'Red One' Ending Explained: Climax is about so much more than just saving Santa Claus
Contains spoilers for 'Red One'
What was meant to be Callum Drift's (Dwayne Johnson) final day as the chief commander of Santa Claus' security force after 542 years, quickly takes a grim turn. It all starts when Santa Claus (JK Simmons) is abducted, and that too with Christmas Eve around the corner. Drift now has a major obligation to not only rescue Santa but also save Christmas, and in order to do so, he ends up enlisting the help of Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans). Now, both are polar opposites, but with a weighty responsibility at hand, they embark on a mission to save the festival.
As the story progresses, the duo faces challenges before discovering that the winter witch, Grýla (Kiernan Shipka), is responsible for the chaos. It is soon revealed that Grýla and her sons have imprisoned Santa in a magic-draining vault and are using charmed snow globes to ensnare anybody on the naughty list. To test the power of the globes, she chooses O'Malley and his son Dylan (Wesley Kimmel). Will O'Malley be able to save his son before time runs out?
Jack O'Malley struggles to save his son Dylan
For those who need a refresher, O'Malley does not share a strong bond with his son Dylan, thus being confined in snow globes next to each other does not seem to be a good idea. Dylan soon starts to panic as O'Malley attempts to calm him down. O'Malley tries to make Dylan understand the situation and pours out his true feelings. O'Malley admits to being a poor father and resolves to be better in the future.
O'Malley's emotional confession aids in the shattering of snowballs, freeing the father-son duo. After coming out, O'Malley reunites with Zoe Halow (Lucy Liu) and Drift. O'Malley then introduces his son to the duo and then the group starts discussing the toy duplication machine that Grýla used to mass-produce the snow globes. Zoe and Drift are surprised when O'Malley reveals Grýla's cunning plan to distribute the snow globes to kids on the naughty list. They soon reunite with Mrs. Claus (Bonnie Hunt), Agent Garcia (Reinaldo Faberlle), and ELF (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification) security.
Who helps Callum Drift in 'Red One'?
In the next scene, Santa is seen in the power-draining vault with Grýla preparing to leave with an unconscious man, using his sleigh to distribute the snow globes. Drift arrives in time with his squad to save Santa, and a confrontation follows, with both teams battling fiercely. Taking advantage of the chaos, Grýla escapes on the sleigh with an unconscious Santa, but Drift and O'Malley pursue her.
The duo attempts to halt the witch, but her abilities appear to be too powerful. However, their efforts pay off when the sleigh crashes and Gryla falls over a pit. But things take a turn for the worse as Grýla transforms into her real form, terrifying O'Malley to the core. As Santa is still unconscious, the duo must fight the enormous monster alone, but at a critical point, Santa's brother Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) appears and defeats Grýla momentarily. Krampus even mocks Drift and O'Malley, claiming that they have no idea how to speak to a woman like Grýla. However, Krampus too soon gets the taste of Grýla's rage.
Drift sensing the dangerous situation takes up the leadership but fails to defeat the powerful Grýla. As things were becoming terrible for Drift, Santa intervened, and with the help of a herd of reindeer, Grýla was soon locked inside a snow globe.
Later, Santa thanks Krampus for his assistance and wishes him a Merry Christmas. Things quickly get back on track, with everyone working hard to deliver gifts to the kids while Dylan and O'Malley watch in astonishment. As Santa is about to leave, he invited O'Malley and Dylan to accompany him, which they accepted. During the successful run, Drift observes Jack regain his faith, whereas O'Malley decides not to retire.
'Red One' trailer
