"Red One is actually a pretty good Christmas movie" — Memes erupt as internet debates over Dwayne Johnson-starring Amazon Prime film

Dwayne Johnson's Christmas action film Red One, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on December 12, 2024, has caused an uptick in memes on social media. The movie, directed by Jake Kasdan and starring Dwyane Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, and J.K. Simmons, was met with poor reviews after its theatrical release on November 6.

According to IMDb, the movie's plot centers around a rescue mission helmed by Johnson's and Evans' characters to save a kidnapped Santa Claus (played by J.K Simmons).

"After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas," the IMDb summary read.

The movie's poor critical review caused it to underperform at the box office. However, several streaming audiences disagreed, with one X user dubbing it "a pretty good Christmas movie."

"Red One is actually a pretty good Christmas movie. It’s earned a spot on the annual watchlist."

Other netizens echoed this sentiment, expressing their distaste for critics' rating systems. Many claimed the film was "an adorable Xmas Movie" that was "full of heart."

"Red One is a prime example of why I never listen to critics or reviews. The movie is an absolute frigging joy and yeah I love Christmas, but it was magical and loved every minute of it. Fun, funny, full of heart. Feeling festive ASF. And f**k yeah I teared up," one netizen praised.

"It pains me to say it, but Red One is actually a very adorable family xmas movie and you should probably watch it with your boomer family members - J.K. simmons is a national treasure," another user added.

""Listen d*ckhead...it's Christmas" F**k anyone not enjoying Red One. It's a f**king Christmas movie, it ain't meant to win any awards you Grinchy pricks. And any Christmas movie that has 'd***head' in the script, is a winner with me," someone else said.

However, the internet did what it did best: churn out memes about the movie regardless of whether users enjoyed it. One X user complained about being forced to watch the Dwayne Johnson flick with their family; another contradicted this sentiment, seeming sad that their family refused to watch the movie with them.

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Red One had 50 million watchers on Prime Video

Red One reportedly underperformed at the box office and received mostly negative reviews from reputable critics. It received a 30% critics' review on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.4 on IMDb. The movie, which reportedly had an estimated budget of $250 million, grossed $181 million worldwide.

While critics did not praise the film, the audience seemed to love it. On Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of the audience reviewed it. Most importantly, the movie had an astounding 50 million worldwide viewers over four days after its release on Amazon Prime Video on December 12, making this Amazon MGM's biggest streaming debut.

The movie's poster (Image via Prime Video)

Dwayne Johnson celebrated this victory on social media, thanking his fans for their "little history."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, released a statement following the movie's streaming success, saying:

“Every film is different, and we are so grateful for the partnership with our filmmakers in collectively finding the right strategy to get this film in front of the widest possible audience.

"With Red One, there was no doubt that strategy needed to include a theatrical release and associated marketing campaign, which drove audiences to theaters and generated awareness for the film with viewers who would ultimately tune in on Prime Video."

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Red One is now available on Prime Video.