Every Marvel movie and show from Phase 4, ranked worst to best
By Daniel Roman
14. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is the latest project to come out of Marvel Studios and the epilogue of Phase 4. At just under an hour, it’s a short holiday romp that is pretty much perfect at being just that. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) believe that Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) misses the joy of the Christmas he once had on Earth, and take it upon themselves to go on a caper to kidnap Kevin Bacon since Quill’s love of the “legendary hero” is well known amongst the crew. It’s just as ridiculous as it sounds, and it is a total blast.
One of things that’s wonderful about the Guardians holiday special is how it centers characters who more traditionally fill a supporting role, and how well that works for the shortened runtime of a special. Mantis and Drax often deliver comedic relief when they appear on screen in the MCU, and there’s plenty to be had here as well. But since this is their story, it’s also a great excuse to spend an entire half an hour with them running around Los Angeles, taking in the sights and sounds of Earth while they search for Kevin Bacon.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special also makes good on some of the longest running gags for its titular intergalactic crew of misfit mercenaries, from Kevin Bacon guest starring as himself, to Rocket finally getting a certain prosthetic limb he’s coveted since Avengers: Infinity War. Since we know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the final movie that features this iteration of the team, the holiday special feels like a wonderful way to celebrate them before things get serious.
Marvel’s second special is pretty much a pitch perfect Guardians story. The humor lands as well as ever, it advances our understanding of the characters in a few meaningful ways, and it’s got some great music and punchlines. At the end of the day it ends up lower on the list entirely because it’s much lighter fare than most of the entries in Phase 4.