”Red One” is a holiday action movie that teams up Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with Chris Evans to save Christmas.
Photo Credit — Amazon MGM Studios
Christmas Day is less than one week away now in case you no longer own a calendar, and the masses are always looking for a new holiday family film to add to their playlist.
Amazon Prime, as a gift to the world, just dropped “Red One” for free on their popular streaming service, even though it is still playing at cinemas far and wide. The real question though is if Red One’s release is an actual gift to its viewers or a penalty?
Starring the wooden, Dwayne Johnson, does anyone know if he is still being called “the Rock?” Beats me. Here he plays “Callum Drift,” the head of the North Pole’s security, who must team up with a notorious hacker “Jack O’Malley” played by Chris Evans (Knives Out) on an action packed, globe-trotting mission to save Christmas.
I see more and more people on social media saying that this is the year that they are feeling “less and less in the Christmas spirit than ever before.” Seeing these kinds of posts makes me sad I cannot deny, as I am an optimist trying to make the best out of the gifts he has under his tree.
Let me just say this though, it is more than “okay” to feel the way that you are feeling, and please know that there are a Santa satchel’s worth of folks who are feeling the exact same way as you are in this moment.
“Red One” feels like it is not quite sure of its own identity. Is it a glorified Marvel film or a wannabe holiday flick? Well, after watching all of the over-bloated effects that cost a budget of $350 million to make, that attached price tag doesn’t make the finished product a cent better than something that is priceless — such as a simple act of kindness this holiday season like a warm smile, holding a door open for a stranger, or maybe even paying it forward if you can afford it financially at your local drive thru.
I wish that “Red One” felt more like an actual Christmas film and not just another run of the mill big screen spectacle. But with that being said, let’s leave the true spectacle for December 25th’s fruitful moments in time where we consciously choose to be present, where we truly want to be around the people we genuinely care about as opposed to being obligated to be near.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, as for “Red One,” watch a classic like “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “The Bishop’s Wife,” which just feel far more authentic and timelier.
“Red One,” starring: Chris Evans, Dwayne Johnson, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu
Christopher’s “Meow” Score: “4” paws out of 10.
