Dwayne Johnson’s Red One has indeed seen itself shine by the critiques and audiences due to this being an action-packed Christmas movie. The movie has been in theaters since November 15, promising explosive holiday adventure but failed to deliver what it would have done cinematically.
Red One casts Johnson as Callum Drift, the leader of Santa’s elite security team known as ELF (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification). When Santa Claus is kidnapped on Christmas Eve, Drift joins forces with mercenaries played by Chris Evans and Lucy Liu to battle villains threatening to end Christmas.
Despite its star-studded cast and a budget of $200 million, the film did not have much success from a critical or commercial perspective. Red One attained a mere 31% on Rotten Tomatoes and only reached $165.8 million around the world—something that caused analysts to predict the loss might soon reach about $100 million.
It’s no surprise that this movie ranks among Hollywood’s unsuccessful entries in the long line of attempts to blend Christmas cheer with blockbusters. Films such as Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) and Jingle All the Way (1996) suffered the same fate as failed examples of balancing holiday warmth with blockbuster thrills. Of course, exceptions like Die Hard have persisted, but these are rarities in this genre.
Red One is now streaming on Prime Video just weeks after its theatrical debut, and it has raised questions about Hollywood’s approach to holiday films. Audiences appear to want warm, comforting Christmas movies like Home Alone or The Muppet Christmas Carol, placing more expensive action films in the way of holiday hopes.
The failure of Red One is only one part of Hollywood’s inability to respond to the changes in the tastes of audiences. Even as subscription services are dominating the holidays with feel-good features, perhaps old studios will have to change their Christmas movie strategies to recapture the essence and spirit of old Christmas films.
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