Red Onehas finally been released, leading to the realization that the film is actually just a worse version of a classic Disney movie. The trailers forRed Onemade the movie look incredibly unique,with it following a highly trained elf who works alongside a member of the Naughty List in order to rescue Santa Claus after he has been kidnapped. However, upon watching the film, it becomes clear thatRed Onefeatures a lot of familiar territory, with this beloved Disney holiday series already doing much of whatRed Onedid.
The cast ofRed Oneimmediately made it one of the most notable Christmas movies of 2024, with it featuring major stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, and Lucy Liu. Thebig-budget Christmas action comedy seemed to have broad appeal, withRed Onebeing the first original Christmas property of this scale in a while. WhileRed Oneisn’t based on a pre-existing franchise, viewers could easily be mistaken, as much of its world seems to be lifted from this Disney movie.
Red One Is Incredibly Similar To Disney’s The Santa Clause Series
They Have A Lot Of Similarities
Disney’sThe Santa Clausemovie series is one of the most popular Christmas movie series of all time,andRed Oneseems to lift a lot of its world from it.Red OneandThe Santa Clause’s worlds have a lot of similarities, with them featuring highly militarized units of elves, similarly designed versions of the North Pole, and even similar explanations for how Santa pulls off his Christmas Eve deliveries. Even beats like the comedic reindeer can be found inRed One, withThe Santa Clausehaving beaten it to the punch.
Why Red One’s Reviews Are So Bad
Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, is an action-packed Christmas movie that unfortunately seems to be on critics' naughty list.
The stories ofRed OneandThe Santa Clausealso have a lot of similarities. Mainly, both films feature a divorced dad who has a strained relationship with his son, with their relationship becoming repaired upon the dad and son being transported to the North Pole. Through their experience with Christmas, the father and son bond once again, with the formerly work-obsessed deadbeat dad finally turning over a new page.Red One’s Jack O’Malley is just a more cartoonish version ofThe Santa Clause’s Scott Calvin, with this being the heart of both movies.
The Santa Clause Already Did Red One’s M.O.R.A. Mythological Universe
The Santa Clause Beat Red One To The Punch
One of the biggest appeals ofRed Oneis the introduction of M.O.R.A., something that highlights thatRed Oneis about more than just Christmas.Red Oneis set in a world where all kinds of mythological creatures are real, with a militarized organization known as M.O.R.A. being used to track and control them. Characters like The Headless Horseman are seen inRed One, hinting that any number of mythical or holiday creatures could appear in futureRed Onemovies.
However, this is another element in whichThe Santa ClausebeatRed Oneto the punch. Much likeRed One,The Santa Clause’s Christmas world exists in a universe where all sorts of mythological creatures are real. The sequels toThe Santa Clausefeature appearances from characters likeThe Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, Cupid, Father Time, and more, with Jack Frost even being the main villain of the third film. Although this wasn’t the main focus ofThe Santa Clausemovies, even this idea isn’t wholly original toRed One.
The Santa Clause Pulls Off Its Christmas Redemption Story Better Than Red One Did
Scott Calvin’s Story Has More Heart Than Jack O’Malley’s
DespiteThe Santa ClauseandRed Onehaving a lot of similarities,The Santa Clauseis a far better story thanRed One. Both movies attempt to feature redemption stories with the aforementioned father and son relationships. However, Jack O’Malley isn’tRed One’s main character, with him merely being a secondary protagonist to The Rock’s Callum Drift. Meanwhile, Scott Calvin is the protagonist ofThe Santa Clause, allowing the film to craft a much better redemption story.
Where To Watch Red One: Showtimes & Streaming Status
The Rock and Chris Evans tackle a Christmas movie, and here are the options for where to watch Red One in theaters, on streaming, or on digital.
On top of that, Scott Calvin’s redemption is directly tied to Santa. Scott’s transformation into the jolly holiday figure is what thematically parallels his transformation into a better father, with him and his son spending much of the movie together. Jack O’Malley, however, is separated from his son for much ofRed One. His fixed relationship with his son doesn’t feel nearly as warranted bythe end ofRed One, with it not having the heart that Disney’sThe Santa Clausehas.
Red One
Cast
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.
