THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL Review
Now that the holidays are over and shopping (in person and online) has begun, the awesome folks at Marvel hope you'll be taking a break for some delicious seasonal treats. And it's a most unusual place for such a proposal, as most of it takes place within the confines of the MCU. Another universe, really. You see, the Earth-born lead of our favorite planet-hopping band (I'll use a phrase from the first film) A-holes isn't in the mood to party. Oh, as mentioned, that's not a big word since this is another special from Marvel Studios following October's WEREWOLF BY NIGHT (Halloween of course, so this new one makes sense). This is not a feature film, and too long to be considered a short story (probably a "super plush" home video). So hop aboard and join the space crew for the Guardians of the Galaxy HOLIDAY EDITION SPECIAL.
After saying goodbye to their "temporary" Asgardian teammates in THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER and an animated flashback with a Grinch-style prologue by Yondu (voiced by Michael Rooker), the Guardians choose Sniheer after Peter Quill, aka Star Lord (Chris Pratt) ). bought from collectors. Mantis (Pom Kementief) notices that his girlfriend looks a bit confused. Discussing this with Drax (Dave Bautista), he believes his death was caused by the approach of "Christmas on Earth" coupled with his search for his lost love, Gamora. Maybe a gift will cheer you up. But what? Then Drax had a brilliant idea (in the comics, a light bulb would appear above his bald head). The perfect gift is someone. The duo then escape to "borrow" Bowie's smaller (possibly "cute") cruiser (the Milan is too big) and explode through a cosmic web to arrive on planet Earth just above Hollywood. Then the search for Peter's character, Kevin Bacon (as himself), begins. But there's a detour past the Chinese theatre, where tourists "make it rain" mistaking them for the usual costumed "busters" and noisy nightclubs. before you get unknown information thanks to the excellent "Star House Map". It would be so easy for the aliens to pick it up and bring it home, right?
All right, Marvel maniacs, calm down now. You may be inspired by it, but it bears almost no resemblance to 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special, which has been derided and often maligned (although fans do enjoy laughing at its cheesy moments). So don't expect comedic TV actors and goofy musicians. I'd say it was more of a nice little rendezvous with the band ahead of next year's final entry in the trilogy (volume 3, actually). Sure, there were animated series (a television show in the late '70s introduced us to Boba Fett), but that was like nodding and winking at Ralph Bakshi's rotoscopes (drawn in live action sequences) forty years ago. On one hand, the other is a tongue-in-cheek comedy team-up, with Mantis and Drax acting as new spins on Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello. As in the first case, the two elicit lots of laughs: Bautista is a handsome but dimwitted man, and Kementiev is an overzealous spinster ringleader. In fact, they could be a comfortable trio (like The Stooges or the Marx Brothers) with Bacon as the straight man, though his over-the-top, hipster star riff on the character is hilarious. Most of the other Overseers back them up in the Tinsel Town pocket folder. Pratt still exudes goofy charm, while the new raucous Groot sounds a bit like his source Vin Diesel vocals. Writer/director James Gunn has created a lively and cheeky seasonal surprise for a Christmas screening of Bacon's Chosen (and yes, it is) full of gout-boiling quirky '97 tunes (Santa is a super-powered thief). fi/fantasy camp). Hybrid), the most positively different from the previous MCU Special "Ghost". Hey Rudolph, Frosty and Mr. Grinch, make room under the tree for the Guardians of the Galaxy ON CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. So Excelsior to all and good night to all!
3.5 out of 4
Guardians of the Galaxy HOLIDAY SPECIAL will stream exclusively on Disney+ starting Friday, November 25, 2022.
