Putting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans together in a big-budget Christmas action movie that attempts to do for the holidays what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done for superheroes sounds like a surefire recipe for a hit, but “Red One” has struggled since its release last week.
It sits at a dismal 33 percent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it debuted at the top of the box office, it has underperformed compared to its massive budget.
There’s nothing wrong with putting a different spin on the traditional Christmas movie genre, or coming up with new mythology for beloved characters like Santa Claus, but “Red One” ends up “loud, empty and hideous-looking,” as I said in my review.
“Red One” may fail in its efforts to create a new Christmas classic, but here are five better movies that add thrills, action and inventive twists to the holiday formula.
‘Violent Night’
Unlike “Red One,” this fellow Christmas action movie featuring Santa Claus isn’t afraid to get nasty, gory and sarcastic, fully committing to its absurd premise. David Harbour plays Santa as a cynical drunk who feels resentful of how greedy modern children are. While delivering presents at the estate of a wealthy corporate tycoon, he stumbles into an attack by a group of criminals holding the rich family hostage.
Santa battles the bad guys and connects with a little girl who restores his faith in the meaning of Christmas. There are plenty of goofy one-liners and gruesome kills, and Harbour fully commits to his ridiculous role, so that this brutal thriller turns out to be sort of sweet by the end.
Watch on Starz
‘Krampus’
The version of Krampus in “Red One” is more of an outsider antihero than a devious demon, but the malicious Christmas creature has been a major presence in horror movies over the last decade or so. Director and co-writer Michael Dougherty’s horror comedy uses Krampus as a looming threat that brings the members of a dysfunctional family together.
Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner and Allison Tolman play adult relatives who can’t stand each other but do their best to maintain a façade of harmony for the sake of their children — at least until Krampus arrives. Just because they put aside their differences and learn to appreciate Christmas doesn’t mean that they’re saved, though. Dougherty delivers a cynical and darkly funny movie that opts for sadistic playfulness over holiday warmth.
Watch on Max
‘Santa’s Slay’
Bill Goldberg may be a much less famous and successful wrestler-turned-actor than Dwayne Johnson, but he’s perfectly cast in the role of a vindictive, deadly Santa Claus in this amusingly dopey horror comedy. “Santa’s Slay” is so cartoonish that it barely qualifies as horror, functioning more like an ultra-violent slapstick comedy. Goldberg plays an evil variation on Santa who’s actually the son of Satan, previously cursed to spend each Christmas delivering presents instead of mayhem.
Now that the curse has been lifted, Santa is free to resume his reign of terror, which he does with lots of enthusiasm and lots of enjoyably terrible puns. Writer-director David Steiman knows exactly how silly his premise is, and the actors play up that silliness accordingly. It’s more entertaining than “Red One” on a tiny fraction of the budget.
Watch on Starz
‘Klaus’
Before playing Santa Claus in “Red One,” J.K. Simmons took on the same role in this much more satisfying Netflix original, the streaming service’s first animated movie to be nominated for an Oscar. Simmons voices a gruff hermit named Klaus, a woodworker who lives on the outskirts of the isolated Norwegian village of Smeerensburg. Thanks to the meddling of an obnoxious postman named Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman), Klaus handcrafts toys for the children of the village, which Jesper delivers in order to fill his mail quota.
Director and co-writer Sergio Pablos envisions a quaint alternate version of 19th-century Norway, where the post office is a kind of harsh ruling institution. With a painterly hand-drawn style, “Klaus” creates its own folklore, a new origin story for Santa Claus that mixes classical storytelling with a modern sensibility.
Watch on Netflix
‘Arthur Christmas’
The high-tech North Pole operation in this charming animated movie from Aardman is much more immersive and clever than the similar set-up in “Red One,” and the story also involves an unlikely hero drawing on those resources to save Christmas. The stakes are lower here, as the title character (James McAvoy) is determined to deliver a single missing present and prove himself worthy of taking over the Santa Claus title from his father (Jim Broadbent).
“Arthur Christmas” combines holiday cheer with the cheeky, whimsical style of the studio behind the “Wallace & Gromit” and “Chicken Run” movies. There’s plenty of excitement and adventure, but it all comes back to the bumbling, likeable Arthur, who just wants to give every child the best Christmas possible.
