Joy H. Books

[SPOILERS AHEAD].
Red One is exactly the kind of feel-good traditional Christmas movie you’d expect. That is–if you expect Santa to be lean, witty weightlifter, his right hand man Callum Drift to be a centuries-old spy/bodyguard, and for the North Pole to look more like Langley than a workshop. Also, of course, there are bloodthirsty ninja snowmen, talking polar bears, and a few Christmas baddies that would give even adults the shivers. Under all that beat-’em-up spy veneer, however, Red One also surprisingly delivers a meaningful story about second chances.

And if anyone needs second chances, it’s our protagonist Jack O’Malley.

on the naughty list

Jack O’Malley [Chris Evans] is for sure on the naughty list, and not just because he’s a brilliant coder wasting his talents on hacking, espionage, and general mischief-making. Whether you ask Jack’s ex-wife, his son Dylan, or Santa’s right-hand-man Callum [Dwayne Johnson], Jack’s biggest issue is being an absent father. While he shows up occasionally in Dylan’s life, the half-hearted advice Jack peppers with cynical opinions is anything but fatherly. If you asked Callum, who’s gotten a peek or two at the Naughty-or-Nice list, he wouldn’t touch Jack and his parenting skills with a ten and a half foot pole.

The only problem? He and Jack are now unwilling partners. When an evil group of covert ops attacks the North Pole and kidnaps Santa, Callum must reach out to the only civilian involved, Definitely-On-the-Naughty-List Jack. Callum’s already been having burnout and doubts about Christmas magic. But he’s got to find a way to work with roguish Jack and Dylan (who’s along for the ride) to save Christmas for the children of the world.

Callum, after all, hasn’t spent the last 500-odd years protecting Christmas to let Jack O’Malley mess it up.

Laughing all the way

In many ways, Red One is a fun movie. It’s got humor delivered by A-list duo Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans and more than a splash of unconventional Christmas magic. The movie’s not all nice, though. Throughout Jack O’Malley’s ultimate path to redemption, we see some disturbing things. There’s profanity sprinkled throughout Red One, along with spies, violence, and a slightly scary appearance of the horned villain Krampus. And while our main heroes mostly stick to modest outfits, in one scene at the beach, we see men and women in revealing swimwear.

Overall, it’s up to viewers to decide if the good outweighs the bad in Red One. Like Jack O’Malley’s character, however, there’s certainly some good to find buried deep. Over the course of their covert Christmas mission, Jack and Callum come face-to-face with the choices of their past and present. Jack doesn’t likes what he sees, and he’s left to grapple with the question, Can I even change? For Callum, the naughtiness and increasing violence in the world has left him jaded and defeated. The answer to Jack’s question, it turns out, is just as important to Callum Drift as it is to the O’Malley family.

The kid inside

My favorite part of Red One came as a surprise. In a poignant twist of screenwriting magic, it’s revealed that Callum used to possess the ability to see all adults as their child-selves. This superpower has always equipped Callum to see the valuable importance of all people, but when the evil in the world turns him cynical, his power disappears.

So, when Jack O’Malley’s transformation from hacker-spy to imperfect-but-caring father is complete, Callum regains his ability to see the child within everyone. While Red One is certainly not trying to make any theological statements here, a thought really struck me.

While it’s obviously different, Callum’s special insight reminds me of how God views His kids. We see the dirty, ugly, and truly sinful track record that we all have. God, however, sees who we can become through the power of His Holy Spirit. Our Father sees who He destined us to be in Jesus Christ.

The Bible talks a lot about how through Jesus we are reconciled to God and brought back into His family. Every time God looks at us, He sees Jesus’ perfection. And, He sees a beloved child that He loves more than we can ever comprehend (see Ephesians 3:18-19!).

So now, everytime I think of the pretty-silly and somehow meaningful story found in Red One, I can’t help but think that God sees us differently than we ever could. That’s a pretty beautiful thing.

Conclusion

Red One is kind of like The Grinch if you added Christmas monsters, fight scenes, magic, and ninja stars. At the end of the day, we hear a story about a really naughty guy that gets a chance at profound redemption. While Red One is an easy watch that will get both giggles and possibly cringes, it also contains sparkles of truth. As we witness through the eyes of Callum, God sees us in a way that we can’t imagine. We’re beloved, accepted, and destined to be more like Jesus, rocking the truly human life of meaning He calls us to.

No magic reindeer required. 🎄

Credits

Title image from Empire Magazine, edited in Canva

Kasdan, J. [Director]. (2024). Red One. [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.