Silas Gonzalez ‘24
Now that Thanksgiving break is over, it’s time to get into the Christmas spirit. This week sees the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Alongside the festive Marvel story, this month has many more of Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney for subscribers to enjoy.
Disenchanted
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy The sequel to Enchanted (2007) has finally been released on Disney+. In Disenchanted, Amy Adams, along with recurring actors, reprises her role as Giselle fifteen years after the first film. Giselle is happy with her husband Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and her stepdaughter, Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino). However, Giselle struggles to live in her new home in the town of Monroeville. Thus, she resorts to magic to transform her life into a fairy tale. Unfortunately, the spell changes more than what Gisellle wished for. With memorable songs and great performances, Disenchanted retains the magic its predecessor held so long ago.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy, Adventure James Gunn returns to write and direct this standalone special that follows the lovable band of misfits: The Guardians of the Galaxy. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) loses the holiday spirit as he mourns his lost love Gamora. Peter’s dilemma is what motivates Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) to make Christmas extra special by kidnapping Peter’s hero, Kevin Bacon…played by Kevin Bacon himself. This special is absolutely hilarious and resonates with fans of the characters, all while bringing you back into the Christmas season.
Andor
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Drama, Thriller The story of Rogue One’s Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) continues in a prequel form, showcasing the spy’s formative years in the Rebellion and his difficult tasks to further the cause. The resistance in Star Wars has always been the most interesting part of the story, in my opinion, and Tony Gilroy masterfully conveys its story in a way that further proves Star Wars can put out elevated emotion that strikes the audience to its core. Every character is incredibly grounded and resonating as well as brilliantly performed. While enriching the lore of Star Wars, Andor also managed to build on the idea of how systems of oppression not only work to protect those in power at the expense of those who cannot, but also how those systems are utilized by both the tyrannical Empire and the Rebellion to push their causes. This turns the Rebellion versus the Empire trope on its head, and represents the real political stakes and cost of what it takes to build a resistance. For those looking for a more “adult” and perhaps political take on the franchise, Andor is the perfect show for you.
The Salesian Spectator 