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Read Critics Reviews. As long as you don't go in expecting something on par with a full-fledged Marvel movie, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a fun time for fans of...
- (507)
- Action, Adventure, Comedy, Holiday
- James Gunn
- A very Mantis Christmas.
- If the Guardians of the Galaxy were to do another holiday special, which holiday would be best?
- Verdict
- Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Review
- IGN\r Recommends
By Alex Stedman
Posted: Nov 23, 2022 5:00 pm
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special debuts on Disney+ on Nov. 25, 2022. Below is a spoiler-free review.
Leave it to James Gunn to close out the MCU’s Phase 4 with what could very well be a new Christmas classic. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special not only shines a very welcome spotlight on Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, but gives us unabashed Christmas cheer, a couple of earworms, and, of course, some Guardians-style laughs. After this and the wonderfully spooky Werewolf by Night earlier this year, it seems like Marvel is onto something with seasonal specials.
The Holiday Special opens like so many Christmas classics do: with animation. A quick, charmingly drawn sketch gives us a sad story about how Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined Christmas for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and Kraglin (Sean Gunn), and as Kraglin recounts the story to the gang, it pulls right on Mantis’ heartstrings. It’s here that the humorously bizarre premise reveals itself: what if Mantis and Drax (Dave Bautista) saved Christmas for Peter by giving him the best gift of all… his favorite Earth hero, Kevin Bacon?
Peter and the rest of the Guardians don’t get a ton of screen time in this refreshingly brisk 43-minute special, though the time that Pratt does get packs an emotional punch. But the focus is squarely on Mantis, Drax, and, hilariously, Kevin Bacon, as the former two take a thoroughly entertaining and ridiculous trip through Hollywood in Christmastime to find Peter’s present. The comedy of Mantis and Drax together never grows tiresome – seriously, I laughed every time Mantis yelled “DRAX!” in exasperation. And Bacon, playing himself, throws pretension out the window. He fully buys into this goofy concept while acting as an audience stand-in where necessary. Bacon’s involvement also allows a sweet message about the power of stories to sneak its way in.
Halloween
Valentine's Day
New Year's
Easter
Mother's or Father's Day
It certainly doesn’t skimp on sentiment but, thanks to Gunn’s ability to punctuate weighty moments with humor without undermining them, it never gets too saccharine. It’s filled with scenes that garner both laughs and potential tears, and it’s delightfully uncynical. That lack of cynicism extends to its full embrace of the Christmas spirit. From its brief scenes of animation to the showcase of beautiful Christmas lights to its musical moments, it’s not hiding its inspiration from past holiday classics, and it’s all the better for it. And by the way, those musical moments deliver too; it opens with a number that’s both endlessly catchy and funny.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special delivers all the Christmas cheer, sentiment, catchy musical numbers, and laugh-out-loud moments you could ask for in a quick 43 minutes. Kevin Bacon is hilarious as he plays himself in an insane situation, as is Dave Bautista’s Drax, but the real star here is Pom Klementieff as Mantis. James Gunn gives th...
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Review scoring
amazing
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special gives a welcome spotlight to Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, combined with some unabashed Christmas cheer, hilarity, and heart.
Nov 23, 2022 · The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The Bottom Line A fluffy, funny holiday confection. Airdate: Friday, Nov. 25 (Disney+) Cast: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff,...
- Angie Han
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