Remember this bad boy? Of course you do. James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy for me is my favourite Marvel film across all studios and all decades. Yeah, it even beats Howard The Duck. Surprised? Maybe, or maybe you're not. This one could be your favourite too, and I don't blame you. With the release of the sequel next week in the UK, I thought I'd take a look back at one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.

So I started reading the Guardians comic books a few months before this film was confirmed as part of Marvel's Phase Two roster of movies, and I remember being very excited but also puzzled that they went with something that would seem so risky to some, with the characters not really being that well known at all. Especially when some well known characters such as Ant-Man and Dr Strange hadn't been introduced yet. Everyone seemed so confused at the fact that I was so excited for the trailer to drop... then when it did, everyone understood me.

The first 'Hooked on a Feeling' trailer gave me goosebumps and lots of laughs. I had faith that this film would do fantastically well. It looked massively different but that was the point. And I welcomed that. It had a superb director who I felt would turn these comics into something truly magical, and he did. Gunn is one of my favourite directors out there, not just for the films he makes but for his connectivity with his audience. I always see his tweets responding to fans and his live videos on Facebook - he's so devoted to what he creates and the people who view what he creates. No wonder Marvel got him back for round two. 

And what an amazing cast this got... Chris Pratt as Peter Quill AKA Starlord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Batista as Drax, Lee Pace (I've met him) as Ronan, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Michael Rooker as Yondu and also featuring Benicio del Toro, Glenn Close and John C.Reilly. I mean that's brilliant, then you have to remember that as well as this, Vin Diesel plays Groot and Bradley Cooper plays Rocket Racoon. That's an incredible cast, one of the best casts I've ever seen on screen in a long time. They all play off eachother superbly, and while I'm not a massive Vin Diesel fan, the fact that this guy can provide so much emotion in just three words the entire movie is something to admire.

One thing I didn't expect was the soundtrack. A collection of James Gunn's favourite tunes from 'The Pina Colada Song' to 'I Want You Back' was just what the film needed to take it higher up in my ratings from what it already was. It gave it a humorous aura as well as the comedy that was already was in it. It worked very nicely with the style of the film and I remember buying the soundtrack after seeing the film in cinemas so many times. The comedy in this film... the comedy! The best part without a doubt, I was in hysterics from start to finish - Gunn really knows comedy and integrates it in so well and nothing feels out of time or as if the humour was trying too hard. It's just perfect.

So while I wait in anticipation for 'Vol 2' I'm going to re-watch this film a number of times out of love and excitement. It may not be as good to some of you but for me this exceeded my already high expectations and made me want more. And thank god we're getting it. It just goes to show that Marvel can take risks and they can work, this one more than anything. Bravo James Gunn and team, bravo!