My expectation was that this movie would rely on some well-trodden tropes to give the story a little scaffolding and then lean on antics between Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson to make it work. Surprisingly, the story ends up about where you would expect, but it takes some unexpected routes to get there. Bonus, it delivers a really nice Christmas message without feeling preachy. That is a rare accomplishment these days when it feels like bad writing is the norm. I don’t think this will become a Christmas favorite, but you could do worse.
Star Power
There’s no question that Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans bring star power. They had a few nice scenes together. Nothing award winning, but good. But my favorite was JK Simmons. He was exactly what was needed for St. Nick. And as impressive as Dwayne Johnson’s physique is, JK Simmons, for his age, might have him beat. For the record, Dwayne Johnson is currently 52, and JK Simmons is 69.
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The chemistry between Evans and Johnson is about what you would expect from characters who start out disliking each other. The story doesn’t dwell long on keeping the two characters at each other’s throats. Instead, they settle into a neutral disposition rather quickly. The writers could have taken more time to show the two coming together, but that’s not really what the story is about. Each acts as a catalyst for the other to have their own insights, but the bond between them isn’t the focus. Evans continues to show his range beyond his Captain America days, by playing an amoral character. Unfortunately, Johnson plays his rather iconic stoic character for most of the movie, but he does have a few scenes that give him an opportunity to show his acting depth.
Genre Blending
Red One successfully navigates the tricky waters of being both a Christmas movie and an action film. While other attempts at this combination often lean too heavily on one genre (Violent Night), this film maintains a careful balance that keeps both the holiday spirit and action elements feeling organic to the story.
Evil for Evil’s sake
If there’s a weak point, it’s the villain. There’s not much there as a character or motivation. But it’s forgivable in this movie because it’s not about the villain. And since the story has mythic elements, it’s easy to lean on those to create a villain that isn’t much more than a prop so that the story can happen.
Grade: B
About The Peetimes: The first Peetime is all action and easy to summarize.
If you can hold it, the second Peetime is much better. It’s an infiltration scene with no action or story development.
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I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.
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There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Red One.
| Rated: | (PG-13) Language | Action | Some Violence |
| Genres: | Action, Adventure, Comedy |
| USA release date: | 2024-11-15 |
| Movie length: | |
| Starring: | Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu |
| Director: | Jake Kasdan |
| Writer(s): | Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia |
| Language: | English |
| Country: | United States |
Plot
After Santa Claus (code name: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Chr…
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