The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown increasingly flexible across Phase 4, shifting tones from the bright and colorful Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to the fan-service heavy Spider-Man: No Way Home all the way to the more complex Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Closing out the period alongside the latter film is the latest on Disney+, the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special -- a pleasant and consistently funny short film that's quietly one of the sweeter entries in the modern MCU.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a light and silly affair, primarily centering around Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista). After learning from Kraglin (Sean Gunn) about how Yondu (Michael Rooker) had previously decried any concept of Christmas on his ship, the duo decides to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever. For that, they set out back to Earth and land in Los Angeles, going on the search for Quill's favorite actor Kevin Bacon. Bacon plays himself in the film, a largely down-to-earth and quickly overwhelmed star whose initial reaction to the pair is annoyance before shifting into a lot more of a panic when he realizes that the pair aren't just two enthusiastic fans.
The special is a fun little slice of the Guardians' largely wacky approach to superheroics, with the spotlight mainly falling on Mantis. Driven by a desire to help Quill after quietly hinting at the full extent of her connection to Star-Lord, Klementieff gets the most to play with in the special. While she and Bautista have fun with their continued dynamic from the team's prior film, Bautista is largely there as an (effective) comic relief. It's Klementieff who gets the special's most impressive action beat, the biggest laughs, and ultimately the sweetest moments. The two still share the same chemistry as they did in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but with Mantis showcasing a more childish and silly side to contrast Drax's dead serious comedy.
The rest of the Guardians have fun moments throughout (particularly Karen Gillan's no-nonsense Nebula) while largely remaining out of the spotlight -- all the while quietly introducing audiences to their newest ally Cosmo, (Maria Bakalova), pairing the telepathic Russian dog with Rocket (Bradley Cooper) for some solid laughs. There's even a fun shout-out to the animated canon of holiday specials, with Rooker's return as Yondu playing out in a funny set of animated bumpers.
The real MVP of the special is Bacon, who plays himself with a fun sense of self-aware comedy. He's quick to poke fun at himself and his experience as an actor and shifts between terrified and chipper in a heartbeat. It all builds to a somewhat predictable but nevertheless cute moment, which largely works thanks to the sheer commitment the cast brings to the special. There's a genuine sense of fun and cheer throughout the special, beginning with the Old 97's appearance as an alien band trying to learn Christmas music and playing out throughout the entire special.
It's overall a somewhat slight entry in the MCU while also serving as a fitting contrast to the more emotionally complex and heartbreaking Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. There's a goofy sense of confidence throughout the Holiday Special, throwing Drax and Mantis into a bar, letting them take pictures in front of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater, and generally bringing some holiday-flavored mayhem to Los Angeles. That it largely works falls to the cast and their enthusiastic embrace of the goofy characters they're playing largely for laughs -- meaning the moments that do need to land with emotional heft succeed. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a great little treat for fans of the franchise and the MCU in general, and well worth a watch ahead of the team's upcoming third (and likely final) film.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special debuts on Disney+ on Nov. 25.