With Thor, it seems like they had at least a slight Dragonheart kind of scam going on. Not faking the threat, but at least playing up the hard scrabble "hero for a price" routine. Plus The Ravagers are now a whole Guardian army it seems. They must be Heroes for Hire spread out over the whole universe.
Best part for me was when Rocket said they weren’t going to hurt him, then Kevin calls him a Raccoon and then Rocket lunges at him saying he will kill him. Classic Rocket lol
For me, it was how casually she was, as probably the physically weakest Guardian, just leaping around everyone and wrecking shit. For Earth, this was a cataclysmic event, for Mantis, it was a fun event where she was picking up a hamster.
They do kinda retcon that story arc from GOTG2, though. Peter was adamant that Yondu was horrible to him and was not a father figure to him growing up, then Yondu had his redemption at the end. But in the holiday special we see that Yondu did have a loving fatherly relationship with Peter at least some of the time.
Its a perfect compliment because even though Drax wouldnt know about Kratos, being called the God of War would be most pleasing to him. And, should he ever learn about Kratos, im sure it would still be the highest praise to him.
One of my favorite parts was when Mantis sees the guy in the Captain America costume, yells 'Steve' and jumps on him with pure joy of re-union and the guy just runs away in terror.
I like that it's clearly a cheap Halloween costume, with a plastic mask that doesn't even cover the back of his head, and Mantis and Drax still can't tell the difference.
What I liked about Mantis and Drax on Earth is that we got to see their agility against normal humans. When it came to GotG 1, 2, Infinity War and Endgame, we saw their strength against aliens so the impact was unmeasurable in some sense.
this was my thought too. at first I was like “really? this late in the game we’re still afraid of alien ships?” then I figured every time there’s an alien ship slowly hovering through a city (Quill being abducted, Battle of New York, Thanos’ invasion during Infinity War, etc) it usually means bad news. plus this is LA and they’re probably not used to it since New York usually deals with this kind of thing.
Yeah that was a subtle sort of dark moment when you think about. The populace is so traumatized that a spaceship appears and someone just starts crying cus they assume they’re about to die because up to now, that’s basically been what happens.
The alien band is a RL band called The Old 97's and the song Kevin Bacon sings with them at the end is actually off their 2018 Christmas album. I had forgotten they put one out until I went to their YouTube music page after watching it to put one of their early albums on.
Small detail, interesting they confirmed that the Collector seems to still be alive and the Guardians are now running Knowhere. Dope seeing them setting up shop in their HQ from the comics
I think because he didn't care about it. He just didn't think it was worth mentioning. Plus he had more important things to worry about, like zarg nuts.
Really leaned into some horror tropes with the knocking down of the tree the cut off 911 call and the running upstairs for some weird reason. Mantis was kinda scary ngl
The dynamic created an, IMO, even more endearing version of The Nightmare Before Christmas. They're terrorizing the city and don't even realize it, they just want to make Christmas happen. Not to mention the kidnapping and bringing somebody to their own world.
I like that this special gave Mantis time to shine as a lead. Of the Guardians, she's one I've been hoping to see get more screentime and Pom's adorable in the role
I agree in that I’ve been wanting to see her given more time and more of an actual role too, and she nailed it and totally convinced me I want tons more with her
Just finished it, Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista absolutely shine in this holiday special! It certainly might not become a Christmas classic for everyone but I had a great time watching it! Everyone hamming it up and James Gunn's humor just shining through, it's a hell of a good time!
Gunn confirmed on Twitter that this directly ties into GoTG3, so I'm assuming the tie-ins are the Guardians controlling Knowhere and Mantis being Quills sister.
Mantis screaming at Drax to get over the zargnuts had me rolling 😆 this was such a cute and fun special, had me smiling and laughing all the way through
His reaction to it was awesome too. Realizing he still had living family, but not changing that much since he already considered her family even before learning they were blood relatives.
I love to think she had a little solo adventure, managed to find Bucky and just have a long awkward conversation before eventually asking for one of his spare arms.
I hope they keep this up and have Bucky show up next with a completely different arm but with zero explanation as to how Nebula got his arm or why he had to change his arm.
This was SO good. It scratched all the boxes for me as a James Gunn, Guardians, AND Friday the 13th fan. I love the Guardians, so I teared up a but when I started thinking about Gamorra and the team's loss, especially Quill specifically.
Alright gang the feature is now LIVE. Enjoy!
Groot’s gifts were fantastic… especially Kraglin’s with the repeating Kraglin. Epic.
I guarantee someone on Etsy is working on those little dioramas and I will 100% buy one
In my head canon Sean Gunn had no idea what he was opening and that laugh was genuine.
That gag got the biggest laugh out of me for some reason. Kraglin holding kraglin holding kraglin is a really good bit
“Oh I’ll get that arm”
He looked so shocked and touched at the same time! Now I want to know how Nebula got it.
My jaw actually dropped. I was wondering if there'd be an unexpected cameo... And that was it.
So the Guardians bought Knowhere from the Collector? That’s interesting…
With Thor, it seems like they had at least a slight Dragonheart kind of scam going on. Not faking the threat, but at least playing up the hard scrabble "hero for a price" routine. Plus The Ravagers are now a whole Guardian army it seems. They must be Heroes for Hire spread out over the whole universe.
No-one seems to be acknowledging that this is the first confirmation we've had that The Collector is alive
Drunk Mantis is awesome. 😋
Pissed off Mantis is cool too.
Best part for me was when Rocket said they weren’t going to hurt him, then Kevin calls him a Raccoon and then Rocket lunges at him saying he will kill him. Classic Rocket lol
Seems like Rocket would be a somewhat Earth famous after Endgame. He was hanging around the planet for five years.
Mantis was unexpectedly terrifying and funny
Her using her powers so much and so casually was honestly kind of horrifying.
For me, it was how casually she was, as probably the physically weakest Guardian, just leaping around everyone and wrecking shit. For Earth, this was a cataclysmic event, for Mantis, it was a fun event where she was picking up a hamster.
"He may have been your father boy, but he wasn't your daddy"
He threw out every other person's Christmas gift. Imagine if Tasr Face had received that Easy-Bake Oven he asked for.
They do kinda retcon that story arc from GOTG2, though. Peter was adamant that Yondu was horrible to him and was not a father figure to him growing up, then Yondu had his redemption at the end. But in the holiday special we see that Yondu did have a loving fatherly relationship with Peter at least some of the time.
Nebula even dances angrily.
Karen Gillan's angry dancing awakened something in me
i love it
She and Zemo need to be on a dancing show together
Hahaha! I laughed so hard and thought to myself what a brilliant actress.
"You can't out run me Bacon" I love Nebula
I feel like I could hear Homer Simpson saying this too in the same tone.
I felt so bad for Bacon at that point, like he needed any more reasons to be scared
When she whipped out the gun I almost spit out my drink
“Can’t believe I met the God Of War!”
Its a perfect compliment because even though Drax wouldnt know about Kratos, being called the God of War would be most pleasing to him. And, should he ever learn about Kratos, im sure it would still be the highest praise to him.
The Batman callout was even more surprising
I can't believe that Marvel referenced GOD OF WAR. It really is a small world
Kratos was the inspiration for Drax's 2004 redesign.
Telekinesis Dog!!
Golden Retrievers gotta retrieve, whatever means necessary
I’m in love with that character so much! I really hope she sticks around in the franchise even after guardians
Santa is a furry freak with epic superpowers.
“Rein rein rein rein rein”
No word of a lie, that song is going straight into my Christmas playlist, such a banger lol
Inb4 that bit was foreshadowing Santa being a mutant in the MCU.
One of my favorite parts was when Mantis sees the guy in the Captain America costume, yells 'Steve' and jumps on him with pure joy of re-union and the guy just runs away in terror.
I like that it's clearly a cheap Halloween costume, with a plastic mask that doesn't even cover the back of his head, and Mantis and Drax still can't tell the difference.
So there was a time where they all bonded...
Poor girl. Did no one tell Mantis that Steve is dead and/or on the moon?
Leaping Mantis is actually kinda creepy.
Bro I love feral mode mantis
I chuckled because how is she gonna ask about being thrown over a gate while she’s leaping higher than the gate a few moments later lol
Marvel’s gonna handle Nightcrawler amazingly
What I liked about Mantis and Drax on Earth is that we got to see their agility against normal humans. When it came to GotG 1, 2, Infinity War and Endgame, we saw their strength against aliens so the impact was unmeasurable in some sense.
Gunn channeling the butterflies from Peacemaker
Assertive mantis is very refreshing
“Hey Peter.” “Oh. Hi Bzermikitokolok.”
“You just got these instruments?”
I Iove how he just says it so casually without mispronouncing it.
What an unlikely pair of sentences:
“Yes!”
This is just pure concentrated James Gunn
Out of context it reads like a prompt and answer from a round of cards against humanity
"Wow, I guess all actors aren't complete pieces of shit"
I love how absolutely straight-laced that was delivered! 😆
I’m sad that nebula got so little screentime but everytime shes on shes fucking amazing
Lol the lady who was crying when she saw the Guardian’s ship must have been recalling memories of when the Chitauri invaded New York
Lmao or ANY of the other shit. I’d be crying too
this was my thought too. at first I was like “really? this late in the game we’re still afraid of alien ships?” then I figured every time there’s an alien ship slowly hovering through a city (Quill being abducted, Battle of New York, Thanos’ invasion during Infinity War, etc) it usually means bad news. plus this is LA and they’re probably not used to it since New York usually deals with this kind of thing.
Yeah that was a subtle sort of dark moment when you think about. The populace is so traumatized that a spaceship appears and someone just starts crying cus they assume they’re about to die because up to now, that’s basically been what happens.
Bucky’s Arm?!?!
Right?!?? Say more right now Marvel.
bet he’s got a new one and we’ll see it in Thunderbolts lmao
FYI: Really cute post-credit scene!
Reminded me of that Community episode, where Abed and Jeff decorate Troy as a Christmas tree in the epilogue.
Still wondering how Groot got so buff.
Nothing heavy just light hearted
I think the fishperson was slightly offended by the song. 🤔
Imagine how Talokan would react 😰
The alien band is a RL band called The Old 97's and the song Kevin Bacon sings with them at the end is actually off their 2018 Christmas album. I had forgotten they put one out until I went to their YouTube music page after watching it to put one of their early albums on.
Small detail, interesting they confirmed that the Collector seems to still be alive and the Guardians are now running Knowhere. Dope seeing them setting up shop in their HQ from the comics
Cosmo will be head of security too (as per comics).
How did they have money to buy the ENTIRE KNOWHERE?
I fucking love the collector
I dont understand how the Mantis-Peter being siblings situation remained to be a secret given that Drax of all people had known about it.
Because for Drax they were always family, so it didn’t make much of an difference for him
I think because he didn't care about it. He just didn't think it was worth mentioning. Plus he had more important things to worry about, like zarg nuts.
Maria Bakalova as Cosmo?
I love it, I hope we get a lot more cosmo
People who haven't seen Borat 2 need to watch it. She seriously delivered a HELL of a performance that put Sacha Baron Cohen to shame.
Bucky's arm is vibranium.
The funny implication here is that Rocket was probably lamenting the loss of Bucky’s arm to Nebula throughout the five years he was blipped
“Hey some blue lady stole my arm, uh... can I get another one”
Rocket cannot be easy to shop for. He can build almost anything. But the vibranium arm is one thing he definitely can't!
Groot must have attended Greendale Community College with those dioramas.
The real question is, did he make a diorama of himself making the other dioramas?
And that post credits scene.
Love mantis going absolutely feral chasing Kevin bacon lmao
Really leaned into some horror tropes with the knocking down of the tree the cut off 911 call and the running upstairs for some weird reason. Mantis was kinda scary ngl
I know some people don't like how dumb Drax is, but the Mantis and Drax socially inept duo is truly delightful
The dynamic created an, IMO, even more endearing version of The Nightmare Before Christmas. They're terrorizing the city and don't even realize it, they just want to make Christmas happen. Not to mention the kidnapping and bringing somebody to their own world.
You find the right words to describe them !! They're not dumb, just socially inept
YOU CANNOT OUTRUN ME, BACON!!!
Me cooking breakfast in the morning like
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians!!!
The Kratos shoutout lol
The timing couldn’t be more appropriate.
Hahahahaha they put him as "Introducing Kevin Bacon" in the start credits :D
I didn't expect "The Old 97's" but I shouldn't doubt James Gunn and music lol.
I had no idea they were going to be in it, then when Rhett started singing (and doing that weird arm swing he's so good at) I just about lost my shit.
I never knew how much I needed to see Drax and Mantis in Hollywood until now! 😋
"Drax, stop being a bigot"
“Gobots killed his cousin” is my favorite MCU quote
GET OVER THE ZARG NUTS!
now i want some zarg nuts too
I like that this special gave Mantis time to shine as a lead. Of the Guardians, she's one I've been hoping to see get more screentime and Pom's adorable in the role
I agree in that I’ve been wanting to see her given more time and more of an actual role too, and she nailed it and totally convinced me I want tons more with her
I really liked that it gave us a better idea of her powers.
I really like this other side of her that screams at people. I was cracking up
she is mesmerizing
Her and Big Dave are a great combo
I love the comic intro logo so much
“Kingo’s Kristmas” looks like he hasn’t stopped the movie business yet!
I like to think he's still missing but Karun knows releasing it is what Kingo would've wanted.
This was levels of wholesome I didn't know I needed. I am in such a good mood after watching that lol
Just finished it, Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista absolutely shine in this holiday special! It certainly might not become a Christmas classic for everyone but I had a great time watching it! Everyone hamming it up and James Gunn's humor just shining through, it's a hell of a good time!
It’s gonna be a classic for me, it was wonderful
You can tell she especially was having a blast doing this
COSMO THE DOG I LOVE YOU
She is beautiful
And that's how mantis became my favourite guardian
Top siblings in the MCU
She’s crazy strong too! That power was insane
“Gobots killed his cousin” is my favorite MCU quote
Gobots now MCU cannon and real
Dude Groot got swole
Sometimes it looked like a goofy bodysuit
I'm surprised no other comments are talking about how jacked groot is
Maybe Vin Diesel is doing his mo-cap now, too
And thus ends the tale of how the Legendary Kevin Bacon brought some Christmas magic to a bunch of aliens inside a dead Celestial's head. 🎅👽
I read that in George Takei’s voice and wish that’s how they ended it.
Welcome to the end of Phase 4 y'all!
This really sums up the vibe of phase 4, releasing the whimsical alien holiday special two weeks after the dramatic gut punch of Wakanda Forever
It's been a really fun and creative ride!
"Wow... I guess all actors aren't all pieces of shit." - Nebula
I LOVE THAT THE LADY THOUGHT DRAX WAS KRATOS
I want more cosmo
That was delightfully ridiculous
🎶Santa is a furry freak with epic superpowers 🎶
Gunn confirmed on Twitter that this directly ties into GoTG3, so I'm assuming the tie-ins are the Guardians controlling Knowhere and Mantis being Quills sister.
Also Cosmo being friends with them, as she'll be in the movie.
Arnold Schwarzenegger bring on the Stars map and also Chris Pratt’s father-in-law was funny
Mantis screaming at Drax to get over the zargnuts had me rolling 😆 this was such a cute and fun special, had me smiling and laughing all the way through
James Gunn started the year with a W and ended it with a W
Nothing like GOTG to make a grown man cry, amirite?
It was really sweet. Yondo giving quill the guns, that’s what got me
Also equally funny. Had to pause out of laughter when Rocket tried to kill Bacon.
Mantis is Quill's sister. Dope
His reaction to it was awesome too. Realizing he still had living family, but not changing that much since he already considered her family even before learning they were blood relatives.
I'm... not gonna ask how Nebula got Bucky's arm. 😬
I love to think she had a little solo adventure, managed to find Bucky and just have a long awkward conversation before eventually asking for one of his spare arms.
I hope they keep this up and have Bucky show up next with a completely different arm but with zero explanation as to how Nebula got his arm or why he had to change his arm.
This was SO good. It scratched all the boxes for me as a James Gunn, Guardians, AND Friday the 13th fan. I love the Guardians, so I teared up a but when I started thinking about Gamorra and the team's loss, especially Quill specifically.
Rocket: “We’re gonna need another special”
Nebula= scene stealer. My fave Guardian.
So the new ship is called the Bowie?
Is no one gonna talk about how cute Cosmo is? She even gave Kraglin a space rat :)
Yeah… this will DEFINITELY be a yearly rewatch.
WAS THAT MARK HAMILL?!
what scene?
Bro so casually out of nowhere too, like it just cuts to him and then he’s never seen again. Favorite part easily
I thought the same thing! I forgot to check the credits though, so hopefully someone comes through lol
drax and mantis getting drunk in a gay bar on their way to steal kevin bacon wasnt on my MCU bingo card but i loved every second of it
Kick that Go-bots ass, Drax!
Yeah, actors suck! 😆😋
Best joke imo:
Drax and Mantis partying at the gay club was cute. Some of those guys were really eyeing Drax.
I hate stories where everybody lives
Really really excited for this... Mostly because of Kevin Bacon.
This is going to make Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon much easier to play.
Kevin Bacon watching "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"... I love James Gunn lol
And then laughing when they tell him he can't return to Earth.
Rocket: Dude calm down, we're not gonna hurt you.
I am glad Drax got is little funny man.
Fuck. This was amazing. I just loved every second. No stakes, just pure fun. Give me more of this from time to time 👌🏻
A special about 2 idiots abducting a celebrity has no right being this good.
This was good ol fashion slapstick fun. It’s timeless. I bet there’s a 3 stooges episode out there with basically the same plot
Drax: I want this funny man!
Mantis: DON’T JUST TAKE STUFF!!
Bah Humbug Yondu
I was up late watching movies alone on a Thanksgiving as usual. Love spending the holiday this way.
Woke up from a turkey nap just in time!
Have a good Thanksgiving?
I mean, half the song about Santa is technically the truth?
Ms claus do be working that pole tho
Things we learn:
Let’s get ‘I don’t know what Christmas is’ into the charts people. Get that shit playing on Spotify
I hope that lady who took the picture with Batista and Mantis believed him to be Kratos, because she said he's the God of War
That was my first thought lol
Kingo cameo lol
Kingo’s acting must be amazing to be advertised overseas like that
mantis turning into kilgrave for a sec lmao