IR TV Review: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - HOLIDAY SPECIAL [Marvel/Disney+]
The idea of a holiday special is essentially baked into the idea of irony and sardonic humor. "Guardians Of The Galaxy" in an essence, on its own, is a play on the archetypal structures of heroes. The thing is that the characters (except one) don't quite get it though they do try in earnest. James Gunn knows that he has to pay homage to the bad if he is to have the ability to show a little bit of the good. Hence, the cheesy aspects of what large scale films bring to the small screen special is the need for balance while not requiring it to be that from which it comes from. The music and gift giving are the two constants at work here. Gunn sets up a nostalgic perspective of home where Quill is surrounded by people but just feels alone. The 77s led by Sean Gunn gives that interesting misunderstanding that propels what the show is about.
The main context revolves around Drax and Mantis doing a good thing for the right reasons in the wrong way. This allows (like the Groot stories in animation earlier this year) a little bit of brevity without the stakes while still maintain a little bit of heart. There is less here than some of those stories but there is a reasoning overall and it keys into the spirit of Christmas really well in the final moments. The meta factor is an interesting play especially with the ideal that the show holds itself too. Like other specials before it, it uses its central setting to good effect (likely since it was already built for Vol. 3). Pratt is not the focus beyond the plot ploy (and rightfully so) but it doesn't feel forced. This is about the other characters (Drax and Mantis) exploring the meaning of Christmas and not really getting it (without overtly impacting anything that is going to come after it). The fun thing is that bedlam can follow these people either way and because it is the small screen, leaps in taste can be attempted (within the PG structure), much in the way Gunn did with "The Peacemaker" (though that was R). "The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special" is a nice ode to the nostalgia of such specials while understanding the world it lives in. B
By Tim Wassberg
