‘Red One’ - it’s time to save Christmas again

By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Arts & Features Editor There have been many amazing movies this season, with more in the coming weeks. With films like “Wicked” and “Moana 2” in theaters, it’s certainly difficult for the action-Christmas movie “Red One” to stand out. “Red One” follows mercenary hacker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) and the head commander of Santa’s security force Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson). Jack sends some hacked information to an anonymous client, who uses it to break into the North Pole and kidnap Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) on Christmas Eve. After being questioned by Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), the director of the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority (M.O.R.A.), Jack admits he knows a way to find his buyer. Callum begrudgingly decides to work with Jack in order to find Santa, also known as Red One. As a Level 4 Naughty Lister, Jack is not the nicest person around. His crimes range from arson to literally stealing candy from a baby. To top it off, he’s a father who’s never there for his son, Dylan. Despite this, or maybe because of it, he’s one of the funniest characters here. Acting as the human thrown into the hidden fantasy side of reality, he’s naturally out of place and, at some points, just trying to survive the chaos. Jack is the kind of person Callum despises. As the commander of Santa’s Enforcement Logistics and Fortification (ELF), he has grown to hate the growing number of Naughty Listers. Disillusioned, he hands in his retirement notice shortly before the kidnapping. He is pessimistic about human adults in general, unable to see the “child” in them anymore as Santa does. Whenever he’s guarding Santa in the mall the adults are always the rude and mean ones. Together, Jack and Callum create a comedic duo. Jack’s sheer unfamiliarity with aspects of the magical world, such as the attacking snowmen or using portal doors, contrasts how commonplace it clearly is to Callum. It’s an old joke but it still works. When Jack asks if there is a backup person who could deliver presents, Callum says that only Santa can possibly handle it all. Everything that makes it impossible for anyone else, such as basic logic, doesn’t stop Santa. This is just one of the many times where Jack asks a question the audience likely had. The film builds a cohesive fantasy world with connections to other Christmas traditions and folklore that some people might be unfamiliar with, such as Krampus and Grýla. The world building is engaging and makes the overall mystery more enticing. But not every part of this movie is great. For a Christmas movie, there’s not much magic or wonder. Instead there’s fighting, humor, confusion, and an attempt at emotional character growth. Jack undergoes a character arc as he realizes he needs to be a better father for his son. But there isn’t much growth shown, at least not across a substantial length of the film. It feels rushed and unfinished. Callum’s ability to shrink during fight scenes is essentially just Ant-Man but worse. He shrinks to the size of a traditional elf, which may be small compared to how big Johnson usually is but it’s not exactly an amazing superpower. Some important story details exist purely for the plot to move forward. Jack’s ability to always find whatever or whoever he’s looking for ever since he was a kid is never explained and is the main reason Callum bothers to work with him. Several of the story’s twists are very predictable. From the roles of certain characters to the antagonist’s plan, the audience will likely realize what’s happening long before the characters do. Also, casting two very famous actors as the lead roles is certainly a choice. Is it a good choice? In terms of what viewers get, sure! They’re a funny team. In terms of where the movie budget went, maybe not. When I saw the movie in theaters, I laughed a lot and I generally enjoyed it. But the issues definitely harm the overall experience if you notice them. Rating: C+ “Red One” is not number one