The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Review
Marvel Studios decided to give us an early Christmas present with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. It’s the second special that Marvel Studios has done, the first one being Werewolf By Night. And given the fun hijinks of the Guardians of the Galaxy I was very excited to be getting a Christmas special. So how is it? Is it better than Werewolf By Night? Let’s find out!
NOTE: Before we get started there are a couple of things I want to mention. First up, there is a mid-credit scene on this special. It is fun, it’s a nice moment that will put a smile on your face. But it’s not something important in setting up the future. Second, this is technically the final project in phase 4. But it’s just something extra at the end, it’s the culmination of phase 4 or something like that. It’s just a Christmas special starring The Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Good:
And just in general…I thought this was special and was really really good. James Gunn is such a great filmmaker because he’s able to do these crazy James Gunn ideas and moments. But package them in a way that’s still relatable. So the basic set-up is that Drax and Mantis want to throw Peter a Christmas party after Gamor is gone, and bring some happiness into his life. So they head to earth in search of Kevin Bacon to give Peter as a Christmas present. The idea of finding your family in your friends and wanting to make somebody happy for Christmas. Is a very human thing that’s something that everybody can in some way shape or form relate to. And that’s the magic of James Gunn, he’s able to make these aliens and this wacky idea and make it very heartfelt.
And that’s probably the best thing about this special: it's very heartfelt. Like I said, the central idea for this movie of trying to make people happy for Christmas is a very human emotion to have. And so all through-out the special you get these heartfelt moments that do work. Especially with the fact that Peter hasn’t celebrated Christmas since he was a kid. So it’s been 25-30 years since he’s celebrated Chrismtas. And as you move into the back half of the special those moments really do work. And it makes you feel good inside, it makes you want to do something like this for somebody else. And it helps get you in the mood for the Christmas season that has basically started.
Another thing you have to talk about is the inclusion of Kevin Bacon. And he’s a big part in the special, it’s not just a cameo in a couple of scenes. He is special and does play an important role in the whole thing. And it’s just a lot of fun to see Kevin Bacon playing a fictionalized version of himself. He’s Kevin Bacon playing Kevin Bacon inside of the MCU. And it gets kind of funny and weird because Kevin Bacon was the bad guy in X-Men: First Class, and with the multiverse it can get kind of weird like that. But Kevin Bacon does get some great moments in here, he is a lot of fun. And there are a lot of nudges and easter eggs toward his career.
Another fun thing here is the duo that is Drax and Mantis. When promoting this special James Gunn said he decided to make them front and center because they’ve both been side characters in the MCU. So now they get to have a project where they are the lead. They are the main characters of the special, along with Kevin Bacon. But the dynamic and relationship between Drax and Mantis in this special is a lot of fun. They have a great chemistry with one another that is efficacious. And when they go to Earth it’s a lot of fun because it’s a lot of fish out of water comedy. And since Drax and Mantis for VERY different reasons are kind of clueless, that provides some really fun moments during that segment of the special.
Finally, I do think the special is worth watching because it does have an important plot point for The Guardians of the Galaxy themselves. I don’t want to spoil anything because it is a reveal in the special, but I think it’s going to be very important for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 next May.
The Bad:
When it comes to this special, I really don’t have any big issues with it. I just think it’s a very fun and enjoyable special that puts a smile on your face. I think some of the humor feels a bit forced at points. Like some of the jokes with Drax and Mantis when they are on Earth feel a bit like they are trying too hard to put a smile on your face. And trying too hard to get a laugh out of you. And then there’s a musical number towards the beginning of the special that goes on for too long. I get the point they are trying to communicate, but the more and more it went on it got less and less funny for me.
Other things and this is a very small issue with the special. But I didn’t like the design for Groot in the special. With it being a very musical build with a big body but a small head. I don’t think it worked and it wasn’t a look that I enjoyed. I hope that’s not the same look that he gets in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Final Thoughts: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a very enjoyable Christmas special set inside of the MCU. You get a lot of heartfelt moments, James Gunn’s humor, a great new MCU character with Kevin Bacon. And it’s just fun that we have a Christmas special set inside of the MCU. And The Guardians of the Galaxy are the perfect characters to do that with. As far as comparing it to Werewolf By Night, I liked the special a good bit more. I thought the story fit the short run time much more. And overall, I enjoyed this special far more than Werewolf By Night.
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