‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ put their own spin on the holiday special
Published at
It’s Christmastime again and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) isn’t feeling too merry.
This is where we enter the “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” which is currently available to stream on Disney+. What follows is a fast-paced, funny adventure that fills in some holes in the characters’ relationships and tugs at the heartstrings a little.
The story is pretty simple. Peter is feeling blue, so Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) take it upon themselves to travel to Earth to find him the perfect Christmas present, Kevin Bacon. (himself). Along the way, they experience Earth life and sample a taste of the magic of Christmas.
If there’s a Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise that lends itself to the trappings of a Christmas, it’s the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardians have one foot in the family sitcom and writer/director James Gunn has an uncanny ability to present odd elements, like belligerent raccoons and anthropomorphic trees, in a funny way, yet not too cartoonish.
Gunn makes a clever move in focusing this special on Mantis and Drax. It gives us a chance to spend more time with them and especially in Mantis’ case, we get to know them better. There are also plenty of comedic opportunities presented by having two aliens walking around Hollywood. The scene where they are mistaken for cosplayers trying to sell photos outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater is a hilarious highlight.
This special also has a killer soundtrack filled with Christmas song choices that are off the path beaten by more familiar holiday tunes. The roster of artists includes Fountains of Wayne, Smashing Pumpkins and Hanoi Rocks. Olds 97’s appear to perform two songs, one alongside Bacon, and “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)” is already a hit in geeky circles.
That said, the best part of this special is the way it deepens the relationships between several of the characters. Drax and Mantis are a hoot to watch together, while Mantis and Peter have a touching scene together.
The special even finds time to fill in details about Peter’s relationship with Yondu (Michael Rooker) that might make Yondu’s death scene in “Guardians Vol. 2” even more tear-jerking. And because Gunn knows how to expertly balance the funny with the emotional, all the moments that give you the feels hit just right.
The trailer for “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” dropped not too long ago and looks to be yet another emotional gut punch. “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” did nothing to convince me I’ll be anything other than a quivering, crying mass by the end of that movie. In fact, by strengthening the bonds between the characters, I think the “Holiday Special” made things worse. That’s a wordy, ham-handed way of saying the “Holiday Special” is pretty good.
You can stream the “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” right now on Disney+.