Last year, I went to the cinema for the first time in years. It was prompted by the whole “it’s just better to watch it on the big screen” and although one or two were viewed in that awful 3D format, there definitely were better on the big screen -and it seems movie producers are catching on to that idea.

From Star Wars to Jurassic World, 2015 was a fantastic year for films with cinemas across the world taking in a record $38 billion from ticket sales. But which were the most successful of 2015? Here we show you the biggest blockbusters based on box office takings:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Hans Solo returned to the big screen in December in the first of a new trilogy of films promised from the Buena Vista studio since Disney purchased the franchise in 2012. Released in December 2015, the film was well received by fans and critics alike for its scenery and storytelling.

Directed by J.J Abrams with a production budget of $200 million, the film took $247 million on its opening weekend, and as of March the film had taken in more than $2 billion.

Jurassic World

Star Wars wasn’t the only nostalgic film to a make return to the big screen. Dinosaurs were brought back to life with Jurassic World, the fourth instalment of the Jurassic series. In a similar vein to previous films, a theme park on the fictional island of Isla Nublar is plunged into chaos when a genetically modified dinosaur escapes from a theme park.

The action thriller, released in June 2015, was the second biggest grossing film, bringing Universal $208 million on the opening weekend and $1.6 billion overall.

Furious 7

The Fast & Furious franchise has proved popular among petrol heads and film fans and has now stretched to seven films.

Universal secured itself another hit with the car chasing action thriller, taking in $147 million on its opening weekend in April 2015 and $1.5 billion overall.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

A superhero film is always likely to get loyal comic book fans excited and the latest Marvel film, Avengers: Age of Ultron, continued the same superheroes versus villains’ formula for success.

It raised $191 million on its opening weekend in May 2015 and has now taken in $1.4 billion.

Minions

This animated comedy focuses on the evolution of the minions as they seek an evil master through time. It may be one for the kids, but the squeaky organisms from Universal production have proved a box office hit.

Release in July 2015, Minions, a sequel and eventually a bigger hit than Despicable Me, raised $115 million in its opening weekend and $1.1 billion overall.

Action thrillers clearly dominated the film landscape in 2015 and nostalgia was a key theme running through, with returns to the big screen for both Star Wars and Jurassic World.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has to be the stand out performer, both for the ticket sales and the general fanfare around it. The film managed to live up to expectations and bring in a whole new generation of followers. There is already speculation and excitement over the release of Episode VIII.

Which do you think was the best film of 2015?