REVIEWED BY Ruwandi Perera
Double Delight at Christmastime
“There are worse ways to go out than trying to save Santa Claus.”
Jack O’Malley (Red One)

Star-studded? Check. Long awaited? Check. Spectacular? You bet! There are two fascinating movies taking to the sky this Christmas season – Red One and Wicked.
Combining comedy and action with some good old Christmassy warmth – although the latter might not be all that obvious – Red One kicks off with Santa being kidnapped by a group of bad guys. Enter Zoe, portrayed by a very commanding Lucy Liu, to rally the forces to save him… and Christmas.


The rescue team is headed by Callum Drift. He is the commander of Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification (ELF) and head of security for Santa. Played by Dwayne Johnson, Callum is everything good and just at Christmastime.
He joins with bounty hunter, hacker and ‘Level 4’ naughty lister Jack O’Malley, who also happens to be the world’s best tracker. Portrayed by Chris Evans, O’Malley is the polar opposite of Drift and the duo spend most of the movie annoying each other before eventually becoming friends.

The film also involves the infamous Krampus, who is known for terrorising children in Europe, and Grýla – the mythical Christmas witch from Iceland. Throw in a humanoid polar bear, the Headless Horseman and a bunch of North Pole-ish characters, and you’ve got a world of merry madness!
In a parallel universe lies the other holiday blockbuster – the long awaited Wicked.

“I don’t cause commotions. I am one.”
Elphaba (Wicked)
Based on everyone’s favourite Broadway musical, Wicked is the first of a two-part movie. The second part will hit cinemas next November.
Starring Tony winner Cynthia Erivo who plays the role of Elphaba, and pop icon Ariana Grande who portrays Glinda, Wicked is set in the Land of Oz way before Dorothy leaves Kansas.
Green skinned, misunderstood for being different and full of magical potential that she has yet to realise, Elphaba is all about staying true to herself and doing good to others.


On the other hand, Glinda is ‘Ms. Popular.’ Born into privilege and fuelled by ambition, she is obsessed with fame and seduced by power.
Both girls study at Shiz University under the watchful eye of Madame Morrible, who has a wonderful hidden agenda. While they initially seem like chalk and cheese, the two become friends later on.
The movie follows Elphaba growing in power and prowess, and eventually learning that the all-powerful Oz is actually a fraud. She is keen to fight the evil in Oz but finds out that Glinda would rather follow the rules than stand by her friend. The movie ends with the two of them parting ways to travel their very different paths.

Unlikely friendships, unorthodox leaders, loads of magic and lots of Hollywood stars, both movies seem to have the perfect ingredients that are needed to keep audiences glued to their seats this season.