Tacking the words “Holiday Special” onto the end of a beloved franchise is guaranteed to raise some eyebrows regarding a film’s artistic integrity, but, thankfully, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has the mind of James Gunn working in its favor. It’s become abundantly clear over the past few years that Gunn is perhaps the most passionate filmmaker within the superhero movie circle, carrying a love for his misfit characters that makes all of his projects stand out amongst the never-ending output of superhero media in pop culture. So, when James Gunn wants to do an idea as inherently stupid as a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, he’s earned enough goodwill to convince audiences that the story serves some kind of purpose beyond profit. Although, granted, the project certainly wouldn’t have been greenlit if “Christmas Tree Groot” merchandise didn’t sell itself.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special opens with a story from Kraglin (Sean Gunn), who recounts Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) attempts to share Christmas with his Ravager crewmates as a child. However, his Christmas spirit was forever thwarted by Yondu (Michael Rooker), who cameos here as a blue Ebenezer Scrooge. Upon hearing that Peter hasn’t been able to celebrate his favorite holiday in over 30 years, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) embark on a mission to Earth to find the perfect gift for Quill and save his dwindling Christmas spirit.
Mantis and Drax are a proven comedic duo from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Avengers: Infinity War, so it’s enjoyable to see them carrying a project all on their own. It’s especially nice to see Mantis in the spotlight, considering that she’s a tertiary character at best in the aforementioned films. Pom Klementieff shines in the leading role, as Mantis’ whimsical and empathetic nature fits perfectly within the context of a cheesy and sentimental Christmas special. As the lead, Mantis also receives a fair amount of character development and a welcoming layer of depth that she didn’t have before. Drax continues to serve as purely comic relief, which is very entertaining for what it is, but it’s a shame that he doesn’t get elevated to the same extent that Mantis does. This is particularly disheartening as Dave Bautista has shared his remorse that the character isn’t as complex as he could be. Nonetheless, Klementieff and Bautista share such a great on-screen chemistry, it’s almost a shame that the special only lasts for a lean 40 minutes.
Perhaps by design, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is definitely less cinematic in presentation than what we usually see the Guardians in. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as James Gunn has effectively created the most adventurous, madcap Hallmark Original in existence. The special is light on action scenes, but the ones that are here are fairly kinetic and exciting to watch. Gunn also pays deep homage to past Christmas specials throughout the film, the most notable being the animated segments reminiscent of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. As a Guardians of the Galaxy project, it doesn’t have to be said how well Gunn manages to incorporate soundtrack into the film, including some catchy original songs written by The Old 97’s.
Overall, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special manages to be an exciting 40-minute joyride. It’s corny, it’s schmaltzy, and it’s everything a Christmas special ought to be. Certainly, a worthy watch for any and all Guardians of the Galaxy fans looking to get into the holiday spirit.
RATING: 4/5 STARS
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is now streaming on Disney+.