Dwayne Johnson’sRed Oneattempts to add a fresh take to the Christmas movie genre, but it repeats an old Santa trope that’s never really made sense. The world of The Rock’s2024 Christmas movieis filled with mythological beings connected to various holidays, blending them into the real world through magical lore. This includes J.K. Simmons' Santa Claus being a very real figure in this universe, as he uses magic and technology to deliver presents to every kid around the world on Christmas Eve. However, he’s not given much to do as he’s imprisoned byGryla, the Christmas witch.
Even though Santa is left out of most ofRed One’s story, the figure of Santa Claus is one that Christmas movies rarely ignore. Santa is so iconic as a Christmas figure that he’s almost always included in some capacity. This includes everything fromMiracle on 34th Streetto modern hits likeThe Santa ClauseorElfoperating in a world where Santa is real.Red Onetakes a similar approach to these other films in having Santa be a figure kids believe in and a “character” in public. Johnson’s Christmas movie falls into a confusing trap just like them.
Adults Seemingly Do Not Believe In Santa In Red One
Red One Largely Ignores Whether People Believe In Santa Claus
While most kids appear to believe in Santa Claus inRed One, the movie alludes to the idea that most adults do not think so. It’s a story point that is mostly ignored by the movie overall, as the importance of believing in Santa is not all that relevant to the main plot. The opening scene shows Jack as a kid, and he alreadydoes not believe in Santa and questions how he could be real. The adult he speaks to does not provide the necessary answers, seemingly because he thinks Santa is just a myth for kids.
This idea that adults do not believe in Santa is nothing new forRed One. It’s a common thread in many of thebest Christmas moviesthat include Santa. Typically,adults not believing in Santa is the counterview to the kids who do believe, and by the end, even some adults accept that Santa is real.Red Onedoesn’t use Jack’s kid to explain if it’s essential for Simmons' version of Kris Kringle to have children believe in him. But based on how adults talk about Christmas in the movie, there’s no sense that people think Santa is real.
Adults Not Believing In Santa Never Makes Sense In Christmas Movies
How Do They Rationalize The Presents?
Christmas movies having adults not believe in Santa might make sense from a thematic perspective, but it almost always results in an odd plot hole. Santa always exists as someone whose main purpose is to deliver presents to kids on Christmas Eve without them or their parents knowing about it. This means that every single year, adults with kids would wake up and find presents under the tree or in stockings that they did not buy. So,where do the adults in Christmas movies think these gifts come from?Santa is the only answer that makes sense.
That is why adults, or more specifically parents, should be the most prone characters to believing in Santa in Christmas movies. It might be difficult to believe that there’s an old, magical man who lives in the North Pole and delivers gifts to every house in one night thanks to his flying reindeer, but is it really that far-fetched when considering every family has surprise gifts each year? If that were really happening, surely adults would have to accept the fact that Santa is real as he is inRed Oneinstead of denying his existence.
