Review: 'Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' is hilarious, bonkers & perfect tease for 'GOTG Vol. 3'

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Oh boy did we miss the unabashed shenanigans of the beloved bunch of misfits in the form of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and of course Vin Diesel (Groot). And while, the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie is still far away, we were in for a treat with being presented the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Having had the chance to see the 40 minute special beforehand, here's what I thought of it-

Continuing where things were left off

Director James Gunn is indeed back and man, did we miss his signature style with the GOTG gang. Things continue where they were left off where Peter aka Star-Lord is extremely saddened by two things - not being able to celebrate Christmas after Youndu's disgust towards it when Kraglin and Peter were young, and of course, still mourning the loss of Gamora. This leads to Mantis and Drax deciding to make Peter happy by managing to give him Christmas cheer and an unexpected surprise in the form of Kevin Bacon (playing himself). It is probably the most heartwarming idea and that is what is delivered.

The Nuances

Just like classic James Gunn, even the short 40 minute special is filled with nuances, references and absolute bonkers fun. Right from the big reveal about something Peter doesn't know pertaining to his and Mantis' relationship to Rocket getting angry on being called a racoon by Kevin Bacon and the banter between Mantis and Drax, there are plenty of moments for the hardcore GOTG and Marvel fans out there.

Being able to put in so much fun and madness in under 40 minutes while not compromising on the story and emotions is a rare feat and it is done extremely well here.

The Humor

I have missed the GOTG humor that we have all grown to love all this time so much and it is an absolute freaking treat to experience it again. The opening credits song 'I don't know what Christmas is but Christmas time is here' might just be the most honest Christmas song of all time. The sequences involving Kevin Bacon, Drax and Mantis on planet earth are hilarious; I would have loved a lot more Rocket being involved but nevertheless. The self-aware style of humor to the ditziness and innocence of Drax and Mantis is good old GOTG fun.

The Verdict

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special lives up to its promise of delivering the best possible time during this holiday season followed by a good end credits moment. And of course, acts as the perfect tease for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.

Rating - **** (4/5)