Red One

JP Liz V1

Yes it is a Christmas film even if the over loaded CGI don't really portray Christmas, premise is Santa is kidnapped

https://youtu.be/8pIxnwkRvWs

Basq

Well, that looks f*cking dreadful.

CastorTroy

Haven't watched the trailer, but I'm guessing The Rock is no Ernest.

johnny_ultimate

Always a good sign when there's visible, extended product placement in the trailer.

Osmosis Jones

Oh great, a holiday cinematic universe

pixelburp

Ok perhaps cinema is dead after-all; that looks absolutely dreadful & like something you'd have seen in Last Action Hero … had Dwayne Johnson been around then. Had figured the Christmas movie a fairly broad genre but I guess there really are limits.

Supposedly the production of this was a disaster, the strikes ensuring the budget went completely nuts & Johnson apparently a total áss on set. I was suckered into his brand back in the day but I'm so sick of him I kinda wish he flopped outta Hollywood.

Maybe his work with the Safdis will show he's finally ready to grow up and push himself.

Fysh

Eeesh, this looks bad. And that's before you notice that it's basically a reheated South Park episode (Red Sleigh Down) drawn out to feature length.

I can't help feel that this was the product of some exec seeing Violent Night do quite well as an unconventional Christmas film, and wanting to try the same thing - while failing utterly to understand what _actually_ worked about that film...

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305362#Comment_122305362

I doubt it. I was the same, loved him in wrestling, first few movies he did he was decent (really enjoyed the Walking Tall remake he did, nothing special but it was a decent watch). Then he got absolutely jacked to the tits, started doing really repetitive sh*t, and just became a one-man advertising agency. He was good in the Fast & Furious films, but then he can't stop himself and needs to do his own spin-off because he can't be a supporting character. Has to try take over the DC films because he's already cast as Black Adam so has to make Black Adam one of the main characters (because again, he can't just be a supporting character). Then can't do anything without hyping up his own companies like his energy drink and his tequila.

I think doing the Safdis' film is him trying to get in on some of the praise Dave Bautista and John Cena get as wrestlers who became decent actors (Bautista especially) so now he's trying to do something a bit more serious, but yeah he still seems like an absolute d*ck outside of that. It was reported he was repeatedly hours late to set for Red One, and would p*ss into a water bottle between shots which one of his assistants would then have to dispose of.

But to be honest, I'm more disappointed Chris Evans is in this film. This feels beneath him.

Osmosis Jones

I don't really think of Chris Evans as someone who only works on quality projects tbh, I don't think he's been in a good movie since Knives Out

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305701#Comment_122305701

Much like Dwayne Johnson seeking salvation in a Benny Safdie movie, Chris Evans at least has Celine Song's second film up next. But yes, two actors with wildly uneven quality control - though nobody has as dire a record as Johnson (though, just to be controversial, I reckon Ryan Reynold's last decade comes close).

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305737#Comment_122305737

Deadpool has really offset a lot of the crud Ryan Reynolds has done the last few years, and he's nearly as much a human-billboard for his own products as The Rock is. Free Guy was only okay, I didn't get all the hype behind it though. Felt very much like "References: The Movie"

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305758#Comment_122305758

I very much include Deadpool in the crud 😅

But yes, there's something extraordinarily cynical and artificial about both men and their personas. The relentless branding doesn't help. But I tend to have zero interest in any films - blockbusters particularly - either of them produce.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305426#Comment_122305426

Plus there is that persistent rumour Johnson's gonna eventually pivot into politics at some point; I don't think he has ever completely shot down by Johnson? And maybe it's just too many people projecting Arnie's career onto Johnsons 🤷‍♂️

I wonder was Ryan Reynolds the first choice as well for this; they couldn't get him so went with Chris Evans instead?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122305765#Comment_122305765

Patrick Willems did a great dive into both actors' brands and how both men can claim responsibility for the watering down of the "movie star" into something more akin to a brand than a person. And look, for now their respective box office success kinda justifies their total one-track persona - but it has meant a deluge of utter drek.

As always, gotta flag a Willems video for having a bunch of "bits" you gotta scrub through to get to his often insightful material

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_6bscCG7OA

expectationlost

co-written by his ex-wifes brother!

Hande hoche!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312591#Comment_122312591

I would appreciate the film more if they stuck that on the poster/ Blu-ray box. Exclamation point included.

JP Liz V1

2nd Trailer

https://youtu.be/6jX6bG6p2ZY

JP Liz V1

Not a good opening weekend box office or reviews

gmisk

Mark Kermode absolutely hated it, in fairness it looks brutal, the budget is insane.

gossamerfabric

review aggregators all in the 30 to 40% range. This is not a good movie.

Hopefully J K Simmons got a big enough pay cheque out of this to allow him to pursue some quality roles over the next few years.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122847466#Comment_122847466

JK bulked up to play Santa

siblers

RT has the critic reviews at 34% but audience reviews at 88%. Seems a bit odd

jo187

I hate rotten tomato's.

Just out of this. Lots of kids in the cinema. They were bored for most of it.

I think the problem is, to adult for kids and to kidde for adults.

Trying to get that middle ground is tough

IIt's Very much a marvel does santa film.

It's perfectly fine and harmless watch.

santana75

Went to see this last week and I walked out after about 30 mins. Not that the film was bad, I was actually enjoying it but the cinema was full of noisy kids and noisy adults. I had to confront a group of teenagers who were absolutely running amuck, constantly moving seats, throwing popcorn all over the place, and providing a very loud running commentary on everything that appeared on the screen. They did quieten down when eventually I had to get the cinema staff involved, but then the groups of kids with their parents kicked off(screaming, bickering, crying, parents taking phone calls in the cinema and talking as if they were in a noisy pub) it was like being in a madhouse. In the end I had to call it quits and walk out. Lesson learned, book the latest show possible. I'll watch it sometime over Christmas because like I said, what I saw of it wasn't bad at all.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122847451#Comment_122847451

He really did :)

HOW can a film like this have a budget like that? I know, I know, they were saying Johnson's tardiness was an impact but really? 250 MILLION????!!!! I haven't seen it so I won't talk about the quality (Although I have ZERO interest in seeing it. I'm allergic to Lucy Liu for one thing). But, the trailers make it LOOK like a Netflix/Primer seasonal fodder… but quarter of a BILLION dollars?

Zaph

It was originally intended for Prime last Christmas, but got delayed due to the writers strike and it was decided to give it a theatrical release this year instead. And at some point in the process The Rock decided that it should be shot for IMAX. Don't know if they had much filmed already at that point or had to re-shoot anything for the new format, but I'm guessing that didn't help keep the costs down. Went to see it last week because my wife's a huge Christmas movie fan and it was fine, it's hard to get any more enthusiastic about it than that. Wasn't the worst Christmas movie I've ever seen, but it's not going to make the classics lists either. As someone said, it kind of fails to get the balance right between whether it's a kids' or an adult film, and certainly part of it might be a little dark for younger kids. I'd say overall it barely made an impression, much less a lasting one, and I'm just glad we got cheap tickets for it.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122850248#Comment_122850248

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122866906#Comment_122866906

For 250,000,000.00 you'd look for more than "Fine" really.

AMKC

I just watched this and do you know, bar some really badly done parts in the middle it was not that bad really. I enjoyed it. There was a few laughs and some good messages in it too.

Bogey Lowenstein

Decent enough action/buddy comedy. Not half as bad as it is being made out to be. Like others have said already it is not really suitable for little kids: lots of swearing and it would be a bit scary in places for them.