Dwayne Johnson is Santa's head of security in Red One, the Amazon action comedy directed by Jake Kasdan, and apparently, it's a disaster.
Dwayne Johnson wanted to change “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe” with his Black Adam and somehow he succeeded. The flop of Black Adam at the box office has in fact initiated a major change, only three months after its release: the arrival of James Gunn at the head of DC Studios to completely reboot the universe (and say goodbye to the DCEU). Although he always claimed that Black Adam wasn't really a failure, so Dwayne Johnson has since made a name for himself in the cinema.
If he showed up at the end of Fast X and will soon be showing in Jumanji 3he is in fact working on his big comeback far from blockbusters with the Oscar-winning film The Smashing Machine where he will play an MMA fighter. But in the meantime, he will be the star of Red OneAmazon Prime Video action comedy where Santa Claus is kidnapped. A good way to restore your image? The first reviews give a fairly clear answer. Press review.
RED ALERT
“This story of the search and rescue of a kidnapped Santa doesn't reinvent the action movie wheel, but it is a fun twist on traditional holiday films. » – The Film Verdict
“Everything is slightly above average overall. For a film like Red One, that's about all you could hope for. » – The Wrap
“In the fun and tense Red One, director Jake Kasdan delivers a disarmingly sweet, effects-heavy action comedy whose qualities are undone by an overly complicated plot and tired blockbuster plot lines. » – Screen Daily
“The bad guys are shapeshifters, but in truth, Red One is an entire shapeshifter movie: it's a gritty action movie, a low-end kitsch Christmas fairy tale, a buddy movie, a family reconciliation movie – everything must be on screen. » – Variety
“It's high-concept boredom, saturated with CGI, which lacks heart and infectious humor, but the ending becomes slightly poignant even if the whole thing is very annoying. » – The Hollywood Reporter
“If Red One was a disaster, it would be more interesting. Instead, we see a technically passable action comedy, thrown together in a haphazard manner and happily repeating other films. » Vulture
“There's nothing wrong with making a big-hearted film for Christmas, but this stereotypical, commercial content is a toy destined to be forgotten, not the day after Christmas, but by mid-November [au moment de sa sortie, ndlr]. » – Guardian
“There is something very confusing about who Red One is really for. The humor is far too childish for adults, but the language is also too crude for younger children. » – Digital Spy
“Yes, it's cloying, but this film is much better when it embraces this cloying. If that makes you roll your eyes, keep in mind that this is a Christmas movie ultimately aimed at kids who have been around the MCU twice on Disney+ and their parents have now need a respite. » – Deadline
With these first returns, the mass seems almost said: Red One would be a real little nightmare, a film neither made nor to be made. On Metacritic, it currently has an average of 37/100, which is worse than recent reviews. Venom : The Last Dance (41/100) et Joker: Folie à deux (45/100), but if you have a strong heart and don't mind turnips, it's just above The Crow (30/100) et Borderlands (26/100).
Given the chaos of the production and the trailer, we are not going to pretend to be surprised by these catastrophic returns. To be sure, you will normally have to wait the exit of Red One on Amazon Prime Video in France, but no date has been confirmed For now.
