Yahoo Movies Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson's Christmas movie gets mixed reactions
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.
Ahead of its November 15 cinema release in the US, some of those who've watched Red One have criticised it as an "uninspiring" and "unoriginal" Christmas movie, while others have praised the mythology it introduces.
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"It's not so much that Red One is bad, it's just a cynical piece of overly digital Hollywood content masquerading as a feel-good, 'edgy' Christmastime action flick," was one comment after the advance screenings.
"The cast dutifully do their jobs, but for all the supposedly creative fun on display, it feels rote and uninspired."
Someone else pointed out the chemistry between Evans and Johnson felt "lacking".
"Red One is a cute Christmas action movie with some fun adventures and nice nods to the holiday season, and it's got a good message. [But] the on-screen chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans felt lacking," they said.
"Red One is lazy and uninspiring," was another verdict. "Filled with storylines we've seen before, it's a mess of a movie that's overstuffed. The muted dull cinematography is as joyless as the script and Dwayne Johnson's one-note acting. It had the fountain of something promising but didn't care to execute."
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Those who liked the movie from director Jake Kasdan seemed to have appreciated the introduction of lesser-known Christmas characters.
"Red One is an action-packed holiday showdown, but my favorite part had to be the mythology introduced! They level up the holiday magic we know and love, while adding a fresh perspective with mythological characters we don't often see represented. A blast for the whole family!" one person noted.
Another critic added: "I enjoyed Red One. It's a fun and action-packed Christmas story with a Marvel-like spin. The world building of the mythical world is really cool. I liked the Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evan pairing. It even got me in the Christmas spirit a bit."
Alongside Johnson and Evans, the star-studded film also features JK Simmons as the missing Santa, as well as Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Bonnie Hunt.
Red One is released in UK and US cinemas on November 6 and 15 respectively.
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