Red One

2024 MGM Amazon Studios

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 4min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Christmas ~ Comedy

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J. K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll and Kristofer Hivju.

“Last night, Red One, also known as Saint Nicholas of Myra, was abducted from the North Pole Complex. And you’re gonna help us find him.”

J. K. Simmons stars as Saint Nicholas of Myra, code-named Red One by his security detail who follow his every step in and out of the North Pole. It is Christmas Eve and Nick, as everyone around the North Pole Complex calls him, is getting ready for his yearly marathon of delivering Christmas Cheer and presents to everyone around the world. He’s doing some last minute working out, lifting weights and bulking up on carbs or should we call that Christmas cookies. The entire complex is a beehive of activity as they prepare for the yearly run, it’s crunch time.

Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) is the head of Nick’s Security team and has taken a moment for himself outside before the action starts. He is standing in front of Saint Nick and Mrs. Claus’ (Bonnie Hunt) original small cabin, the area roped off as a major landmark in the complex, when he notices lights going off in the new high rise building that houses Nick and Mrs. Claus (Code-named MC) and all operations. Callum checks with part of the security detail in the building and starts asking for Red One’s location. Frantic as no one can find Nick, Callum makes his way to Red One’s living quarters and finds the window open. He rushes to it and sees a Snow vehicle racing away and orders his team to lock the dome and complex down.

Whoever kidnapped Saint Nick gets away and Callum notifies Director Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu) of M.O.R.A., The Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, about the incident that now threatens to keep Christmas from happening around the world from. Zoe decides that they need to enlist the help of Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), better known as “The Wolf”, a world renowned cyber hacker infamous for being able to find anyone and anything worldwide. They bring him in and find out that he is unwittingly responsible for identifying and selling the secret hidden location of Saint Nick and the North pole. Director Zoe decides that Jack is going to help them locate Nick and his kidnapper, accompanied by Callum.

And what follows is the globe-trotting chase to find Saint Nick and bring him back before Christmas. It is a journey through Norse legend and folklore. There is the legend of Grýla, the shape-shifting Winter Witch with thirteen shape-shifting sons who chase evil children. And the legend of Krampus, Saint Nick’s adopted Evil Brother who developed The Naughty List against Nick’s better judgement and along with his ex-wife Grýla sought to punish the children on the naughty list. There are also hell hounds, Ogres, Trolls, evil snowmen, elves, Polar Bear security forces, giant Reindeer and a high tech sleigh the likes you couldn’t even dream of.

It is a hilarious Christmas Adventure through Christmas lore filled with action and one-liners like “I love the kids, it’s the grown-ups that are killing me.” It is a different take on the whole Santa Claus and the North Pole theme, the Nordic folklore tends to give it a darker feel. The North Pole, it’s operations and look are definitely more high tech than we are used to. J.K. Simmons being the Buff muscle-strapped Santa working up to the big night, complete with infinite Santa wisdom was a good choice. Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Bonnie Hunt and Lucy Liu were all good in this. The best part of the movie is the end. At the very end they show Santa, Callum and the Christmas team travelling all over the world doing their thing. It is a unique look and take on the whole operation.

So that’s a yes for me, something a little different in the Santa Movie category.

Two Thumbs Up!