In December, holiday specials begin to air on TV networks and stream platforms every year. Marvel got ahead of the game and released their special, “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” on Nov. 25. This unique holiday short follows Drax and Mantis as they try to cheer up their captain, Starlord, with the spirit of Christmas. The short included a surplus of comedy, character development, and one of the best cameos.
If I could change one thing, I would want to make it so that multiple characters cracked jokes rather than a select few. — Connor Whitfill
James Gunn never disappoints an audience with his jokes, and this recent release proves that. The special included plenty of bits of comedy. While some of the jokes were funnier than others, I cannot think of a single moment where one of the jokes did not at least make me smile. On top of the hilarious punchlines, “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” does not contain a serious story, so none of the jokes throw off the movie. If I could change one thing, I would want to make it so that multiple characters cracked jokes rather than a select few.
Although the story followed a more comedic path, the short provided some character development. The writers chose to develop Mantis the most, and it works well because it’s the motivation behind the entire movie. Not to mention, since Mantis did not have much character development in the MCU before, it’s easy for the audience to enjoy her growth throughout the special since they want to learn more about her.
Cameos remain a top priority in all MCU movies, shows and shorts. The whole plot revolves around Kevin Bacon as a gift to Starlord. As weird as it sounds, the writers managed to make Bacon fit in the story. They made it to where he acted as a base for most of the comedy, and the writers allowed him to contribute to the heartfelt conclusion. Although Bacon surprised me when they announced he would be in the holiday special, he did a splendid job, and I hope to see more of him in the future.
In the end, “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” established itself as one of the best holiday products to come from Marvel. I give this short film four and a half buff Groots out of five buff Groots.
