IR Film Review: RED ONE [Prime/MGM]
Holiday movies always have an interesting irony in that they are made for a very specific time of year but can also move along and be timeless in a certain way. The judgment behind making "Red One" is sound. As a producer and star, Dwayne Johnson does understand the math but there is also a boundary which should or could be done. The audience for a high budget Christmas action movie might be limited. The characters have the right idea. The script make sense though is a little far fetched. The resolution is packed up in a nice bow. The film is also made by Amazon for Prime so the metrics and how it works might be different. It is hard to say.
Making a perennial with a big star and replay potential that floats in the PG range co-starring the former Captain America...again the pitch works well. But if I was still in development reading the script, the one aspect is would this sustain a theatrical model? But the reality is that was back in the day...and all bets are off now. This is original IP which again is always a risk but it also is something to be respected. The story follows when Santa is kidnapped as a means to punish the naughty and bring up the righteous. Again this is another irony to which Johnson is talking to the audience on either side of the aisle. Having J.K. Simmons as a jacked Santa Claus in an interesting idea too.
Again, it plays alright but not enough to sustain this kind of budget. Christmas films may turn off die hard action junkies and families might hesitate before going to see the film. It does also have a weird tone, maybe akin to "Hudson Hawk" where it wants to be tongue-in-cheek while still being extremely silly. Hawaii standing in for Aruba is a little much but shooting in Hawaii is now likely a standard part of Johnson's contract. Again, the story in its own world makes sense but again the sustainability of creating such a vast world when it could have been parred down is the question. "Red One" is a gamble but perhaps not. In a world where either side can have its advantages and disadvantages "Red One" is apt, entertaining, silly and a bit forgettable while still sticking in certain ways in the mind. B
By Tim Wassberg
