Red One (2024)

"Red One" (2024) is an American Christmas action-comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan, featuring a star-studded cast including Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and J.K. Simmons. The narrative revolves around Callum Drift (Johnson), the head of security at the North Pole, who teams up with renowned hacker Jack O'Malley (Evans) on a high-stakes mission to rescue Santa Claus (Simmons) after his unexpected kidnapping on Christmas Eve. This globe-trotting adventure challenges the duo to confront various perils to ensure the preservation of the holiday spirit.

The film was released internationally by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 6, 2024, and in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 15, 2024. Despite its substantial budget of approximately $200–250 million, "Red One" underperformed at the box office, grossing around $185.9 million globally. However, it found a more receptive audience upon its release on Amazon Prime Video, where it became a popular streaming choice during the holiday season.Critical reception was largely negative. The New York Post labeled it as the worst movie of the year, criticizing its clichéd dialogue and unconvincing special effects, stating that it "fails to deliver both humor and excitement, despite its $250 million budget."

Similarly, The Guardian described the film as a "charm-free festive caper," highlighting its overreliance on CGI and lack of clear target audience, making it "too intense for young children and too bland for teens and genre fans.

Despite the critical panning, some audience members appreciated the film's lighthearted approach and festive themes. On platforms like Screen Rant, viewers expressed enjoyment, with comments such as "Great character pairing and a terrific start for the holidays!"

This disparity between critical reviews and audience reactions underscores the subjective nature of film reception, particularly in the holiday genre.