Kids

It’s Time For Families To Rescue The Red One This Christmas!

by Kevyn Gohu
November 6, 2024

Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans, the Red One movie answers kids’ many questions about Christmas and Santa Claus.

With Christmas around the corner, we’re sure the kids have been peppering us with questions. How does Santa cover all those houses in one day? Does he finish the world’s Christmas list in one day on a sleigh pulled by reindeers? Besides answering questions, the Red One movie showcases very relatable moments, especially for parents who may find themselves at their lowest point during Christmas.

1. Callum losing his faith in adults

Honestly, we would too after seeing how some adults behave in public. We often believe that Christmas is more for the kids but the adults play a big role in it too. When Callum Drift (played by Dwayne Johnson) slowly gets disillusioned about Christmas after observing the adults, he sends in his resignation to which Nick or The Red One (played by J.K. Simmons) says it’s important to keep trying to see the good and the child in each of the adults.

Unfortunately, what many of us forget during the stressful Christmas shopping spree, we tend to treat people badly just to get things done.

2. Jack O’Malley being a skeptic

While we jokingly call people who don’t enjoy the holidays a “Scrooge,” some adults (and kids) just don’t enjoy it as much. Not because they don’t feel it but sometimes, they’re still grieving. In the case of Jack O’Malley, it was the lack of his father that his cousins would tease him about. Although not mentioned, it’s possible that Jack’s father left on Christmas which is why he was all about the “cold-hearted truth” about Christmas.

However, he eventually finds the joy of Christmas again when reconnects with his son, Dylan.

3. Going beyond nice and naughty with Santa, Krampus, and Grýla

Seeing several Christmas stories in one action-packed movie added a lot more layers to the jolly plump man who goes down chimneys to deliver gifts. Besides Santa looking like a “beast” (as Jack O’Malley, played by Chris Evans, and his son Dylan, played by Wesley Kimmel agree), he also has the two supposedly evil spirits of Christmas who punish naughty children — Krampus and Grýla. In Northern Europe, parents often used to tell stories of the two aforementioned spirits to scare their kids into behaving.

Forget charcoal in the stocking; Krampus and Grýla were more creative with their punishments. Krampus had the Glaskäfig (or Glass Cage in German) to trap naughty kids until they learned their lesson. Grýla, from Norse mythology, was a female ogre that demanded charity via naughty children. As to what she did with them, the stories vary from eating them to turning them into slaves.

4. Santa revealing the purpose behind Christmas

Oftentimes during the Christmas rush, we forget why we celebrate it at all. Overwhelmed by the amount of presents, feast preparations, and family members coming over, we forget the core of what made Christmas so beautiful — it was to show that we still see the good in others even when they don’t. Santa (played by J.K. Simmons) shares that insight with Callum before he resigns, reminding him why he [Santa] does what he does.

5. The importance of being better, not perfect

Probably the most heartwarming moment throughout the Red One movie. When Jack O’Malley finds his son, Dylan, trapped in the snow globe, he doesn’t hesitate to follow him. Even when he initially was reluctant to shake the Glaskäfig that was meant for him, he immediately shakes it after seeing Dylan sucked in and tells Callum, “He’s my son.”

The two eventually have a heart-to-heart talk with Jack telling him, “I may not be able to be the greatest dad. But I know I can do better.”

That mindset is something we’d like to adopt as parents especially when some parenting strategies don’t go down like how we wanted them to.

6. Making the Christmas spirits more human

Perhaps, the Christmas magic may have been lost due to the need to tick off every person on our gift list. But the fun part of the Red One movie is that it makes the spirits more human instead of these fabled creatures from our imagination. Plus, it also offers explanations. Burning over four million (or billion) calories on that one night, Santa needs those cookies and milk we put out.

Krampus, on the other hand, reflects probably a more adult side of Christmas. There’s a lot of drinking and slapping, unfortunately. Plus, it’s kind of interesting to see that Krampus and Grýla did have a relationship prior. That’s quite the fanfiction fuel for many budding writers.

Red One Movie: Adding something more dynamic for the Christmas season!

A lot of Christmas movies are pretty whimsical and focus more on comedic drama which is what makes Red One as a movie interesting. With a more Mission Impossible-esque approach, Christmas just got a little more interesting, especially for kids who have a lot of more realistic questions about Santa. With Christmas around the corner, we suggest adding Red One as part of the movie list!

The Red One movie will release in Philippine cinemas this November 6, 2024.