Bummed that Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is feeling down on Christmas, Drax (David Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) decide to give him the one thing he’s always wanted… Kevin Bacon (himself)!
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special tries to act simultaneously as a Christmas Special and a sort of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.5. By trying to split the difference, writer/director James Gunn winds up missing the mark on both accounts. Sure, it’s supposed to be slight, but it’s only sporadically amusing. The scenes of Drax and Mantis hanging around Hollywood Boulevard and being mistaken for cosplaying panhandlers are cute. Bacon (who was also in Gunn’s Super) looks like he’s having fun as he amusingly plays himself. The scene where he watches Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before he himself is kidnapped by aliens is kind of fun. Although he’s game, that’s about the only trick up the show’s sleeve.
In the tradition of the Star Wars Holiday Special, there are a couple of old school rotoscoped animated segments. While these scenes (which basically act as flashbacks) might’ve made for a good subplot for a movie, as the basis of a Christmas Special, it’s kind of shaky. And I don’t know if it was because it was made for Disney+ or if they were trying to capture a younger crowd, but the humor seems watered down compared to the previous movies. It also feels like many of the Guardians are barely in it.
And for a series that typically features great music woven into the films, the music here is pretty bad. I know it’s mostly Christmas songs, and the songs that usually appear in Christmas specials generally suck, but still. The alien Christmas song that kicks things off is especially lame and Bacon’s number feels more like a contractual obligation than anything else. Maybe I’m just being a Scrooge, but this did little to spread holiday cheer.
Marvel Cinematic Universe Scorecard:
Spider-Man: No Way Home: ****
Avengers: Age of Ultron: ****
The Incredible Hulk: ****
Iron Man: ****
Thor: Ragnarok: ****
Avengers: Endgame: ****
Ant-Man and the Wasp: ****
Spider-Man: Homecoming: ****
Iron Man 3: ****
Captain America: Civil War: *** ½
Ant-Man: *** ½
Guardians of the Galaxy: *** ½
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: *** ½
Avengers: Infinity War: *** ½
Werewolf by Night: *** ½
Black Panther: *** ½
The Avengers: ***
Captain America: The First Avenger: ***
Captain America: The Winter Soldier: ***
Thor: Love and Thunder: ***
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: ***
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: ***
Captain Marvel: ***
Spider-Man: Far from Home: ***
Thor: ***
The Marvels: ***
Thor: The Dark World: ***
Iron Man 2: ***
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: ** ½
Doctor Strange: ** ½
Black Widow: ** ½
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: **
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: **
Eternals: * ½
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