The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Review
When I first saw that Marvel was making a holiday special, I remember thinking, “has the MCU finally jumped the shark?” Marvel isn’t the kind of thing one thinks of when thinking of Christmas and the Holiday season. It worked for Halloween, but Christmas is a whole other ball game. However, when I sat down to watch the “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special,” I realized something: it was funny. The kind of funny that only comes when trying to explain Christmas to someone that’s never heard of it. It’s been done before; some of my favorite Christmas specials are about that concept. But this was special, for lack of a better term. Marvel may have just made a new holiday classic. And it’s all thanks to Kevin Bacon.
It makes sense in context.
Christmas time in Knowhere
It’s been some time since the Guardians parted ways with Thor, and a lot has changed. They bought Knowhere from the Collector and are trying to build a new community for everyone, and it’s looking good. However, it’s Christmas time according to the calendar, and Peter’s feeling melancholy. His immediate family’s dead, his girlfriend’s dead, and the alternate version of said girlfriend’s nowhere to be found.
That, and Kraglin tells the Guardians about how Yondu seemingly ruined Christmas for Peter as a kid.
Hating to see Peter so down, Drax and Mantis decide to get Peter the perfect Christmas present. Thus, they travel to Earth to find Peter’s childhood hero, Kevin Bacon and bring him back to Knowhere…whether he likes it or not.
You Kidnapped Kevin Bacon?!?
Yes, the GOTG Holiday Special has Drax and Mantis kidnap Kevin Bacon. It’s as hilarious as it sounds. It only gets funnier when you consider it to be the punchline to an entire day’s worth of funny moments.
Much of the special’s humor stems from how little Mantis and Drax understand of Earth. From Drax beating up a guy cosplaying as a Gobot to the two partying in a nightclub, they really don’t know what they’re doing. The funniest part, though, is when they realize that Kevin Bacon is just an actor. The look of disgust on their faces says it all!
A Heartwarming Story About Family…and Kevin Bacon
As misguided as Drax and Mantis’ attempts to cheer Peter up were (and he makes it clear he doesn’t approve), you can’t be mad at them. They only did it with the best of intentions because Star-Lord means that much to them. And it’s nice to see all of Knowhere get in on the Christmas spirit. Even Kevin Bacon, after learning that he inspired Peter to be a hero, can’t help but get in on the fun.
The real kicker, though, comes with the special revealing that Mantis is Ego’s daughter, making her Peter’s half-sister. Peter still has blood relatives in the universe, which makes for the best Christmas present he could hope for.
So, this off-beat, comedic holiday special manages to hit all the check marks. It’s a good Christmas special, and has some killer music to accompany it, including one sung by Kevin Bacon! I don’t know about everyone else, but I will rewatch this next year. Happy holidays, Marvel!
