04. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Director: J.J. Abrams

Release date: December 18, 2015

It feels like a long time since a major motion picture event was able to live-up to the weight of crippling expectation. After George Lucas’ much maligned prequel trilogy of films released over a decade ago, the millions of Star Wars fans around the globe could be forgiven for venturing to see The Force Awakens with trepidation, like returning to the arms of an old flame that broke your heart.

While heroes of the Star Wars movies battled to bring balance to the Force, it was director J.J. Abrams that managed to triumphantly return balance to the franchise, crafting a dark and dramatic new movie that pays homage to previous instalments while evoking a magic that gave fans hope of a bright future.

With stunning set pieces, charismatic new protagonists and a set of particularly unhinged villains, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a return to classic film-making and is a quality movie that stands alone as a modern science fiction classic.