RED ONE Review Roundup: Watching The Rock's Latest Movie Is Like Finding A Lump Of Coal In Your Stocking

RED ONE Review Roundup: Watching The Rock's Latest Movie Is Like Finding A Lump Of Coal In Your Stocking

The reviews embargo for Red One has lifted and, despite mostly positive reactions on social media, these point to a movie that's among the worst Christmas blockbusters ever made. Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - Nov 06, 2024 07:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantasy
Source: SFFGazette.com

It's not been a great few years for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. From Young Rock's cancellation to a failed attempt to take over the DCEU with Black Adam and even the way pro wrestling fans rejected him in favour of Cody Rhodes, he's in desperate need of a win.

Unfortunately, if the first wave of Red One reviews are any indication, his pricey new Amazon movie isn't going to be it. Yes, early social media reactions were somewhat positive but these verdicts seem to tell a very different story. 

As per usual, we'll kick things off with the trades; according to The Hollywood Reporter, "This holiday entry, which could almost have been called A Fast & Furious Christmas, is so ugly, artificial and overlong that it should cure kids of any belief in magic...Red One is the equivalent of a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking."

Variety was also left wanting, concluding its review by stating, "The villains are shape-shifters, but the key thing about 'Red One' is that the whole movie is a shape-shifter: arduous action jape, low-kitsch Christmas fairy tale, buddy movie, family-reconciliation movie — every quadrant and demo must be served."

Deadline was a little kinder and explains, "Yes, it’s cheesy, but this movie is best when it leans heavily into the cheese. If that makes your eyes roll, keep in mind this is a Christmas movie ultimately intended for kids who’ve made it all the way through the MCU on Disney+ twice and their parents now need a reprieve."

The Guardian has little love for Red One and goes so far as to say, "There’s nothing wrong with a big-hearted film for Christmas, but this commercial and formulaic slice of content is a toy destined to be forgotten, not by Boxing Day, but mid-November."

Empire Online shares a similar sentiment - "There’s a little bit of heart here, in the story of two people who have lost faith in Christmas for very different reasons, but more often this feels engineered in a lab to provide seasonal spectacle" while Digital Spy declares, "Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson can't save [this] festive flop."

"This film would have worked if it leaned more into the humor, but it doesn’t muster up more than the occasional chuckle, mainly with Evans responding to the insanity surrounding him. Beyond that, Red One won’t be the Christmas classic it hopes to be," reads Coming Soon's review. IndieWire, a site which rarely approves of blockbuster fare, ponders, "Red One will make you not only bummed about the holidays ahead, but about cinema’s future as well...Make it a Christmas miracle, and cross this 'Red One' off your list."

There's some holiday cheer courtesy of MovieWeb who calls the movie "a surprisingly clever Christmas action-comedy" in an otherwise middling review.

In the movie, after Santa Claus – Code Name: RED ONE – is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

Will you be checking out Red One in theaters or when it hits streaming?

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TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 11/6/2024, 7:55 AM
I’m not surprised.
Kadara
Kadara - 11/6/2024, 8:03 AM
Congratulations from Canada to your new lord and king 🎉
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 11/6/2024, 8:15 AM
@Kadara - Yeah we don't want a king or anyone for people to worship. Hopefully he can do a decent job but I am concerned with his tariff plan as that typically increases costs for the consumer
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 11/6/2024, 8:17 AM
@Kadara - Speak for yourself. [frick] you America, from the world. You've gone and [frick]ed up again.
Kadara
Kadara - 11/6/2024, 8:26 AM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - Bro he won so convincingly with Elon and all his rich friends, I expect taxes will be nice for the rich, maybe, hopefully not so bad for us lower people.
Kadara
Kadara - 11/6/2024, 8:28 AM
@WEAPONXOXOXO - I'm in Canada first of all. Secondly. I'm honestly happily this mad man won because if he didn't we probably be facing a civil war today. Enjoy four years of shame 😂
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 11/6/2024, 8:28 AM
@Kadara - He increased them on the middle class last time he was in office so I wouldn't expect anything unless you are particularly wealthy.

Middle class will likely continue to be weakened
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 11/6/2024, 8:29 AM
@Kadara - I'm not sure the right side won if they would have started a Civil War if they lost...
Kadara
Kadara - 11/6/2024, 8:31 AM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - US made their decision, I'm tired of bro. Good luck with him. I'm just happy there's no civil war because of this moron and his followers.
Kadara
Kadara - 11/6/2024, 8:33 AM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - It wouldn't matter, innocent lives would be lost because of a madman and his cult. I've seen it before in my country, I'm glad I don't have to hopefully ever see it again. Long live the dictator.
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 11/6/2024, 8:34 AM
@Kadara - "Long live the dictator."

Strange take
Kadara
Kadara - 11/6/2024, 8:50 AM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - If they lost omg 😧
bobevanz
bobevanz - 11/6/2024, 9:09 AM
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 11/6/2024, 9:40 AM
@Kadara - I'm Canadian too. That's why I said, "SPEAK FOR YOURSELF". Don't speak on behave of all of us.
Like when I said "[frick] you America you [frick]ed up again!" that's me talking. Not the country I live in.
Ikusa
Ikusa - 11/6/2024, 10:19 AM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - Yeah, but with Madame Turkeyneck the middle-class would have been wiped out completely. Ever seen a country after a few decades of socialism where the middle class is thriving?
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 11/6/2024, 10:24 AM
@Ikusa - She did have a plan for new businesses that would have impacted the middle class positively.

She isn't a socialist. Wanting to better the lives of citizens can still be possible in a capitalistic country as seen with any other first world country
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 11/6/2024, 8:23 AM
Chris Evans is in it so I'm watching it.

ALSO Santa!!

User Comment Image
That's what Josh said
dragon316
dragon316 - 11/6/2024, 8:24 AM
Watch movies as movie critic most likely not like everything you watch saw monster summer with Mel Gibson guy said as I walking out that was good fun movie I agree with sit back enjoy forget real world for few hours no need not pick everything take fun out things I’m glad I’m no paid movie critic they hate comic movies and horror movies it’s fans of movies who know how to have fun what what they like
SATW42
SATW42 - 11/6/2024, 10:25 AM
I always find these reviews weird. Is it supposed to be a cheesy christmas movie for kids? Is it that? Then isn't it successful?

I don't give a shit if this succeeds or not, no horse in this game, I just don't understand reviewing childrens movies as an adult, for adults.
SATW42
SATW42 - 11/6/2024, 10:34 AM
I guess I need to go back and look if movies were reviewed like this in the 80s or if it's just more of the internet making voices louder and critics needing to push content out, no matter what that content is.

So, I just read a Roger Ebert review of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids from 1989 and now, I guess we've always been like this.

BTW, he gave it 2 stars and kind of rips into it.

grif
grif - 11/6/2024, 10:43 AM
this movie needs to make a shit ton of money.


250 mil budget? wtf?
FrankenDad
FrankenDad - 11/6/2024, 10:59 AM
This tracks. I saw my first tv spot last night and was about as underwhelmed as could be.
Arthorious
Arthorious - 11/6/2024, 11:15 AM
The last movie I enjoyed with the Rock in it was Jumanji and mainly because of the other cast members
thedrudo
thedrudo - 11/6/2024, 11:46 AM
This sitting at 40% right now almost seems like a big win because it looks so bad. I’m guessing it drops when reviews really start piling up.
LeonNova
LeonNova - 11/6/2024, 12:26 PM
The Rock and Evans both need to fire their agents, because they keep ending up in slop after slop
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 11/6/2024, 12:37 PM
It seems like it was just yesterday that a story was posted on here giving this movie “glowing reviews”….
User Comment Image
kirbyfan
kirbyfan - 11/6/2024, 1:10 PM
Let the haters hate, It's an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC GOD BLESSED DAY IN AMERICA!
If they're saying this movie isn't any good, that means I can't wait to see it!
bcom
bcom - 11/6/2024, 3:13 PM
I don't mean to sound like a 'comments section armchair warrior' lol, but I think Dwayne's star is starting to fade. He's a 'movies made by algorithm' kind of guy. He makes movies primarily to make money and I think it shows. Everything he's involved in feels formulaic and I don't think it is sitting well with audiences anymore.
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 11/6/2024, 7:26 PM
Yeah....Seemed like the type of movie that was either going to be Awesome...or Awful.

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