PHOTO BY FRANK MASI / PRIME

This movie features The Rock, Captain America and Santa Claus, and yet Krampus is easily the most interesting character.

That’s a pretty clear sign that something went wrong.

“Red One,” a holiday-themed actioner produced by Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions, concerns the kidnapping of Santa Claus and a desperate attempt to rescue him in time for Christmas. It’s an admittedly polished product; more than $200 million dollars was spent in trying to make this not only a yuletide hit but a hopeful franchise kickoff.

Box office prognostication is irrelevant to a movie review, but by the way: Judging from the forecast, I wouldn’t bet on that sequel showing up anytime soon.

Anyway: Johnson stars as Callum Drift, the head of Santa’s security detail. Saint Nicholas (J.K. Simmons) is no roly-poly senior citizen in this telling; here’s, he’s in immaculate shape and ready for action, looking more ready for another installment of “The Expendables” than “Miracle on 34th Street.”

When mercenary Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) inadvertently helps an ancient witch (Kiernan Shipka) kidnap Santa, the M.O.R.A. — that’s Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority — steps in. Drift and O’Malley need to figure out who’s behind the abduction, and they need to do it in a hurry; it’s Christmas Eve.

There are promising elements in this mix; M.O.R.A., headed by a steely Lucy Liu, is good fun (and actually could be a wellspring for future stories). Diversions to Aruba (to track down a nefarious underling played with verve by Nick Kroll) and Krampus’ lair are well- handled and entertaining.

The tone, however, is all wrong. “Red One” aims to be more action than comedy; something more akin to spoof would’ve gone a long way. It’s as though the film is more concerned with being cool than being fun; that’s par for the course for Johnson, who has of late steered a number of franchises in the wrong direction. (What do the DC Extended Universe, WWE and the “Fast and Furious” franchise all have in common? When The Rock shows up, everything suddenly becomes about how cool and tough The Rock is.)

There are scattershot laughs in “Red One,” and enough talent is present that things never fully derail. But if you choose this flick on Christmas Eve, you’re likely to inadvertently nod off for a long winter’s nap.

Krampus, though, steals the show. The kid’s a star.

My Rating: 5/10

“Red One” opens in theaters this Friday.