“Red One” hit theaters on Nov. 15 and it’s truly nothing short of extraordinary. While the movie itself has to do with Christmas, it is not a typical heartfelt story because of its witty humor. “Red One” is a comedy that is rated PG-13.
When the movie first released its trailer, I remember watching it in the theaters. It made me laugh and had many recognizable actors.
The movie’s plot revolves around a high-stakes emergency: Santa Claus is kidnapped from the North Pole, throwing the holiday world into chaos. Santa’s head elf must race to find Santa, embarking on an adventure with a grown-up who is on the naughty list.
“Red One” has an iconic and very famous cast, which gives the movie itself a high promotion.
The cast includes Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu and J.K Simmons.
Johnson acts in many popular movies such as “Moana,” “The Fast and the Furious” series, “Jumanji” and more. Evans is famously known for his role as Captain America in the “Avengers” series and the “Captain America” series. Simmons is widely recognized for his role of J. Jonah Jameson in the early 2000s “Spiderman” movies. Liu is well-known for her roles in the “Charlie’s Angels” movie series, the “Kill Bill” movie series and more. Shipka is best known for her roles in the TV shows “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Mad Men”.
I went to watch “Red One” not knowing what to expect. I was excited to see a Christmas film and add a new movie to my watchlist for the holidays.
The film’s graphics were astonishing and the music in the film suited each scene remarkably well, which enhanced the overall experience and made every moment even more impactful.
Throughout the movie, the camera shots captured the beautiful colors and details of Christmas, bringing the festive spirit to life.
I loved every single character’s uniqueness. The evolving dynamic between Evan’s and Johnson’s characters—starting with their initial feud and gradually leading to mutual understanding—was a seamless and effective demonstration of character development.
My favorite part of the movie was the characters that pertain to Christmas folklore in different cultures.
The figures of Christmas folklore included Santa Claus, Krampus and Gryla. Santa Claus originates from Western Christian culture. Santa is, of course, the jolly happy soul who brings all good kids presents. Krampus on the other hand, originates from Central and Eastern Alpine tradition. Krampus accompanies Santa Claus and is known to punish naughty children. The other character of Christmas folklore, Gryla, originates from Icelandic culture and is also known to punish naughty children during the holiday season.
I’ve always known Santa Claus and Krampus, but Gryla was new to me. After she was introduced in the film, I looked up the history of her character. To my surprise, the folklore of Gryla is similar to Krampus. Krampus is famously known for punishing misbehaving children, and similarly, Gryla shares a reputation for dealing with those who are naughty. They both emerge during the winter season, especially around Christmas time.
Krampus’ character being portrayed more as a savior than a villain was definitely a surprising twist. I thought the villain would’ve been a character I know, but the fact that it wasn’t made the movie interesting. The storyline was very unexpected, but a great way of being different.
The film takes creative spin on the North Pole trope, reimagining it with a more modern design. Santa’s home was not a small cottage, but rather a huge glass building that resembled a penthouse. Instead of a little quaint town, it was an entire vibrant city. There were food and drink carts placed around which reminded me of a mall or shopping plaza. They even had a model of Santa’s first ever workshop in the center of the city as a display of how he first got started.
“Red One” is a film I wholeheartedly recommend for the holiday season, for the ones who enjoy watching Christmas movies at home with friends, partners or family.
I won’t spoil too much, so if this piques interest, I highly encourage everyone to check it out for the holiday season!
