Holiday Special Review
Director James Gunn closes Phase 4 of the MCU with this final adventure featuring the titular space heroes. But this time, they’re not trying to save the universe from another snapping threat.
Don’t worry—the holiday season isn’t about to evaporate from existence. There is no Scrooge-like space monster trying to destroy Santa at the North Pole! This time the stakes are quite personal as the two Guardians, Drax and Mantis, realize that Peter is no longer feeling the Christmas spirit.
After Kraglin tells Yondu the story of how he ruined Peter’s Christmas when he was a child, Drax and Mantis decide to save Christmas for their captain by buying him a present. It’s nice of them, but instead of getting him a new mixtape or a nodding Groot figure for his ship’s dashboard, they decide that the ideal gift for Peter would be his favorite Earth hero: actor Kevin Bacon!
The scene leads to a series of comic mishaps as Drax and Mantis travel to Los Angeles to retrieve the legendary actor. After a brief interlude on Hollywood Boulevard, where Drax beats up a man in a robot suit and Mantis confuses an actor dressed as Captain America as the real hero, the two arrive at Bacon’s house. It’s a very funny sequence where the two Guardians chase Bacon around his house and through the streets of an LA neighborhood as he desperately tries to escape a kidnapping attempt.
The banter between Drax and Mantis is never funny, and it’s a joy to watch them walk the streets of Hollywood. Bacon also brings the laughs, deftly playing himself without faking his real-life persona. They take up most of the running time of this short film, but there’s still room for the other Guardians to make a small impact, including Cosmos Cosmos, who is now part of the team.
Short But Sweet
You shouldn’t expect any wider ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this short but sweet tale, but there is one character that may backfire for the two Guardians. If you remember the events of the last Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the “reveal” may not come as much of a surprise to you, but regardless, it’s important that you know that this short tells a deeper story than you might expect.
With this Christmas-themed special, you can expect heartwarming messages about family and the importance of being together during the holiday season.
Thankfully, it’s not as sentimental as many of the other holiday movies that hit our streaming services, but there are moments where you can actually get teary-eyed, especially in the final chapter when Peter realizes the effort his team went to. A Christmas special for him again. The laughs aren’t far behind, so there’s no need to worry about this being a complete blub-fest, but the good thing is that writer-director Gunn has managed to infuse the holiday with a few moments that will tug at your heartstrings.
Besides the misadventures of Drax and Mantis, there’s room for animated sequences and catchy musical numbers, including a song about Santa Claus and his evil elves!
As the song is sung by characters who know nothing more than the bare basics about Christmas from another planet, you can forgive them for misinterpreting the intentions of the jolly red fellow and his merry band of toy makers. You might want to remind your kids of this when you hear Santa detailing his career as a master robber who throws sugarplums at people’s heads and roasts chestnuts (perhaps a euphemism) with a flamethrower!
This latest entry for the Guardians is a joyous excursion into their universe, and if you’re feeling a little low during the Christmas season, it’s just the thing. It should be funny enough to make you laugh out loud, so if you need a holiday cheer, it’s bound to lift your spirits. Unlike the in-laws who may land on your doorstep during the holiday season, she’s not overstaying her welcome, so if you need a quick burst of Christmas magic to warm up, there’s no need to waste your time. to your heart at this cold time of the year.