★★

To decry Red One for its commercialist cynicism feels somewhat disingenuous. Were you expecting different? It’s Dwayne Johnson…at Christmas…with a sci-fi blaster. Captain America’s his side kick. If anything, given the cynicism fuelling most Christmas films these days, Red One’s chronic disinterest in hiding the fact almost feels honourable. Almost. The critique can but fall on deaf ears on the grounds that Red One is exactly the film it set out to be. It’s Hobbs and Shaw with silver bells on. Highly competent soullessness. Which is to say, an expensively executed evisceration of every ounce of heart that is supposed to beat within the Christmas message. The commercialised one, that is.