How can you not like a film that stars JK Simmons as a totally buff Santa and Dwayne Johnson as his E.L.F. bodyguard? The casting is just too delicious, right?

Throw in liberal doses of Chris Evans as the world’s greatest cyber bounty hunter, Lucy Liu as the head of MORA, the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority, Mad Men’s all grown up Kiernan Shipka as a witch/ogre, Bonnie Hunt as Mrs. Claus, and everyone’s favorite viking warrior Kristofer Hivju as Krampus, plus a giant talking polar bear.

Coat it all in a staggering $250 million budget, every penny of it showing up on the screen, and you’ve got one of great time at the movies.

Especially if you see it in a 4DX theater. You know, the ones that equipped with a variety of effects to simulate the action on screen, including wind, fog, water, lightning, rain, scents, vibrations and roller-coaster like pitching about?

The studios wisely showed Red One in a 4DX theater, and we were giggling and screeching like school children. We know this because the school children in our screening were doing exactly the same thing. How fun is it to shriek with childlike delight every now and then?

Red One review — The plot thickens

The plot has the coolest Santa ever being kidnapped from his fabulous North Pole digs the day before Christmas Eve. Can his security staff, plus some reluctant recruits, save him and thus save Christmas? What do you think? Along the way we learn some very cogent lessons about finding the best in people on the naughty list.

Director Jake Kasden, the man behind the last two Jumanji movies, does a fine job of making the film dazzling and amusing for both adults and kids.

Red One may not become an instant Christmas classic in everyone’s mind, but it has my vote. It’s absolutely worth the splurge to take the kids, S.O., parents, giddy friends, whomever, to watch it in 4DX. You’ll be hard pressed to find holiday entertainment that’s more good clean fun.

It’s my Christmas gift recommendation for you.

Rated PG 13

2 Hours 2 Minutes