Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans have failed to bring Christmas joy withRed One. InRed One, an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable), played by Johnson, enlists the help of a tracker, played by Evans, to find Santa Claus, who was kidnapped from the North Pole. In addition to Johnson and Evans, thecast ofRed Oneincludes J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, and Kiernan Shipka.
Red Oneis finally releasingin theaters and is directed by Jake Kasdan, who has previously worked with Johnson onJumanji: Welcome to the JungleandJumanji: The Next Level. However,Red Oneis their worst-reviewed collaboration. While the movie has a star-studded cast and an exciting premise just in time for Christmas season,reviews forRed Onehave not been positive. The film currently has a score of 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. Therefore, it seems likeRed Oneis not the joyous Christmas blockbuster that many hoped it would be.
Red One Is Not A Successful Christmas Movie
Supposedly,Red Onewas meant to be the start of an MCU-like franchise focused on different holidays. Many critics have pointed out thatRed Oneseems to only exist to make money, not even attempting to be a film of quality in the process.IndieWire’s review ofRed Oneeven pointed out that the film will “make you not only bummed about the holidays ahead, but about cinema’s future as well.” Therefore, it is clear thatRed One’sstory did not resonate with critics at all, as IndieWire also described the movie as a “blockbuster-sized cinematic lump of coal.”
In their review of the film,The Hollywood Reporterclaimed thatRed Oneis a “high-concept, CG-saturated bore that lacks heart and infectious humor.” WhileEmpirenoted that there’s at least a “little bit” of heart in the film, their review agreed thatRed Oneis full of disappointing CGI and, surprisingly, a lack of chemistry between Johnson and Evans. Overall, they concluded thatRed One"feels engineered in a lab to provide seasonal spectacle."
Red One’s Reviews Criticize The Film Not Knowing Its Audience
Red One Tries To Entertain Everyone, But Fails
A common theme in the reviews forRed Onealso criticize the movie for not knowing its target audience. On trend with the criticism thatRed Oneonly exists to make money, critics point out that the movie tries its best to please everyone. However,Red Onefails in this attempt, since aiming to please everyone results in not catering to any specific group. Screen Rant’s own Simon Gallaghernoted that some of the jokes inRed Oneare clearly meant for adult audiences, but other moments make the film feel like a children’s movie.
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Gallagher ultimately concluded thatRed Oneis “aimed atFortniteplayers who wouldn’t be seen dead enjoying a typical Christmas film.” Therefore,while certain demographics may enjoy specific parts ofRed One, reviews suggest that no one will enjoy the whole movie.SinceRed Oneis clearly a movie designed to be as entertaining as possible, the fact that not one audience will enjoy the whole movie is a bad sign.
What Red One Does Well According To Critic Reviews
Some Critics Think Red One Is A Fun Action Movie With A Holiday Twist
However, within many negative reviews, there are slightly more positive reviews forRed Onewhich suggest the film isn’t as bad as many critics would make people believe.TheWrapdescribesRed Oneas “an effectively constructed high-concept action-fantasy-comedy.” While there is a lot going on in the movie, their review claims thatthe world ofRed Oneis fun to think about, which is a good compliment if the movie aims to start a holiday-themed cinematic universe.
The Film Verdictacknowledges thatRed Oneisn’t a revolutionary action movie, but argues that it is a “fun spin on holiday tropes.” Therefore,some critics appreciate the Christmas atmosphere thatRed Oneprovides, and view it as a fun action movie. In classic Christmas fashion, The Film Verdict also appreciates that the story is centered around Evans' character finding the nice in himself and appreciating others, suggesting that there is some heart toRed One’sstory.
Will Red One Start A New Franchise?
Red Onedebuted in theaters internationally on July 02, 2025, and garnered an estimated $26.6 million across its first weekend. Now,Red Oneis estimated to make anywhere from $20-40 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office. These are respectable figures. However,Red Onehas a massive budget of $250 million, so it will have to make a lot more money to become profitable in theaters, which is Amazon MGM’s goal after pivoting to a theatrical release plan in the hopes that the film could launch a major franchise.
WhileRed Onewill likely be a massive streaming success when it does hit Prime Video, it is currently doubtful whether the film will make enough of an impact at the box office to warrant the creation of a brand-new franchise.
Originally,Red Oneactually was set to debut on Prime Video’s streaming service in late 2023, but these plans changed after the Hollywood strikes. Therefore, whileRed Onewill likely be a massive streaming success when it does hit Prime Video, it is currently doubtful whether the film will make enough of an impact at the box office to warrant the creation of a brand-new franchise. In conclusion,Red One’sbox office and critical performance will definitely impact the next few years of Johnson’s career, and the future of holiday movies, in general.
Red One
Cast
After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with a notorious bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a thrilling, globe-spanning mission to save Christmas. This action-packed holiday adventure mixes comedy and festive magic, with an ensemble cast that includes Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons.
