Originally published to 8 News Now on November 13, 2024.

Hollywood seems to be perpetually searching for its next holiday classic. It’s been 21 years since Elf and another pure Christmas tale has yet to surface, albeit not for lack of trying. 2024’s highest-profile attempt at drumming up some profitable holiday cheer is Red One, a Christmas-tinged action fantasy with an all-star cast, and while it’s not all glitter and tinsel, there are things to like in the film.

The cast is stellar, with Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt, and Kiernan Shipka making brief appearances, although not given much to do in the stuffed film. The stand-out, however, is J.K. Simmons’ Santa Claus. Here, we get a jacked, agile, and capable St. Nick worthy of his own film. But, despite his potential, Santa takes a back seat to Callum Drift, the head of North Pole security, portrayed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. While Johnson plays the character capably, Drift is the same Rock you’ve seen in countless other films. If you like him, you’ll like him here. If not, there’s little to change your mind in Red One. Chris Evans is our second lead, playing Jack O’Malley, a perpetual “naughty lister” with personal baggage who’s pulled into the mythological melee when Santa is kidnapped, and Christmas is threatened.

The Rock and Evans share good chemistry. Their buddy-cop dynamic is fun but weighed down by the film’s insistence on explaining every aspect of its universe through Evans’ character, Jack. Repeatedly, the film introduces a strange term or acronym, followed by Jack exasperatedly asking what it means and then getting a full explanation. This “show and then tell” approach bogs down scenes that should move more swiftly.

Indeed, the two-hour affair struggles with pacing and could have benefited from a 15 to 20-minute cut, particularly in the second act. The film starts to drag just when it should be picking up momentum toward the finale.

That said, credit must be given to Red One’s special effects team. The use of practical effects is a welcome break from the often CG-laden visuals of modern cinema. The filmmakers didn’t have to take this route, but they did, and it’s appreciated. Additionally, it’s refreshing to see an original Christmas film not based on a book or existing franchise. Instead, the film builds its own mythology, which is a respectable effort, even if it doesn’t quite reach classic status.

Red One isn’t destined to become a holiday staple but offers enough disposable fun to entertain for two hours. While many viewers may forget it as soon as the holiday season ends, the promise in J.K. Simmons’ version of Santa Claus lingers. Red One is hit-or-miss but hits enough to forgive the misses, narrowly avoiding the naughty list.