[8.0/10] This was a ton of fun. The central idea of Mantis trying to get the perfect gift for Peter by kidnapping his childhood idol, is delightfully deranged. It leads to all sorts of great shenanigans with her and Drax heading to Earth to act like giant toddlers in Los Angeles. Both actors do great with the fish-out-of-water routine, and watching them obliviously make their way through human social situations, with all the grace and tact of a rowdy two-year-old, is a durable comic engine for the special. The various set pieces, from selfies amid other “characters,” a trip to a bar, and the chasing of Kevin Bacon himself provide plenty of fodder for comedy.

Kevin Bacon himself is a real sport. He’s game for a bit of self-deprecation, but comes off as genuinely charming, alarmed, and downright decent when going through such a bizarre set of circumstances. In true James Gunn style, it mixes the absurd with the sincere, as a celebrity abduction plot is out there, but relating to someone’s childhood hero on a special day isn’t.

Along the way, the imaginative texture and catchy needle-drops the *Guardians* franchise is known for are out in full force. The reimagined Knowhere feels like a real set despite digital embellishment. It looks especially bright and inviting with Mantis and Drax’s redecoration in luminous splendor. The alien designs have texture and creativity to them (especially the new Groot look), and even the scenes set on Earth have a certain panache to them.

Gunn and his team managed to round up a collection of great off-beat Xmas songs, and even added a couple new ones. Incorporating The Old 97s as an alien band is a boon, and their new song is my favorite of the bunch. Even Kevin Bacon himself turns in a creditable job singing the closing number (sounding eerily like Jason Isbell).

Also on the texture side, the animated flashbacks to Peter’s childhood with Yondu are stylistically reminiscent of the Nelvana animated segment during the *Star Wars Holiday Special*. The graphical homage is a nice nod considering how much the first *GotG* inherited from *A New Hope* and beyond. And by some coincidence, I recently watched Nelvana’s *Droids* series, so this style of design is fresh in my mind. (Even then, the *Guardians* special’s animation is much upgraded.)

Gunn’s humor remains strong throughout. Even in the smaller scenes we get with Rocket, Groot, Nebula, Kraglin, and others have the slanted, misfit charm that most of Gunn’s projects exude. The rampant ragging on actors by actors is a hoot. And cameos from collaborators like Flula Borg aren’t bad either.

Of course, this being a holiday special, there’s also some well-done sap (or, more charitably, emotional heft.) For all the toddler-like silliness of Mantis here, her fear that Peter learning about their common parentage would alienate him from her, out of a concern that seeing her would only dredge up his complicated feelings about his father, is very sympathetic. And him hearing the news and surprising her with the reaction that it, not Kevin Bacon, is the *real* greatest present he could ever get, is a telegraphed but no less sweet place to take the emotional throughline of the episode.

Likewise, I appreciate that the animated bookends start with Yondu being a Scrooge, only to gift Peter his first pair of blasters when he sees the care and charm the young Starlord put into his makeshift holiday celebration. Again, sappy and simple? Absolutely. But also roundly endearing and sweet.

Overall, the *Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special* is infinitely more fun than its *Star Wars* equivalent, with a rollicking fish-out-of-water escapade, some great music and engaging visuals, and just enough holiday cheer to soften you up for the season.

(As an aside, between Bacon referencing his character’s death by arrow in *Friday the 13th*, and Kraglin explaining to him that his headfin helps him control arrows but he’s not very good at it yet, I was **shocked** that the post-credit scene wasn’t Kraglin accidentally impaling Bacon through the neck a la Mrs. Vorhees. Maybe they’re saving it for *GotG Vol. 3*?)