Why Red One's Reviews Are So Bad

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Red One

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans have failed to bring Christmas joy with Red One. In Red One, an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable), played by Johnson, enlists the help of a tracker, played by Evans, to find Santa Claus, who was kidnapped from the North Pole. In addition to Johnson and Evans, the cast of Red One includes J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, and Kiernan Shipka.

Red One is finally releasing in theaters and is directed by Jake Kasdan, who has previously worked with Johnson on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level. However, Red One is their worst-reviewed collaboration. While the movie has a star-studded cast and an exciting premise just in time for Christmas season, reviews for Red One have not been positive. The film currently has a score of 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. Therefore, it seems like Red One is not the joyous Christmas blockbuster that many hoped it would be.

Red One's Bad Reviews: Why It Has A 32% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Red One Is Not A Successful Christmas Movie

Supposedly, Red One was meant to be the start of an MCU-like franchise focused on different holidays. Many critics have pointed out that Red One seems to only exist to make money, not even attempting to be a film of quality in the process. IndieWire's review of Red One even pointed out that the film will "make you not only bummed about the holidays ahead, but about cinema’s future as well." Therefore, it is clear that Red One's story did not resonate with critics at all, as IndieWire also described the movie as a "blockbuster-sized cinematic lump of coal."

In their review of the film, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Red One is a "high-concept, CG-saturated bore that lacks heart and infectious humor." While Empire noted that there's at least a "little bit" of heart in the film, their review agreed that Red One is full of disappointing CGI and, surprisingly, a lack of chemistry between Johnson and Evans. Overall, they concluded that Red One "feels engineered in a lab to provide seasonal spectacle."

Red One's Reviews Criticize The Film Not Knowing Its Audience

Red One Tries To Entertain Everyone, But Fails

A common theme in the reviews for Red One also criticize the movie for not knowing its target audience. On trend with the criticism that Red One only exists to make money, critics point out that the movie tries its best to please everyone. However, Red One fails in this attempt, since aiming to please everyone results in not catering to any specific group. Screen Rant's own Simon Gallagher noted that some of the jokes in Red One are clearly meant for adult audiences, but other moments make the film feel like a children's movie.

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Gallagher ultimately concluded that Red One is "aimed at Fortnite players who wouldn’t be seen dead enjoying a typical Christmas film." Therefore, while certain demographics may enjoy specific parts of Red One, reviews suggest that no one will enjoy the whole movie. Since Red One is clearly a movie designed to be as entertaining as possible, the fact that not one audience will enjoy the whole movie is a bad sign.

What Red One Does Well According To Critic Reviews

Some Critics Think Red One Is A Fun Action Movie With A Holiday Twist

However, within many negative reviews, there are slightly more positive reviews for Red One which suggest the film isn't as bad as many critics would make people believe. TheWrap describes Red One as "an effectively constructed high-concept action-fantasy-comedy." While there is a lot going on in the movie, their review claims that the world of Red One is fun to think about, which is a good compliment if the movie aims to start a holiday-themed cinematic universe.

The Film Verdict acknowledges that Red One isn't a revolutionary action movie, but argues that it is a "fun spin on holiday tropes." Therefore, some critics appreciate the Christmas atmosphere that Red One provides, and view it as a fun action movie. In classic Christmas fashion, The Film Verdict also appreciates that the story is centered around Evans' character finding the nice in himself and appreciating others, suggesting that there is some heart to Red One's story.

What Red One's Bad Reviews Mean For Dwayne Johnson & The Movie

Will Red One Start A New Franchise?

Red One debuted in theaters internationally on November 6, 2024, and garnered an estimated $26.6 million across its first weekend. Now, Red One is estimated to make anywhere from $20-40 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office. These are respectable figures. However, Red One has a massive budget of $250 million, so it will have to make a lot more money to become profitable in theaters, which is Amazon MGM's goal after pivoting to a theatrical release plan in the hopes that the film could launch a major franchise.

While Red One will likely be a massive streaming success when it does hit Prime Video, it is currently doubtful whether the film will make enough of an impact at the box office to warrant the creation of a brand-new franchise.

Originally, Red One actually was set to debut on Prime Video's streaming service in late 2023, but these plans changed after the Hollywood strikes. Therefore, while Red One will likely be a massive streaming success when it does hit Prime Video, it is currently doubtful whether the film will make enough of an impact at the box office to warrant the creation of a brand-new franchise. In conclusion, Red One's box office and critical performance will definitely impact the next few years of Johnson's career, and the future of holiday movies, in general.

Sources: IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, Empire, TheWrap, The Film Verdict

After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with a notorious bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a thrilling, globe-spanning mission to save Christmas. This action-packed holiday adventure mixes comedy and festive magic, with an ensemble cast that includes Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons.

Director Jake Kasdan

Release Date November 15, 2024

Writers Chris Morgan , Hiram Garcia

Runtime 123 Minutes

Cast Dwayne Johnson , Chris Evans , J.K. Simmons , Lucy Liu , Kiernan Shipka , Bonnie Hunt , Kristofer Hivju , Nick Kroll , Wesley Kimmel , Mary Elizabeth Ellis , Wyatt Hunt , Lanz Duffy , Marc Evan Jackson , Ashleigh Domangue , Cody Easterbrook , Jon Rudnitsky , Morla Gorrondona , Jenna Kanell , Rod Maxwell , Fedor Steer , Octavia Grace , Matthew Zuk , Cora Kass , Ahmad Ghafouri , Jeff Chase

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