Red One

I saw this movie last weekend, and contrary to some nasty reviews I've glimpsed, I thought it was highly entertaining. It features Chris Evans as a ne'er-do-well named Jack who started his career – finding things that are supposed to be unfindable – at an early age, discovering proof that Santa Claus doesn't exist. Imagine his surprise when Lucy Liu and Dwayne Johnson bust him for inadvertently revealing the whereabouts of Santa's workshop to a client, who turns out to be an 18-foot-tall shapeshifting ogre known (to those wise enough not to say her real name out loud) as the Winter Witch. He and Johnson, an agent of ELF (don't ask), must now join forces to recover the kidnapped Saint Nick before the witch can use his powers to destroy Christmas. Like, with a vengeance that even Krampus wouldn't get behind.

The movie is directed by Jake Kasdan, also known for the last couple Jumanj flicks, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Bad Teacher. Predictably, it's packed with fantasy special effects and action, including a hit squad of beefcake snowmen, a Krampusnacht party attended by all manner of strange creatures, a talking polar bear, a gadget that can turn toys into their living, life-sized counterparts and, you know, Father Christmas and his team of flying reindeer. Its cast also features J.K. Simmons as the jolly (but not roly poly) old elf, Bonnie Hunt as the Mrs. and Nick Kroll as a high-level crook.

Overall, I thought its take on mythological beings like Santa, Bigfoot and so on was fun, and the commentary on what sets Santa apart from Krampus made room for thoughts like "Christmas presents are a symbol of undeserved grace" whereas the witch represents the unforgiving aspect of pure law and order. I didn't find the special effects distractingly bad, as I sometimes do in fantasy blockbusters. My head stayed inside the movie throughout the fast-paced action scenes, right up to the boss fight at the end. Also, it made me laugh and, for a few moments, got me a bit choked up with the subplot involving Jack and his son.

Three Scenes That Made It For Me: (1) Jack and Dylan find themselves in a tight spot, giving the father an opportunity to make amends with his son – and, in the process, busting the evil witch's plot wide open. (2) The snowman fight. I mean, come on. (3) The moment when Jack earns some respect from his ELF handler, when they actually start working together. Hint: It involves Krampus.

Believe the negative hype if you want to. I'm not (no pun intended) easily snowed by a lousy movie cashing in at the box office. I mean, I actually saw Justice League and recognized that it was terrible, and not because Zack Snyder lost control of it; I've had him pegged as a terrible filmmaker since Man of Steel. And I stood by my thesis that Morbius was an insult to my intelligence even when people I like and respect insisted it was terrific. When there's something wrong about the taste of the Kool-Aid, I spit. But I drank of this movie with gusto, and while it's a weird take on Christmas folklore and an entirely secular one at that, as pure entertainment I'd recommend giving it a chance.