10 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of 2017

Writer/director James Gunn had a hell of a lot to live up to after the surprise success of Guardians of the Galaxy, a hilarious action/comedy blockbuster that pretty much everyone expected to fail. A talking raccoon? C'mon!

And yet Guardians emerged to rave reviews and box office glory, and is even considered by many fans to be the best MCU entry to date. Go figure.

So if Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, it was never going to be easy. That said, Gunn's sequel - which sees Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his fellow Guardians battling against Kurt Russell's enigmatic "Ego," who also happens to be Peter's lost father - is a slice of pure pop cultural adrenaline.

If it seems a little less fresh, well, that's because it is: the sheer surprise of the original instalment ensured its inevitable legacy as the better of the two. But there's so much great stuff here for sci-fi and superhero fans alike: a killer soundtrack, relentless banter between the titular heroes, and scenes of genuine, heartfelt emotion.

Whilst the action is excessive, colourful and overblown in the best possible way, the ending is sure to have you sobbing.