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Should my family see ‘Red One’ this holiday season?

3/5/2025

Holidays & Occasions

Should my family see ‘Red One’ this holiday season?

A scene from the Christmas action-comedy “Red One,” starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and Lucy Liu. The OSV News classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may not be suitable for children. (OSV News photo/Amazon MGM Studios)

Why not create a holiday-themed action movie featuring Dwayne Johnson as the primary bodyguard for Kris Kringle? The response to that inquiry is unveiled in “Red One” (Amazon MGM).

The effort to place Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) amid chaotic fighting scenes, followed by a culminating sleigh pursuit, results in a desperately uneven tone in this poorly planned holiday film. Although one of the central characters experiences a redemption arc, this is simply too gritty a project to be considered remotely suitable for families.

Following the abduction of St. Nick, Callum Drift and his crew at Johnson’s investigate the compromise of North Pole security that allowed the capture, which leads them to the talented yet opportunistic hacker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans). Although the skeptical Jack has dismissed the reality of the Jolly One since his youth, it quickly becomes apparent that, despite his ethical flaws, he was not acting with intention.

Late in recognizing the disaster he has contributed to, Jack consents to assist Callum and his superior, Zoe (Lucy Liu), in apprehending the true offender. However, the principled Callum has instantly developed a strong aversion to this dubious character and only collaborates with him at Zoe’s command. Thus, the freshly formed unlikely duo embarks on the pursuit.

Hints ultimately guide them to a longtime foe of Santa, a transforming sorceress known as Gryla (Kiernan Shipka). With Santa Neutralized, she intends to spoil the upcoming holiday by exacting revenge on each individual on his naughty list. It goes without saying that this involves a multitude of potential targets globally.

Not all Christmas films are suitable for families.

The chaos Gryla’s wicked scheme brings forth is consistently stylized, and the principles presented in a somewhat didactic manner by Chris Morgan’s screenplay are commendable from a Judeo-Christian viewpoint. Therefore, Gryla represents vengeance, while Santa, who recognizes the child within even the most misguided adult, embodies compassion and tolerance.

Regarding Jack, isn’t it about time he focused on becoming a more attentive father to his somewhat unruly son, Dylan (Wesley Kimmel)? The boy’s mother, Olivia (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) — who, as we discover, Jack was never wed to — definitely believes so.

Everything seems fine. However, from a cinematic perspective, director Jake Kasdan struggles to establish a solid foundation. It also appears improbable that he would have succeeded, as initial sequences alternating between Aruba and the location of Santa’s imprisonment might lead viewers of a particular generation to envision the impact of Santa Claus appearing in an episode of “Miami Vice.”

In other terms, Dasher and Dashiell Hammett just do not go together.

Additionally, “Red One” serves as a helpful reminder that not all Christmas films are intended for children. In this instance, the script’s coarse language, although not overly abundant by Hollywood metrics, does signal that the content is definitely inappropriate for young audiences.

The movie features significant amounts of non-lethal violence, brief instances of partial nudity, allusions to a character’s illegitimate birth, roughly a dozen occurrences of mild profanity and vulgar language, at least one coarse term, and a few offensive phrases. The OSV News classification appears as A-III — for adults. The Motion Picture Association has rated it PG-13 — parental guidance strongly advised. Certain content may not be suitable for children under 13.

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