If you love holiday films, you are really in for a special treat this year, because there are several holiday films rolling out and I can’t wait to share them with you. Let's kick things off with Red One, which is in theaters starting today, 11/15/24. Make note of this one for a fun date night.
Red One Kicks off The Holidays!
Earlier this week, I was invited to attend a screener event for Red One as part of the Music City Film Critics Association. My thanks to them and Allied Global Marketing for the opportunity. And thanks to Amazon MGM Studios for the use of images contained in this post.
About Red One:
Directed by:Jake Kasdan /Produced by: Hiram Garcia, p.g.a., Dwayne Johnson, p.g.a., Dany Garcia, Chris Morgan, p.g.a., Jake Kasdan p.g.a, Melvin Mar/Story by: Hiram Garcia/ Screenplay by: Chris Morgan /Run Time: 122 mins/Genre: Holiday Comedy,Action/Rated PG-13
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel and J.K. Simmons
Film Synopsis:
After Santa Claus, Code Name: RED ONE ( J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped by a nasty villain, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson), A.K.A. an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Meet The Characters:
and M.C. Mrs. Claus
E.L.F. Team: Callum Drift
Allies Behind the Scenes:
Zoe Harlow
and Jack O’Malley
Nasty Villains:
Gryla
and Krampus
My Thoughts: No Spoilers!
I love the holidays and by extension, holiday films. I know they're going to be campy, filled with over the top high-jinks, or pull on my heartstrings moments, maybe even a little CGI magic- but that’s just part of the beauty of a holiday film. They are made to entertain. Red One had all of this and more in spades.
It’s a fun tale that is surprising in its accurate depiction of the human condition known as lack of caring. It does a great job of showing us at our worst. Not caring about others, only looking out for ourselves and yet, throughout the film, there are glimmers and shimmers of all that is good in us. As a glass half full person who always looks for the good in situations, I saw those glimmers and watched them build through clever storytelling and acting.
Each cast member shines in their respective roles. Lucy Lu as Zoe shines in her trademark no-nonsense way as does Dwayne Johnson as head of security. Chris Evans makes you believe he is a despicable, self-serving thief from the beginning and to my delight, J.D. Simmons makes for a wonderful Santa!
Was the CGI over the top? Yes! Were there hilarious, laugh out loud moments? Yes! Was the addition of folklore characters Krampus and Gryla a wild plot twist? Yes! But does it all work to make you laugh, be invested in their story, recall fond (or maybe not so fond) memories of past Christmas times and ultimately be in a good mood when you leave the theater? Yes!
And that my friends is why you should go see Red One. Please keep the PG-13 rating in mind and don’t bring kids. There were a handful at our screening (no judgment),but I could hear them asking about certain scenes that they didn’t understand. Head over to Fandango or your local theater for showings of Red One near you.
Happy Holidays. Please be sure to subscribe to my blog so you can stay apprised of my latest posts by using the Subscribe box at the right. Next up, I’ll be talking about A Sudden Case Of Christmas in select theaters now. I’ll be hosting a three winner giveaway for it!
Please share in comments: Will you go see Red One in theaters?
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