Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialDespite taking significant inspiration from the Star Wars Holiday Special, the MCU's The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special succeeds where the 1978 television event infamously failed. Produced with limited involvement from George Lucas and Lucasfilm between the releases of the first Star Wars movie and The Empire Strikes Back, the Star Wars Holiday Special was essentially a variety show loosely connected to its overarching plot of Han Solo trying to get Chewbacca home for Wookiee Life Day. The TV special was terribly received and is widely considered to be one of the worst pieces of Star Wars media of all time.

Nevertheless, the mostly disregarded Star Wars Holiday Special has been acknowledged as a crucial piece of inspiration for the MCU program. Writer-director James Gunn said the desire was to recreate the same idea with a special featuring music and mixed media "but done right." The two specials clearly have shared DNA, with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special taking several cues from the earlier production. Here's a look at the biggest similarities between the two as well as the chief reasons why the Star Wars special failed so hard, especially compared to The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

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How The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Compares To Star Wars Holiday Special

Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Comparison - Yondu and Boba Fett animated sequences side by side

Right off the bat, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special begins and ends with one of Peter Quill's first memories following his abduction by Yondu. Depicting the Ravagers' attempt to recreate Christmas aboard their ship, the flashbacks are presented via old-school rotoscope animation, resembling the animated short The Story of the Faithful Wookieenotable for being Boba Fett's debut — featured in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Largely considered to be the older special's best segment, the short is the only part to ever be officially distributed since the first broadcast in 1978.

The Star Wars Holiday Special had guest stars such as Bea Arthur, Art Carney, and Harvey Korman, who all performed comedy routines. Similarly, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has Kevin Bacon playing himself, as one of Peter's childhood idols, whom Mantis and Drax abduct as a Christmas gift. The Guardians special also features the Old 97's, who play Christmas songs including an original track. This mirrors the musical guests in the Star Wars special, including Jefferson Starship, who also wrote an original song.

Why The Star Wars Holiday Special Failed

One of the Star Wars Holiday Special's biggest issues is its assembly. While it has an overarching narrative featuring Chewbacca trying to get home for the Star Wars holiday celebration known as Life Day, the nearly two-hour special constantly deviates from that idea with the loosely connected musical acts and comedy bits. This results in a bizarre sort of whiplash leaving many viewers extremely confused. Likewise, the plot's conclusion was incredibly strange, with Wookiees wearing red robes while walking into a star. There's next to no explanation for their traditions or how they could freely walk in space.

The Star Wars Holiday Special was largely out of George Lucas's hands. His only real involvement was the initial premise of Chewbacca returning home to Kashyyyk plus the writing of the animated short. The bulk of development was largely left to CBS producers who went through two directors due to creative differences. The production quality was egregiously bad even by the standards of 1970s television, hence the bizarre makeup for Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill (who denies having a cameo in the Guardians special).

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Star Lord and Mantis Are Siblings in Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a labor of love from writer-director James Gunn and the entire Guardians of the Galaxy cast. Clocking in at 44 minutes, the special wastes no time at all, as Mantis and Drax search for Kevin Bacon to help restore Peter Quill's Christmas spirit, and everything that happens is clearly in service to that idea. There is never a time when the Guardians special cuts away for a loosely based sketch or musical number like in the Star Wars Holiday Special. The jokes and banter are ongoing and both the musical numbers by the Old 97's and Kevin Bacon's guest appearance are strongly integrated into the narrative.

It can't be overstated that The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special takes the perfect amount of time to truly resonate with its audience. Having equal beats of humor and moments full of heart, it truly captures the magic of Christmas through the eyes of some of the most beloved MCU characters. James Gunn clearly saw the value of what the Star Wars Holiday Special could have been, and he improves upon it extremely well. In the best way, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special could be considered an act of redemption for the galaxy far, far away.

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