While the film has a lot of mythological creatures, Krampus is the best part ofRed One(and it isn’t even close).Red Oneis 2024’s newest holiday franchise, with the cast featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, and tons of other stars. Despite this,Red Onehas been a box office and critical flop, with many critics and audience members alike not being fans of the movie. However, there is one part ofRed Onethat has received praise across the board, with this being the film’s use of the holiday villain Krampus.
2024’sRed Onesees J.K. Simmons' Santa Clausget kidnapped, leading to Dwayne Johnson’s ELF commander Callum Drift to team up with Chris Evans' master hacker Jack O’Malley in order to bring him back. Interestingly, the North Pole isn’t the only area that is full of magical characters in theRed Oneuniverse, as the film confirms that nearly every mythological figure exists in the franchise.Red Onefeatures the Headless Horseman and a variety of other non-Christmas characters, and while these are cool, none of them are cooler than the appearance of Krampus.
Kristofer Hivju’s Krampus Brings Some Fun To Red One
He Is The Best Performance In The Movie
InRed One, Kristofer Hivju plays Krampus, and he is easily the best part of the film. The design of Krampus is incredible, with the villain being the best-looking part of the film. Rather than just using CGI to create the character, as is the case with many ofRed One’s other cameos, Krampus' design clearly employs a lot of practical effects. The makeup and costuming job on Krampus is fantastic, and the design manages to combine Krampus' classic appearance with an updated look that fits into the world ofRed One.
Red One Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play
Red One is The Rock’s latest movie, and the Christmas-themed action movie has several classic holiday jingles along with some original music.
On top of that, Kristofer Hivju’s performance is a ton of fun. He is energetic, evil, and hilarious, withmany ofRed One’s funniest moments coming from conversations that involve Krampus. Despite being a holiday villain, Krampus' story inRed Onealso has a lot of heart, with him being the estranged brother of Santa. Krampus' character arc is probably the best one in the entire movie, making the villain even more special. Overall, Krampus has the best performance, design, and story inRed One, with every scene that involves the villain being too good for the movie.
Krampus Allows Red One To Dive Into Its Mythological World
He Makes Red One Feel So Much Bigger
Introducing Krampus inRed Onewas a fantastic idea, as it allows the movie to delve deeper than many originally thought that it would. Up until this point, other mythological creatures had been talked about, butRed Onehad mostly stuck to showing off generic Christmas figures within the North Pole. However, the realm of Krampus is a unique location that isn’t as oversaturated as the North Pole, withRed Onemost likely bringing the lore of Krampusto a lot of audience members who are unfamiliar with the legend.
Krampus isn’t the only character to appear in his castle, however, as his sequence features a variety of other terrifying monsters. Before even meeting Krampus, Callum and Jack are confronted by two Hellhounds, setting the stage for the horrors that are to come. The scene in which the duo first meets Krampus ispacked with extras and supporting characters that boast unique designs, whether they be utilizing practical effects of CGI. Krampus makes the world ofRed Onefeel so much bigger, and he would be a great addition to anyRed Onesequels.
Red One Needed More Of Krampus' Energy
Red Onewas a disappointment, but it could have been a lot better if it had more of the energy that Kristofer Hivju brought to Krampus. When compared to Krampus,The Rock and Chris Evansare giving surprisingly unenergetic performances, making their role as the protagonists pretty boring. They needed to match the fun, wildcard energy of Krampus, something that would have made the movie much better.
How Old Is Dwayne Johnson’s Callum Drift In Red One
Dwayne Johnson’s Callum Drift is one of Red One’s leading characters, the North Pole’s head of security who’s been at the job for quite some time.
Furthermore, givingRed Onea greater focus on practical effects and makeup would have made the movie stand out a lot more among the loads of CGI-heavy blockbuster movies from the past few decades. Rarely do major studios ever invest in blockbuster franchises that use practical effects to create their monsters anymore, but after seeing how well this approach worked on Krampus, this should have been used throughout the entirety ofRed One.
Red One
Cast
After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with a notorious bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a thrilling, globe-spanning mission to save Christmas. This action-packed holiday adventure mixes comedy and festive magic, with an ensemble cast that includes Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons.
