Let’s face it: The legacy of attaching the words “holiday special” to an established pop-culture property isn’t exactly a new idea. A lot of that responsibility falls on the shoulders of the infamous/notorious/horrendous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, but even as recently as last year’s “I understood that reference”-heavy LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, they’ve often felt more like opportunistic cash-ins than anything worth enjoying on their own merits.

It doesn’t take long to realize that the vibe for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special might be a little bit different, as The Pogues’ unconventional Christmas tune “Fairytale of New York” plays over a holiday-themed version of the Marvel Studios logo. That leads into an unexpected animated prologue, followed shortly by Americana band The Old 97’s in alien makeup doing a bizarre original song grossly misunderstanding Earth’s Christmas lore. From the funky soundtrack choices to the oddball sense of humor, writer/director James Gunn doesn’t leave any room for confusion: This is first and foremost a story that nails everything weird and enjoyable about the Guardians franchise.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, A Special to Remember: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

It is, perhaps, a bit misleading to call this a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, since the focus is almost entirely on Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff). As we learn a brief backstory about how the kidnapped-from-Earth Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) had his first Christmas in space squashed by Yondu, Mantis—whom we learned in Vol. 2 is Peter’s half-sister—becomes determined to give him a wonderful Christmas on the Guardians’ new home base/formerly The Collector’s home base Nowhere. And as a present, she decides to give him something he’s talked about for years: the star of his all-time favorite movie Footloose, (Kevin Bacon, playing himself, and cheekily presented in the opening credits as “introducing Kevin Bacon”).

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, A Special to Remember: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

The bulk of the running time consists of Drax and Mantis on Earth, first trying to locate the actor, then attempting to kidnap him. This scenario sets up plenty of opportunities for Bautista’s Drax in particular to offer his distinctive reactions to experiences like visiting a lively nightclub, or becoming obsessed with an inflatable lawn decoration. Bacon also provides a lot of appeal, most notably when under the influence of Mantis’s emotion-controlling powers and jovially trying to explain why he’s just an actor, who did not himself (like Peter Quill in the first Guardians movie) heroically save anything through dancing.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, A Special to Remember: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Mostly, though, it’s just a chance to enjoy James Gunn’s weird sense of humor, whether through his musical choices (oddball holiday tunes from the likes of The Waitresses and Fountains of Wayne) or the funky gifts the Guardians ultimately provide for one another. In a 42-minute serving, it’s a great appetizer for next year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3—although it’s also a welcome change from so much other Marvel-branded content, in that this one really stands on its own without feeling like it’s building up to some other thing.

It might be a little disappointing to some Guardians fans that Rocket and Groot barely factor into the story, and the action definitely feels scaled down to TV size. Still, maintaining the consistency of the creative voice makes this feel like a real part of the Guardians universe rather than a throwaway extra—and that includes a satisfying bit of emotional payoff that somehow complements the twisted laughs rather than clashing with them. For once, that “holiday special” designation shouldn’t be interpreted as a flashing red sign warning you to stay away.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, A Special to Remember: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

“The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” is streaming beginning November 25 on Disney+.


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Let’s Hear From You

Does spending the holidays with the Guardians of the Galaxy sound like your idea of a good time? Let’s us know if you plan to stream this special after your Thanksgiving turkey! 

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, A Special to Remember: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

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Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw is Arts & Entertainment Editor at Salt Lake City Weekly, and author of the book Happy Place: Living the Disney Parks Life, available from Theme Park Press.