After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Dwayne Johnson
Callum Drift
Chris Evans
Jack O'Malley
J.K. Simmons
Nick
Lucy Liu
Zoe
Kiernan Shipka
Gryla
Bonnie Hunt
Mrs. Claus
Kristofer Hivju
Krampus
Nick Kroll
Ted
Wesley Kimmel
Dylan
Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Olivia
Wyatt Hunt
Young Jack O'Malley
Lanz Duffy
Gene
Marc Evan Jackson
Uncle Rick
Ashleigh Domangue
Jamie Hummiston
Cody Easterbrook
HIT Instructor
Jon Rudnitsky
Beef Stew
Morla Gorrondona
Ogre Gryla (voice)
Jenna Kanell
Krampus Guest
Rod Maxwell
Krampus Guest
Fedor Steer
Krampus Guest
Octavia Grace
Krampus Guest
Matthew Zuk
Krampus Guest
Cora Kass
Krampus Guest
Ahmad Ghafouri
Stage Manager
Jeff Chase
Cyclops
Gary Peebles
Guard
Matthew Cornwell
Aaron Able / Troll
Amber Abara
Beach Woman
Alessandro Folchitto
Death Merc
Cynthia Barrett
MORA Surveillance Technician
J.R. Adduci
MORA Agent
Brandon M. Shaw
MORA Agent
Gabriel 'G-Rod' Rodriguez
Mrs. Claus Yule Lad
Kia Shine
Yule Lad
Adam Boyer
Yule Lad
Michael Tourek
Yule Lad
Derek Russo
Yule Lad
James Cheek
ELF Welcoming Agent
Regina Ting Chen
ELF Agent Ginerva
Reinaldo Faberlle
ELF Agent Garcia
Philip Fornah
ELF Agent Fred
Kenny Waymack Jr.
ELF Agent Kenny
Gissette E. Valentin
ELF Agent Barskova
CJ Padera
Monitor ELF Agent
Darryl W. Handy
Air Force General
Martinez
Air Traffic Controller
Drew Ater
F22 Raptor Pilot
Pilot Bunch
Candy Cane Thief
Makana David
Barista
Shane Costa
Churro Vendor
Greg Clarkson
Hot Dog Vendor
Ryan Reynolds
Elf Voice (cameo)
Director
Jake Kasdan
Screenplay
Chris Morgan
Story
Hiram Garcia
November 10, 2024
6
I thought this came to the cinemas about a month early, but it's still an amiable adventure showcase for Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. It all starts on Christmas Eve when Santa Clause (J.K. Simmons) is kidnapped from his North Pole home. It's retirement time for his head of security "Cal" (Johnson) so he's not best pleased after hundreds of years - and working with "Zoe" (Lucy Lui) he has to find out just how his boss's security was compromised in the first place - and then get to the rescuing bit. That search leads them to tech whizz "Jack" (Chris Evans) but he hadn't any idea whom his client actually was. After a rocky start, the two men must pull their resources and save Santa before Christmas really does start to deal with all of us on the naughty list. It's got bits of "Elf" in it, mingled with some "Harry Potter" elements and to be fair to all concerned, they all look like they are having some fun amidst a surfeit of CGI and very tightly choreographed action scenes that mix the modern and the mythological entertainingly enough. Simmons and Liu don't really feature so much and the moral of good vs evil isn't lost in the delivery but it isn't laboured either. Perhaps it's not a movie you will ever remember seeing, but as far as it goes it's a fun vehicle for it's stars to cheer us up as the festivities approach without too much sentiment or cheese.