Ripe with DC and Marvel alums, Red One could easily become a Christmas franchise in today's culture of existing IP.

The most important thing I can tell you about Jake Kasdan's "Red One" is that yes, it's a real film starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans as a mismatched action movie odd couple rescuing a kidnapped Santa Claus, and not a "Saturday Night Live" parody.

Praise must once again be given to Chris Morgan’s script, which came from a story concept originating with Red One producer Hiram Garcia. As the Seven Bucks Productions stalwart wanted to create “a kick-ass Christmas movie,” action and emotion are complimented by some seriously intriguing world building.

Review: Jake Kasdan's big-budget 'Red One,' starring Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson, is a disastrous bid at a Christmas franchise for Amazon/MGM.

Red One, Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson 's new Christmas movie, has received its first reactions, and critics are divided. Announced in 2021, the festive action movie about a task force on a mission to find Santa Claus didn't fully convince viewers.

The festive flick also marks a return to action films for American actress Lucy Liu. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Reviews and reactions are in for Red One, the new Christmas movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans – and they're not great. The film sees Santa Claus, played by JK Simmons, kidnapped. Callum Drift (Johnson), head of security in the North Pole, sets out to rescue him, teaming up with bounty hunter Jack O'Malley (Evans).

The movie's shining light is JK Simmons as a muscly Santa who can easily do 500 press-ups in five minutes. He manages to sell the schmaltzy lines and is a great fit as Saint Nick in his second Santa movie outing following Netflix's exceptional Klaus. Unfortunately, the plot means he's off-screen after the first act and the movie suffers for it.

I'm not sure that a Hollywood movie has ever kicked off the season with less real Christmas spirit than "Red One."