Hollywood stars Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans bring the Christmas action with Red One

LOS ANGELES – An action comedy to start getting you in the mood for Christmas, Red One sees Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) being kidnapped and the North Pole’s head of security (Dwayne Johnson) working with a bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to save him.

Opening in Singapore cinemas on Nov 7, the globetrotting adventure boasts big action scenes of the sort rarely seen in Christmas films, says Johnson at a Zoom press conference from Berlin, Germany, on Nov 4.

“The material lent itself to big action and scale, which you typically don’t see in Christmas movies,” says the 52-year-old. The American star has appeared in dozens of action films, including the Fast & Furious (2001 to present) and Jumanji (1995 to present) franchises.

Evans, who played Captain America in Marvel movies such as Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), agrees.

And the American actor believes Christmas stories are well suited to the action genre.

“There’s such great Christmas folklore – not just the stories we all grew up with, but internationally,” says the 43-year-old.

“When you hear about some of these creatures and mythologies, it almost begs for some sort of action adventure movie.”

But Red One also has the heartwarming messages one expects from a Christmas story.

Johnson says: “One of my favourite parts of the movie is where J.K. Simmons as Santa Claus reminds me that it’s our job to see the best in people. And if they’re on the naughty list, to look at that kid in everybody.”

Red One marks a return to action films for Lucy Liu, whose starring roles in the genre include the Charlie’s Angels movies (2000 and 2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003).

But the American actress was caught off guard. The film’s American director Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, 2017) had told her all her character had to do was “maybe throw a kick and a punch”.

“Then the stunt coordinator came in and showed me this entire action scene, and my face just turned white,” says Liu, 55.

“But as soon as I got the sticks in my hands, it’s like muscle memory kicked in and I’m alive again. I hadn’t done it in a long time but it just came back to me.”

The cast also talked about their favourite family Christmas traditions.

Johnson says: “When I was growing up, my (pro wrestler) dad was always on the road and wasn’t always home for Christmas, and the business we’re in sometimes requires us to work over the holidays.

“So for me, just to have the entire family together, that’s the most important thing.”

The star is married to American songwriter Lauren Hashian, 40, and has three daughters aged six to 23, the oldest from a previous marriage.

Evans’ fondest memory is the childhood sleepovers he had with his brother and two sisters, who are now aged 36 to 46.

“My siblings and I are all very close – close in age and close as people – and on Christmas Eve, we’d decide whose room we were going to sleep in and have a little sleepover.

“The fun thing was picking what Christmas movie to watch, then going upstairs and just trying desperately to fall asleep, and then getting to wake up together,” says the star, who is married to Portuguese actress Alba Baptista, 27.

Liu, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, says she did not grow up with any Christmas traditions.

But now that she has a nine-year-old son, whom she is raising as a single parent, she says: “I realise that you create and start your own traditions”. 

“I give him a gift, of course. But the most important thing is, I always take him on an experience, even if it’s something simple, like going to the Empire State Building (in New York),” she says.

“So to me, Christmas is about togetherness. Even if you didn’t grow up with a tradition or with a faith, you can create that wherever you are and at any moment in your life.”

Red One opens in Singapore cinemas on Nov 7.