Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Fans Revolt Over Actor's New Movie: 'Genuinely One of the Worst Films'

‘Tis the season for holiday movies—but Dwayne Johnson‘s new Christmas flick isn’t making audiences very merry. 

An action movie starring Johnson, Chris Evans, J.K. Simmons, and Lucy Liu, Red One tells the story of what happens when Santa (Simmons) gets kidnapped, relying on plenty of tongue-in-cheek one-liners and special effects (including a CGI polar bear character). 

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Johnson plays Santa’s bodyguard, which seems like a fitting role for the actor, but early reviews of the film overall—from fans and critics alike—suggest it won’t become a holiday classic.

“#RedOne is baffling, lifeless & genuinely dispiriting combo of trad meaning-of-Xmas tale & fantasy pic,” read one comment on X. “Tonally it’s all over shop skipping from one ill-conceived, visually unappealing setpiece to another, & despite lengthy passages of exposition it’s rarely clear what’s going on.”

“Soooo… #RedOne is genuinely one of the worst films I have ever seen,” declared another X user. “The visuals are atrocious, the dialogue is bland and unfunny, the usually talented cast have zero chemistry and even the action sequences fail to deliver on the entertainment scale. Abysmal stuff.”

“If you know anyone who is considering seeing #RedOne in cinemas, please get them help — they are in great pain,” joked somebody else.

There were some favorable opinions, however.

“Just finished seeing #RedOne. You know, that new Christmas action-comedy film with a huge budget. I actually liked it,” admitted one person. “It’s got some good moments, solid action, and some funny jokes. It’s not the best Christmas film ever, but it’s honestly very enjoyable.”

Reviewing the movie for Variety, Owen Glieberman wrote, “I’m not sure that a Hollywood movie has ever kicked off the season with less true Christmas spirit than Red One.”

Next: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Calls Out Viral Wax Figure for Missing “Important Details”