Red One: A Middling Christmas Adventure (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Dwayne Johnson had a somewhat divisive 2024 as far as his cinematic projects went. He only had two films come out last year, with the first being "Moana 2," a sequel to the 2016 hit that ended up being an even bigger success by grossing over a billion dollars, despite somewhat poor reviews. The second was a little Christmas flick called "Red One," a film that you could fairly say went a little under the radar based on its relatively low box office results, and one that also took a bit of a thrashing from critics. But did it really deserve its harsh judgment and its general dismissal while it was in theaters, or was it simply a victim of critics going overboard and tough holiday competition?

The film centers on Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), Santa's head of security, who plans on retiring because he can no longer see the good in people. On Christmas Eve, an unknown group breaks into their secret dome in the North Pole and kidnaps Santa (J.K. Simmons), having been able to trace the location thanks to a hacker named Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans). Jack is immediately picked up for questioning, but doesn't know what the information was for or who it was sent to because the exchange was done anonymously. Once informed of the situation, he pairs up with Callum in an effort to track down the buyer, which they hope will subsequently lead them to Santa and the saving of Christmas.

"Red One" is one of those Christmas films that may not be destined to become a holiday classic, but, in a nice bit of surprise, it's also not the absolute disaster that some would have you believe, going by those aforementioned reviews. It's a harmless bit of family fun that provides a decent amount of entertainment, and for that, it deserves a little credit at least. Of course, it's not without its problems, including a two-hour runtime that pads out the story a little too much with distractions, and a rather forgettable witch antagonist that simply wants to punish every naughty person in the world, but really, at its worst, it's a film that's best described as middling (i.e. not particularly good, but hardly what one would call bad).

As mentioned in previous reviews, Dwayne Johnson has a certain undeniable charisma that, while he may not be one of the acting greats, almost always seems to make his films more watchable than they might otherwise have been, even when the film itself is actually a mess (with one major exception being "Black Adam," where he was basically forced to turn off his personality). He's paired well here with Chris Evans, playing a world-renowned hacker who's also trying to do right as a father, with the two having a decent level of chemistry, at least to make this little fantasy tale work well enough.

When all is said and done, "Red One" was rather unfairly dragged through the mud (and did indeed face very stiff holiday competition with "Wicked" and "Gladiator II"), and while it certainly does have its share of issues holding it back, you could certainly do worse than a so-so piece of family entertainment like this. Again, it's not about to become a new holiday classic or anything, but you too just might find that the lashing wasn't entirely justified.

Video/Audio:

"Red One" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The picture is perfectly clear & sharp throughout its entire two-hour duration, highlighting its vibrant colors and production/costume design. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a great job in both departments for the film's debut physical release.

Special Features:

None.

Conclusion:

"Red One" may not be destined to become a new holiday classic, and may have a few issues holding it back from being as good as it could have, but with its silly, charming story and the well-paired leads of Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, it ultimately delivers a decently middling piece of family entertainment.

Score: 3/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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