Guardians of the Galaxy Celebrate the Holidays in a Special Way
The Guardians of the Galaxy are currently residing in Knowhere, a space station ingeniously constructed within the skull of a deceased Celestial—those colossal beings previously featured in “Eternals.” Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still grappling with the loss of Gamora, while Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is busy establishing a settlement alongside Cosmo, the telekinetic canine (voiced by Maria Bakalova). Meanwhile, Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) decide to cheer up their grieving friend Peter with a special gift. Their plan? To journey to Earth, abduct Peter’s idol, the actor Kevin Bacon (played by himself), and present him as the ultimate Christmas surprise.
Pom Klementieff as Mantis in a still from “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”
James Gunn’s Return and Shift in Tone
For the past couple of years, James Gunn found himself on a sort of sabbatical from Marvel. During this break, he directed several projects for their main comic rival, DC, even becoming the creative director of their cinematic universe. More importantly, the director unleashed his darker side: in the second “Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker,” we saw the Gunn of “Super” and “PG Porn” fame. A cynical 50-year-old teenager, whose wild side wasn’t fully unleashed by the strict confines of the Disney system. With the new “Guardians,” James has clearly returned a bit refreshed, rested, and, strangely, much kinder than ever before. It’s as if the pendulum of his career swung back—after the bloody bacchanalia of DC projects, Gunn wanted to do something completely opposite.
Chris Pratt as Peter Quill in a still from “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”
A Heartwarming Holiday Special with a Twist
This “Guardians” special both satirizes the clichés of uplifting Christmas movies—the kind churned out annually by channels like Lifetime—and adheres to them meticulously. It features the classic “save the holiday” plot, where a grumpy protagonist is reminded of the value of family and friends. There’s the saccharine atmosphere of a world where nothing bad can happen. And, of course, there’s a cheerful song written specifically for the film. Although, in this case, the aliens sing about Christmas as a strange tradition involving a Santa Claus who breaks into houses.
Dave Bautista as Drax in a still from “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”
Even the adventurous plot involving the kidnapping of Kevin Bacon and skirmishes with the police (as well as one very unlucky cosplayer) ultimately leads to the same saccharine conclusion. The characters forgive each other at the right moment, forget all their problems, and act solely out of absolute kindness. And it’s clear that Gunn is well aware of the naivety of his film—but, like any sensitive author in a world of triumphant post-irony, he doesn’t let that awareness break him. The “Holiday Special” embraces its own simplicity, winks slyly at the audience, and still tells an endlessly touching story about two strange characters trying to do something nice for a friend. Even though they have no idea how to do it.
Gunn’s Signature Style Shines Through
The film proves that James Gunn can remain himself even without any hint of transgression—he feels as confident in the space of harmless Christmas cinema as he does in spirited exploitation. But, most importantly, the “Holiday Special” is another example of how you can manage to maintain individuality even in the face of the faceless corporation that is Disney. Of all the recent Marvel films, these 40-minute “Guardians” seem the most human, alive, and creative: there are even animated flashbacks made using rotoscoping (where animation is drawn over live-action footage, as in Linklater’s “A Scanner Darkly”). It’s a shame that the company’s big comic book movies rarely allow themselves even a fraction of the creative energy that exists in this small, trivial special episode for small screens.