The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the 2022 Christmas offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kraglin Oboonteri (Sean Gunn) tells the Guardians of the Galaxy about the time Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) tried to celebrate but was prevented by Yondu (Michael Rooker). Mantis (Pom Klementieff) becomes moved by this story and sets out to give Peter the Christmas he was denied. Mantis recruits Drax (Dave Bautista) to go to Earth and get Peter the perfect present.
When it comes to franchises getting a Christmas special, Guardians of the Galaxy did not seem like an unlikely candidate. The franchise is set in space and Marvel projects have a sense of peril, even if the film’s a lighter affair. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special had the risk of becoming the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special even pays homage to the Star Wars Holiday Special by opening with an animated sequence.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was a full-on comedy and it’s best to have that in mind when watching. As a comedy, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was incredibly funny. Mantis and Drax had excellent chemistry in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and they still had it when they were on Earth. There was a slight change in the dynamic because Mantis was more willing to display anger and wasn’t as meek as she was in her previous appearance. It was fun to see her lose her temper.
The Holiday Special had a broad appeal. I could not help but laugh at the slapstick antics like Drax beating up a man dressed as a Go-Bot and throwing Mantis over a fence. Drax was naturally a funny character because of his literal mindset and lack of intelligence. The bulk of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was a fish-out-of-water story since Drax and Mantis were exploring Los Angeles.
Kevin Bacon had a guest role where he played a fictionalised version of himself. He was game for sending himself up as he fled from Drax and Mantis and talked about his roles. It oddly reminded me of Bacon’s adverts for EE, especially the ones lampooning his film characters. I do wish that the Special made a reference to his role in X-Men: First Class, but that’s just me.
The Special did ensure there was some schmaltz as the Christmas spirit engulfs even the grouchiest characters. This was standard stuff for a Christmas special and Guardians of the Galaxy does it well.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special did the job as a light-hearted detour in the MCU. It’s a silly one-off. If James Gunn’s work with the DCEU doesn’t work out he does have a future with family-friendly comedy.
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