Caption: One of 3 official Red One posters created to advertise the movie. It contains the 4 main actor’s names as well as a look at some of the fictional characters.
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The new Red One movie recently came out in late November, and it seems to combine the normally heartwarming themes of Christmas with action-packed comedy, adventure, mystery, and more. But does this unique combination work, or does it miss the mark?
The plot of the movie is basically this: When a villain kidnaps Santa Claus from the North Pole, an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative joins forces with the world’s most accomplished tracker to find him and save Christmas. Red One follows the story of a seasoned elf operative, played by Dwayne Johnson, who teams up with his inexperienced but eager cousin, played by Chris Evans, to deliver Christmas gifts worldwide. As they embark on their high-stakes mission, they encounter a variety of mythical creatures and dangerous obstacles. It’s definitely a unique movie, but it has a lot of questionable plot points.
In my opinion, Red One is not a bad movie by any means, but it’s not an amazing one either. It tries to blend traditional Christmas themes with high-octane action. While the film’s initial approach is intriguing, it ultimately struggles to balance these separate elements. The plot is somewhat predictable and childish, which I find somewhat interesting, as the movie’s target audience isn’t exactly young kids. It has a PG-13 rating for action, violence, language, and even partial nudity. Not only that, but the characters, while charismatic, lack depth.
That isn’t to say that it didn’t have its own highs, however, as some of the humor and references in the movie landed perfectly. The film’s visual effects are impressive, and the action sequences are well-executed. As I mentioned before, the film brings together two well-known celebrities(Chris Evans and the Rock), both of which have a certain kind of dynamic that brings both humor and heart to the screen.
In my opinion, Red One is not a bad movie by any means. Although I don’t want to spoil TOO much of the movie for you guys, it was a pretty entertaining watch. If you love warm family Christmas movies and you’re trying to find a good one to watch with the family, I would pass on this one. If you’re around high school age and you enjoy unique action movies with a twist on things, or you’re looking for a good holiday movie to binge, this might just be the perfect choice for you.
Overall, I give Red One a solid 3.3/5 stars!
