Red One trailers have teased a festive, action-packed ride of blockbuster proportions, and the film has now finally screened for critics ahead of its wide theatrical release.

On X, formerly Twitter, viewers who got to attend early Red One screenings are now sharing their thoughts on the film. Though some reactions are positive, praising the world-building and festive spirit the film exudes, others are far more negative, criticizing everything from the lead actors' chemistry and the visuals, to the humor and the writing. Check out select reactions below:

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture writes that Red One is "on the naughty list for 2024." He calls the movie "unfunny and visually repulsive" and takes issue with the unexciting action. One praise-worthy moment he points out, however, "features Kristofer Hivju in full-body prosthetics as Krampus, slapping the coal out of Dwayne Johnson."

"[Red One] is an action-packed holiday showdown," writes Kristen Maldonado, "but my favorite part had to be the mythology introduced." She calls the film "a blast for the whole family."

Junior Felix also praises the film, calling it "funny, full of great action and even better characters." He also praises the mythology the film introduces, writing: "the world building is some of the best I've seen in a while!"

In another negative reaction, Jonathan Sim criticizes director Jake Kasdan's tonal choices, writing that he "directs this outrageous premise like a very serious action thriller, only ever pausing to have Chris Evans' character scream, 'What is happening?!' every few minutes." Sims also calls the film "cheap-looking at times."

"I'd love to say how bad I thought Red One was, but to be honest, some holiday cheer came over me, and it ended up as a fun romp through the North Pole," writes Hunter Bolding.

K.E.V.I.N. Fenix calls Red One "pure Christmas magic!" In addition to praising the film for being "fun" and "funny," he also calls out the "unexpectedly amazing world building that begs further exploration."

Dancin' Dan in Halloweenland shares another negative reaction, calling it a "cynical piece of overly digital Hollywood content masquerading as a feel-good, 'edgy,' Christmastime action flick." Dan calls the movie "rote and uninspired."

"[Red One] is a cute Christmas action movie with some fun adventures and nice nods to the holiday season," writes John Ngyuen. He does criticize, however, that "the on-screen chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans felt lacking."

What Red One's Mixed Social Reactions Mean For The Movie's Audience Reception

Will The Movie Be A Hit?

Many of Johnson's past movies haven't fared well with critics, but they are often more warmly received by audiences. Red Notice (2021), for example, scored only a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, but a 92% from audiences, and it ended up being a major viewership success for Netflix. Since the reactions to Red One are more mixed than negative, the movie could actually end up being quite popular with general movie-goers.

Whether it ends up being enough of a hit, however, remains to be seen. Red One's budget has been reported to be $250 million, a massive sum for an original Christmas movie. This could put the film's break-even point as high as $625 million. The last blockbuster-sized movie that Johnson headlined was Black Adam (2022), and that movie made $393 million worldwide, which was considered a disappointing result. The genre and the rest of the Red One cast likely give it an edge over Black Adam, but it's still not a sure thing that it ends up being a hit.

A damning report released in April of this year claimed that Johnson himself is to blame for Red One's large budget, with the actor allegedly derailing production with habitual lateness.

Our Take On Red One's Early Reactions

The Christmas Movie May Not Be An Outlier For Johnson

Johnson remains one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, but he arguably hasn't made a good movie in quite some time. The criticisms levied at Red One are similar to the ones levied at Red Notice, which, despite an A-list cast and a massive budget, featured some glaringly poor VFX and a story that didn't really hold together. It's too bad Red Notice didn't get a theatrical release, as it probably would have been a strong indicator as to how Red One will fare at the box office.

Red One might not end up being a great movie, but if it can offer up some festive entertainment for the whole family, that might be enough. It certainly sounds like there's fun to be had, and the world-building aspects suggest the filmmakers are keeping the door open for a sequel. With a theatrical release now only days away, it won't be long before audiences are sharing their thoughts on Red One.

Source: Various (see above)