Opening in theaters on November 15th is ‘Red One,’ directed by Jake Kasdan and starring Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, Bonnie Hunt, Kiernan Shipka, Kristofer Hivju, and Nick Kroll.
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Not to be confused with Netflix’s ‘Red Notice,’ another algorithm-induced action movie starring Dwayne Johnson and a Marvel superhero, ‘Red One’ aims to be something for everyone: it’s not just an action movie, but it’s also trying to be a fantastical Christmas story and a heartwarming family yarn. As often happens, however, the effort to please all audience quadrants results in something bland, boring, and derivative.
Directed by Jake Kasdan, who also collaborated with The Rock on the recent, overrated ‘Jumanji’ movies, ‘Red One’ does feature a cute idea at its core and a winning performance from J.K. Simmons as a very different kind of Santa Claus. But a lethargic pace, an often-murky visual palette and a ton of half-baked CG, along with less than stellar efforts from some of the cast, makes ‘Red One’ the kind of holiday present you hope they included the gift receipt for.
‘Red One’ opens with a prologue in which a young boy named Jack O’Malley (Wyatt Hunt) shows his disappointed cousins where the Christmas gifts are hidden, simultaneously smashing their dreams and foreshadowing his adult career as a cynical, clandestine tracker and bounty hunter (now played by Chris Evans) who claims he can find anything. He’s also – as par for the course for this kind of thing – divorced and a largely absentee dad to his son. But Jack’s life takes an unexpected turn when he helps an anonymous client pinpoint a security breach at some kind of mysterious location near the North Pole.
That location happens to be the complex where Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), his wife (Bonnie Hunt), and their many human and non-human employees live and work behind a security shield that might give Wakanda a run for its money. But that security is compromised thanks to Jack, and despite the best efforts of Santa’s head of security, Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), a quasi-military squad parachutes in and kidnaps “Nick” – as Callum calls him – whisking him into the clutches of Gryla (Kiernan Shipka), a legendary winter witch who wants to channel Santa’s magical powers to disrupt Christmas with her own nefarious plans.
That leaves it up to Drift and Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), head of the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority (M.O.R.A.), which oversees the existence of mythological creatures around the world, to forcibly recruit Jack in their efforts to reacquire Santa and keep Christmas on schedule. Along the way they’ll interact with more creatures out of legend, including Santa’s estranged brother Krampus (Kristofer Hivju), while Jack learns the value of family and Drift slowly regains the positive outlook he’s lost over the centuries as more and more humans migrate to – you guessed it – the Naughty List.
On paper, this sounds like a fun, even fresh premise for a Christmas movie – all the creatures of myth and folklore are real and live in a cautious détente with humanity, while Santa himself trains for Christmas like an Olympian and covertly visits department stores in presidential-style motorcades just to reconnect with the public. Some of this material elicits a smile for sure, even as the world-building threatens to overwhelm the narrative at times.
The bigger issue is the film moves at the pace of an elf who’s had far too much spiked egg nog. It’s also tonally all over the place; one minute it’s a self-referential action movie, the next it’s a family comedy desperate to tug at the heart. Either way, none of the jokes or emotional beats land very well, and when a comic performer like Nick Kroll gets wasted in a painful cameo you know this is the cinematic equivalent to the Christmas that you really wanted that Xbox and got a sweater instead.
And it looks like hell too. Large swaths of the movie take place at night in the snow, but Kasdan makes it inexplicably murky, particularly the climactic sequences, and there’s enough bad CG to make ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ look like ‘Dune: Part Two.’ One scene set at a beach resort can’t escape painfully looking like it was shot on a Volume stage, with the digital snowmen that launch a surprise attack in the sequence looking pasted into the action. For a movie that reportedly cost $250 million to make, ‘Red One’ doesn’t deliver on the kind of big-screen wonder necessary to make this work.
The Cast
(L to R) Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in ‘Red One.’ Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
If there is one thing that stands out in ‘Red One,’ it’s J.K. Simmons’ performance as Santa. Playing against the archetype – this wiry St. Nicholas lays off the holiday cookies and trains relentlessly for his ‘Mission: Impossible’-like Christmas Eve run – Simmons nevertheless generates real warmth, good will, and wisdom as the jolly old fellow. It’s a shame that he’s only active for the beginning and end of the film, as a movie built around him might have been more interesting.
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As for the leads, both Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans seem to be in something of a rut lately. The Rock has lost some of the self-deprecating sense of fun that has powered some of his best performances, and takes Callum Drift – a centuries-old head of security – so seriously that he comes across as monotonous. Evans as well, seemingly intent on getting past his earnest Captain America image, plays a variation here on the kind of cynical wisenheimer he’s essayed in recent duds like ‘The Gray Man,’ although he’s also trapped by the script’s rote characterization. Other members of the cast, like Lucy Liu and an underused Bonnie Hunt, more or less understand the assignment, although Kiernan Shipka is miscast as the villain, delivering no real menace at all. Kristofer Hivju stands out under a mountain of prosthetics as Krampus, although the scene at his castle goes on way too long.
You can’t just manufacture a holiday classic, but that certainly isn’t stopping Jake Kasdan, Dwayne Johnson, and company from trying. But Kasdan, who brought a certain amount of surreal humor to the ‘Jumanji’ movies, can’t work any magic here. ‘Red One’ huffs and puffs so hard to be all things to all people that it just ends up playing in similar fashion to one of those Netflix pics that’s good for Sunday-afternoon-chores background noise.
Perhaps a different, less ponderous, and less digitized story starring J.K. Simmons’ Nick could have concentrated on generating some real holiday spirit, but ‘Red One’ is likely to be packed away with the rest of the Christmas trinkets in the attic once the season is over, never to be seen or heard from again.
‘Red One’ receives 4 out of 10 stars.
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“The mission to save Christmas is on.”
66
PG-132 hr 4 minNov 15th, 2024
Showtimes & Tickets
After a villain kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, an E.L.F (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative (Dwayne Johnson) must partner with the world’s most accomplished… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Red One’?
A hacker (Chris Evans) is recruited by the head of Santa Claus’s security team (Dwayne Johnson) to help rescue St. Nick (J.K. Simmons) after he’s kidnapped by a witch intent on ruining Christmas for everyone.
Sudeep in ‘Max’.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Inspector Arjun Mahakshay a.k.a Max takes charge unofficially a day before his suspension ends. A huge blunder inside the station puts Max against powerful men, who come for his life. As he is faced with the improbable task of saving his colleagues and coming out unscathed from the problem, the daring cop pauses to prepare a cup of tea.
Director Vijay Kartikeyaa’s debut project is driven by a protagonist who keeps you guessing about his next move. Even if Max aims to provide unhinged ‘masala’ entertainment, the movie’s leading man isn’t a one-note character. Since the events unfold during one night, and he has limited time to cross a series of hurdles, Max puts his sharp brain to quick use. And once he enters the risky zone of facing the criminals head-on, he unleashes the beast inside him.
Storyline: A day before reporting for duty after a two-month suspension, inspector Arjun Mahakshay faces an unexpected situation. Can he save the day?
Max is a celebration of Sudeep, who oozes style in his aggressive portrayal of an all-conquering officer. If you saw him as a subdued yet classy cop carrying a deep pain within him in Vikrant Rona (2022), Sudeep cuts loose in Max to cater to his fans, who were hungry for ‘mass’ moments involving their favourite star.
The one-man show is great fun to watch to an extent. Director Vijay scripts an old-school world where the hero emerges as the ultimate saviour of distressed people. However, as a whole, Max leaves you wanting more as you expect the protagonist to face the heat of a mighty antagonist.
Sunil, essaying the main villain, is undone by a toothless character. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar’s character of a cop with a negative shade shows promise early on but gets fizzled out eventually as she fails to make any difference to the plot. Right from the beginning, it’s apparent that both the characters are bracing for an inevitable onslaught from Max.
It’s also quite shocking how Max has an almost incompetent team. When they aren’t blindly following the instructions from Max, the junior-level officers are scared and clueless. Ilavarasu, playing an experienced officer, delivers a measured performance. The rest of the cast, including Uggram Manju, Samyuktha Hornad, Sukrutha Wagale and Vijay Chendur, are too loud in their respective portrayals.
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One can’t blame the actors as their characters are designed to artificially amp up the tension. With a highly dramatic plot in hand, the director’s decision to showcase stronger emotions than what’s necessary dents the film.
ALSO READ:‘UI’ movie review: Upendra’s political commentary is a one-of-a-kind experience despite its flaws
The core idea of Max might remind you of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Kaithi (2019). With so much happening in a short span of time, it’s tough to emotionally invest in the proceedings. On the other hand, Max’s racy screenplay keeps you curious about the events on screen. A superb fusion of Chethan D Souza’s action choreography and Ajaneesh Lokanath’s ensures an adrenaline-pumping experience.
Max is a star vehicle with admirable experiments from the makers. With Vikrant Rona and Max, Sudeep has deviated from traditional commercial films. The big stars of Kannada cinema are seeking change, and that’s a good sign.
Mollywood icon, Mohanlal has now ventured into the director’s chair and his directorial debut film Barroz has made its theatrical release today, December 25, 2024. The Malayalam fantasy movie, within hours of release, has gotten some vivid reviews from fans, who have highlighted their opinions on social media.
Well, it seems that Barroz has received mixed opinions from some fans, who have significantly highlighted how the film has not lived up to the expectations considering it being the senior actor’s directorial debut.
Fans have expressed disappointment at the fact that the film’s storyline is weaker, and it is only the specialised use of VFX that has been pulling it all together.
On the other hand, some other fans have appreciated the impeccable acting chops of Mohanlal himself, with special mention to the excellent 3D presentation appealing to mass audiences for more than one reason.
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There have been specific references to a few underwater scenes, which have been touted as an epitome of masterclass cinematic presentation, not to forget how it would not hit as a mass entertainer.
Check out the fans’ reviews about Barroz on Twitter:
Mohanlal has left no stone unturned when it comes to the jam-packed promotional spree for Barroz. The film’s cinematography has been done by the talented Santosh Sivan, while the musical score is handled by Mark Killian.
Coming to the plot of the film, it is said to revolve around the conquest undertaken by Barroz, the guardian of a treasure which has been hidden for over 400 years. This wealth has been trusted to only a true descendant of Da Gama.
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It is inspired as an adaptation of Jijo Punnoose’s novel Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure. However, the scenes were rewritten by Mohanlal and Thazhathupurakkal Karunakara Panicker, including characters and locations, leading to the exit of the novelist, forfeiting his credits.
Speaking of the cast of Barroz, besides Mohanlal, it stars Maya Rao West, Cesar Lorente Raton, Kallirroi Tziafeta, Daniel Caltagirone, Aadukalam Naren, Tuhin Menon and others.
ALSO READ:Nayanthara enjoys ‘best holiday’ in Europe with Vignesh Shivan and twins; sunsets, long walks and Eiffel Tower sum up her travel diaries; PICS
The Fire Inside Director: Rachel Morrison Michael De Luca Productions, PASTEL In Theaters: 12.25
I’m not a fan of combat sports in real life, yet I find that movies about them are nearly irresistible. Whether it’s Rocky,The Karate Kid, Warrior or the upcoming wrestling flick Unstoppable, the underdog who comes out swinging and bests their bigger, more experienced opponent always plays. It’s also nearly always the same movie, and that’s what makes The Fire Inside a knockout.
In this fact–based story, Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny, A Girl Like Grace, Oracle) is a young woman from Flint, Michigan, who has one skill and one passion: boxing. Despite limited support from her family, Claressa is taken under the wing of Jason Crutchfield (BrianTyree Henry, If Beale Street Could Talk, Godzilla vs. Kong), a coach at a local gym. As Jason becomes as much a surrogate father as a coach, Claressa trains with a ferocious determination and earns a spot on the 2012 Summer Olympic team — Claressa “T-Rex” Shields becomes the first American woman to take home the gold in the sport at age 16. From there, Claressa goes from being a poor inner city kid with nothing to … a poor inner city kid with a gold medal overnight. There are no endorsement deals, no professional career and seemingly no new worlds to conquer. As Claressa fights discouragement, she must find a path to lead her beyond a one time victory into a lasting better life.
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Rachel Morrison, the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for her work on Black Panther, makes a strong directorial debut, coming out swinging. She’s ably assisted by a terrific script by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight). The Fire Inside transcends the tropes of the genre by reaching the rush of climactic fight and then daring not to end there, instead delving into the reality that in Shields’ life, one triumph in the sports world doesn’t change your circumstances, especially for an uncouth young woman with no interest in playing the public relations game and selling a softer, more traditionally feminine image. We’ve heard the cliche “this isn’t just a movie about sports, it’s about life,” but such a candid look at a life-changing moment that does nothing to change your life, and learning how to face this, was something refreshingly new and honest. The often bleak and at times stunningly beautiful cinematography by Rina Yang, along with the stirring score by Tamar-kali,lift the sensory experience and go a long way to making this one a winner.
Destiny shows potential as a breakout star, commanding the screen as effortlessly as Claressa commands the ring. Henry is the highlight of any film he’s in, and The Fire Inside is no exception, with his grounded performance keeping the film moving along and setting the tone for a story about learning that you can still lean on others while you’re believing in yourself. The sizzling chemistry between these two actors drives a poignant and entertaining story to a satisfying and believable conclusion that’s not the one you’re expecting.
The Fire Inside is a breath of fresh air in a genre that far too often settles for stale and dank. It provides enough inspirational warmth to fulfill its duties as an uplifting sports movie, but its got the stamina and the drive to go a few extra rounds and push its own limits. Unlike most boxing films, this champ doesn’t pull any punches. –Patrick Gibbs
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