Red One

Okay, here’s the lowdown: Santa Claus, known as “Red One,” gets snatched away by some mysterious squad in his secret world under a dome at the North Pole. His trusty bodyguard and head of security have got to save him—and Christmas too, since it’s practically here. To pull this off, they team up with a super-smart hacker who might just know who’s behind the whole kidnap plot.

The movie kicks off with J.K. Simmons playing a chilled-out Santa taking those cute Christmas photos with kids at the mall—he even calls it the place with the most feelings on Earth, which is kind of sweet. But then, outta nowhere, this special forces team shows up to whisk him away like he’s some kind of high-profile person needing major protection. Dwayne Johnson, AKA The Rock—it seems he’s near retirement but still rocking—steps in as Santa’s muscle-bound bodyguard and co-produces this flick with his company too.

Right from the start, it throws you into this wild ride about a federal agency (yep, all American-style) keeping tabs on all that mythical stuff like Santa’s turf. It’s catchy and well done—that is until things get messy once Santa gets nabbed and more twists start coming your way!
In this wild holiday adventure, Callum Drift, played by The Rock, is on a mission to uncover who’s behind Santa Claus’s kidnapping. First up on his list? Tracking down a hacker who spilled the beans about where Santa’s hideout really is—right under everyone’s noses in a hidden city beneath an invisible dome. To solve the mystery, Callum teams up with Jack O’Malley, Chris Evans’ character. Now, these two couldn’t be more different and don’t exactly start off as best buds. But like all great buddy movies out there, they find some common ground while trying to save Christmas.

There’s also a side plot involving Jack and his awkward attempts to connect with his teenager. Poor guy messes things up big time sometimes—he even misses his kid’s important exam! The film’s called “Uno Rosso,” which does sound kind of odd at first but rolls with a comedic vibe without going full comedy. Meanwhile, there’s action aplenty; think high-speed chases mixed right in with all the talking bits between our mismatched cop duo. Funny thing is though, their onscreen chemistry isn’t exactly fireworks.

With so much going on, Santa himself kind of gets sidelined in favor of focusing more on his adoptive stepbrother. Go figure!
So, Krampus ties back to those old legends from German-speaking parts of Europe. The vibe kind of flickers on and off, just like those old, quirky Christmas lights. But, you won’t see much of that magical Christmas feeling because this movie is super high-tech. Fantasy mainly hangs out with the reindeer here, who are mostly female and called “girls.” This one’s got a strong masculine feel overall. Santa’s wife doesn’t get much time in the limelight—same with Lucy Liu’s character who can’t seem to shake her martial arts persona—and Kiernan Shipka doesn’t get used much either.