride around in cars and water spraying when you see people hit by snow in the film to the fact they have snow falling in the theater, I think 4DX is overall one of the best movie theater experience that a lot of people will enjoy if they go. There is no TV you can buy that can replicate this. The closest is if you’re a huge Gran Turismo fan and bought the whole driving cage and seats to make it feel like really driving, but it would still fail because this has air and water effects. So, what does that mean for Red One? It means that you should spend the thirty dollars and see it if you have a 4DX (this is a Regal Cinemas format, by the way) around you and see this movie. Don’t really pay too much attention to us critics in that regard. Most are just hating and saw it in a regular theater. If they didn’t enjoy the 4DX experience, I’m like Metro and Future with them. (IYKYK) It’s an okay movie, but it can be an experience, and that experience can make fond memories.
Score: C (movie alone) B+ (in 4DX)
