Red One: A Festive Flop with Wasted Potential

Another bland and soulless Christmas movie. It’s frustrating how a film can present such a cool universe with genuinely intriguing worldbuilding, only to do absolutely nothing meaningful with it. There’s potential in the concept, and you can tell there was a solid foundation to build something fun, magical, and emotionally resonant—but instead, what we get is a movie that squanders its creativity in favor of lazy storytelling and a generic plot. After the first 30 minutes, it becomes painfully boring and stale, like it's just going through the motions rather than trying to engage its audience.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson delivers one of his most lackluster performances in recent memory. His presence feels phoned in, with none of the charm or charisma he usually brings to his roles. On the other hand, Chris Evans brings occasional levity with a few funny moments, but even he can’t save the film from its overall dullness. J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus is an absolute gem—he’s fierce, compelling, and magnetic every time he’s on screen. The problem? He’s barely in the movie. If the film had chosen to center its story around his version of Santa, it might’ve been something worth remembering.

The villain is another major letdown. Lame, underdeveloped, and entirely forgettable, this antagonist feels like an afterthought, just there to give the story a conflict that never truly earns its stakes. You’ll likely forget who they were the moment the credits roll.

There is one shining moment toward the end—a Santa Claus action sequence that finally shows a spark of imagination and fun. It’s easily the best part of the film and hints at what this movie could have been. Unfortunately, it comes far too late and isn’t enough to redeem the rest of the runtime.

In the end, this is the kind of movie that’s fine if you’re wrapping presents or doing chores in the background. It offers nothing new or emotionally satisfying, and despite its ambitious setup, it leaves no lasting impression. As soon as it ends, it’ll vanish from your memory like a snowflake on a warm day.