Good to see that the classic bow and arrows is still up there. Nice list.

.. a death star, thankfully it made it on the lists, can i have a lightsaber please a green one

is an elegant weapon from a more civilized age

What..??!!

Not even a mention of the M41-A, 10mm Pulse Rifle (fires explosive-tipped, caseless, standard, light-armour piercing rounds) *with* 30mm grenade launcher above and below...

*Surely*...the coolest movie weapon..?

I thought the gun from Robocop should have made the list, as well as the guns from the Tomb Raider films, if only for the reason that they were strapped to Angelina Jolies thighs, which has got to be cool!

In a recent show "The Science (not)of StarWars" they essentially disproved nearly ever single future technology that science dope George Lucas "proposed" in every foolish scene of all the StarWars "episurd" (pun) - ESPECIALLY the light-saber. (also author, learn how to spell light-saber)

Going to prove that neither George Lucas nor ST fanatics paid any attention in school science or physics ... assuming that ST fans even finished grade school.

In comparison to the predator... shoulder cannon, spear, frisbee and forky knives in the arm thing.

Still, lightsabre is my no.1

that cool ghettoblaster gun from beverly hills cop 3

Where's the Predators' helmet-sighted shoulder blaster ??

Disappointed that the manpack minigun from the original Predator didn't make it.

...Uzi 9mm should be on there.

After all, its "ideal for home defence" :-)

Great list though.

Death Star wins for being most *powerful* weapon, I guess.

Until I think of Soren's firework rocket that makes stars go supernova in Star Trek:Generations of course.

Or are there more powerful weapons in the movieverse?

Take off and nuke it from orbit - it's the only way to be sure...

Mine's the grubby mac with the bottle wrapped in a paper bag sticking out...

"in a recent show "The Science (not)of StarWars" they essentially disproved nearly ever single future technology that science dope George Lucas "proposed" in every foolish scene of all the StarWars "episurd" (pun) - ESPECIALLY the light-saber. (also author, learn how to spell light-saber)"

In what way disproved?

Disproved in that some know all scientist says it cant be done right now? duh!

Its meant to be a future technology, unless of course we are going to say, everything that there is to be discovered, already has been discovered?

I assume that you mean it should be hyphenated, however the official starwars databank (that's www.starwars.com/databank - see for yourself) disagrees and since it's their word maybe you should stop telling others they are wrong.

I agree - where is the M41 pulse rifle or the M56 Smart Gun

What about the human weapon, River "I can kill you with my mind" Tam from Firefly/Serenity?

....will be whichever one is used on Paris Hilton. :)

7.65mm of pure Movie Weapon Pleasure.

Or something like that, Miss Moneypenny..

The lawgiver from Judge Dredd has to be the most versatile weapon in any film/comic book.... :p

heavy-saber anyone?

That quote makes me want to see the film again!

I choose the hot, hot flame icon to see the alien scum burn!

Ok, the fact that the Death Star made it to the list hints at a Star Wars happy survey sample...

How about the satellite laser cannon in Akira??

Judge Dred's Law-maker (?? or whatever it's called, admittedly rubbish film though).

The M56 smart gun from Aliens??

The personally signatured heat seeking bullet in Runaway (http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1037)??

The lawn mower in Braindead??

I'm sure the list goes on and on more than any damn energiser bunny..

Also "Machine Gun - Scarface" - WTF?!?!? Surely they would of needed to actually pick one of the ones used, rather than generalise!!

Well, there are a view more powerful weapons in TV/anime series; the Dakara superweapon in Stargate can destroy all life in the galaxy; the Buster Machine III in Gunbuster blew up a large part of the galaxy; and of course, the wormhole weapon in Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, could potentially destroy the entire universe. However, as far as mainstream movies go, I don't believe we've got beyond nova weapons yet.

How about the pistol-grip .50 cal with never ending ammo?

...to be 30 years old and own a Master Replicas ForceFX Lightsaber? I feel a special bond with Star Wars, as we share our year of birth!

but didn't John Holmes have the best movie weapon? ;)

Surely it's "lightsabre" :o)

Anyhoo, good list, although "machine gun" seems very unspecific for Mr Montana's "little friend".

A couple of others that should have made the list...

Dredd's Lawgiver, although that was spoiled by the unbelievable inclusion of a "double whammy" round. I mean, wtf? Thanks Stallone.

Travis' "up the sleeve" gun from Taxi Driver.

Tsk.

I can't understand why any one hasn't mentioned the greatest weapon of the 1980's - the proton pack!

It isn't future technology. It's from long long ago in a galaxy far far away.

Trying to prove/disprove technology in a piece of fluff space opera is just plain silly though. Some people take things far too seriously.

No mention of the sink plungers of the Daleks?

The films never showed beath by plunger, but true horror is always best kept in the mind of the viewer rather than visualised...

"Chainsaw (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)"

It was never used as a weapon in TCM, just waved around menacingly, for true use as a weapon see Ash in Evil Dead II/III.

Incidentally, there's nothing wrong with owning Force FX sabres, it's just bragging that you have 6 of the buggers that gets you thrown ..... all right I'm leaving.

"Going to prove that neither George Lucas nor ST fanatics paid any attention in school science or physics ... assuming that ST fans even finished grade school."

I agree, George Lucas should lose all his NIST funding.

surely everyone agrees that "hokey religions and ancient wepaons are no match for a good blaster at your side"

am similarly disapointed that the M134 General Electric Minigun as Blane uses in Predator wasn't in the top 10. not enough people read Robert Rankin books obvious to realise the true potential of such a weapon

No "noisy cricket?"

Only Western bias can explain the lack of Bruce Lee's nunchaku (or his bare hands for that matter) and Zatoichi's cane-sword. "Haha, look at the stupid blind old man!" *sshhhnnnkkk* "Argh! My arm is gone!" Never gets old.

The Sharks with Freaking Laser Beams?

Mila Jovovich formed an integral part of the weapon in The Fifth Element. She gets my vote, not too bothered about the other elements though.

the all singing, all dancing and fantastic AT-AT!!!!! That, surely, must be the mother of them all! I know it couldn't blow up planets, but it walked, was bigger than Digby (youngsters won't understand that one!) and I had one in my living room when I was a kid!

People never learn. The top weapon of all time is of course Chuck Norris.

An X-Wing, not only can you blow stuff up, you can fly on holiday cheap.

BFG any day....

Come on, for an elegant, small form-factor, realistic and highly plausable (for those of you who worry about such things) yet efficient personal energy weapon, you can't get more classy than Babylon 5's PPG. It even has the smooth, curvy lines of a more classic hand gun. That and the fact that I'm a ridiculously big B5 fan and am one of an incredibly small number around the world who actually owns a replica PPG - better than a mass-produced light-sabre replica, but still immensely sad :-)

It is my little finger. Wanna argue........?

What about the "ZF-1" that Zorg so comically demonstrates in The Fifth Element?

No phaser?

weapon from a more elegant and civilized era.

Umm.. Star Wars was never presented as a Science Fiction series, but as a "space opera" or "fantasy that happens to be set in space" kind of thing.

It was never intended to be scientific, or to "propose" anything as a new technology, but just a pretty good B action film. Lucas has always been very clear on that.

Perhaps instead of taking them seriously, you should instead watch the films as adventure movies meant for enjoyment.

Anyone recall that Oliver Reed (decd) film with the fatal shout? I guess there were no survivors. Where the cinema management put all the bodies I do not know.

What about one of those amazing rotary machine guns, like the one Blaine had in Predator?

"Disproved By Simon Goodwin"

"in a recent show "The Science (not)of StarWars" they essentially disproved nearly ever single future technology that science dope George Lucas "proposed" in every foolish scene of all the StarWars "episurd" (pun) - ESPECIALLY the light-saber. (also author, learn how to spell light-saber)"

"In what way disproved?"

- for the too stupid to understand, PHYSICS are PROVEN hypothesis (maybe you don't know that word) and the Discovery show used REAL SCIENCE to disprove everything essentially in StarWars. Does this compute?

"Disproved in that some know all scientist says it cant be done right now? duh!"

"Its meant to be a future technology, unless of course we are going to say, everything that there is to be discovered, already has been discovered?"

- Simon Goodwin reporting in from Twilight Zone, OK now you're proved it, you are stupid. BASIC Physics principles like behavior of light, energy, gravity, matter, physical constraints, properties of materials, etc DON'T CHANGE! Not even for "future technology" that break the laws of Physics! Hesus Christ, go back to school and start over are 4th grade! Living in a Fantasy Land is no way to live sonny.

Some others that deserve a mention:

The arm-mounted chainsaw used by Ash in Evil Dead 2.

The suicidal bomb from Dark Star.

Blain's chain gun in Predator.

The One Ring (though it never gets used).

The Genesis project.

Freddy's finger blades.

Bond's Walther PPK.

The Weirding Module voice amplifying weapons from Dune.

Dire Straits vinyl LP.

Sharpened edge boomerang from Mad Max 2.

Private Joker: Are those... live rounds?

Private Gomer Pyle: Seven-six-two millimeter, full metal jacket.

'nuff said.

What about the Mimbari Staff, the white star or the shadow death cloud

Dude, I think Webby's oh-so-subtle confusion/conflation between Stars T and W may have been the tiny clue you're meant to look out for in internet postings to let you know that you're about to have been trolled if you reply in serious vein...

Uber-Phaser-Rifles from Star Trek: First Contact

Noisy Cricket from Men In Black

various weapons from the Blade trilogy.

'Hey, just what you see, pal.'

.

Personally I'd go for Ol' Painless. Who cares that the recoil would push you over, or you couldn't carry the batteries or enough ammo. In the world of film such things aren't a problem!

Or failing that I'd go for the M56 Smartgun. Or the M41-A at a stretch.

If you'd chosen any of the top 10 options short of the Deathstar you'd soon be learning that the ability to deliver large amounts of hot lead in a short time provides certain advantages!

The British Army rifle in Zulu; if only for the best war quote ever: "If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short chamber Boxer Henry point 45 caliber miracle." 'nuff said.

Item number 2 should be .44 Magnum, the "point" goes to the left of the calibre to indicate how much of an inch your bore is.

And I agree, Noisy Cricket is definitely ultimate sidearm. Small enough to fit in your jock strap (or Anelinia Jolie's brassiere), powerful enough to bring down a flying saucer.

is the explosive-laden tube train that took out the Houses of Parliament in V for Vendetta. No other movie weapon has ever got me to stand on my chair and cheer my head off the way that one did!

It's called a Minbari Fighting Pike and is indeed awesome. A six foot metal pipe which retracts to something the size of a tin of beans when not in use. Quarterstaff fans pine.

NOT ONE mention of the mighty Supermarine Spitfire! And on a .uk website too! For shame!

Though thinking of 'Empire of the Sun' the "Cadillac of the Skies" Northrop P51-D also does it for me.

The leather flying helmet and goggles please!

FFS, get a life. You're complaining about the scientific accuracy of a weapon in a movie where people shoot lightning from their fingers?

Lightsabers are cool. Of course, they're not bloody real, that's part of what makes them cool.

I'm kind of partial to the railgun from Eraser with the X-Ray Spex scope...

.. would be for the "Ghost in the Shell" semi-auto recoilless rocket launcher, from Batou's "personal" collection :)

The greatest weapon isn't Chuck Norris. Its Vin Diesel

M41-A, or the sentry guns. Mmmmmmm, now that was an awesome moment in cinema for me! I may dig that out and watch it again while writing this essay...

"Lister to Red Dwarf; the intruder seems _blissfully_ unaware that we

have a rather sturdy holo-whip in the munitions cabinet, ... "

A weapon so twisted, it can hurt someone who is already dead.

I'd forgotten that one. That was a really cool weapon and it left a nice swirly trail.

I wouldn't mind being strapped to Angelina Jolies thighs,

> BASIC Physics principles like behavior of light, energy, gravity, matter,

> physical constraints, properties of materials, etc DON'T CHANGE!

I'm sure I've seen some theoreticising lately which suggests that possibly these things do change, though not on a scale that has any especially relevance to anything much shorter than the life on the universe...

the Australian from 'Delicattesen', although you do have to know how to use it, (as the guy at the end doesn't!).

The Toledo Salamanca Sword - Highlander

The snake-arrow used by Tulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian to kill Valeria

The giant ceramic cock&balls that Alex uses to kill the woman in A Clockwork Orange

A few of my favourite films...

"The greatest weapon isn't Chuck Norris. Its Vin Diesel"

Give me a break! You're joking right??

Two things:

1) You really need to get out more. Especially as you obviously don't know much about physics. In theory, a lightsabre (don't argue spelling with me, i'm English) could be made simply by having a focused laser. You could, again in theory, have the light focused over a short distance to have a cutting effect . The light would be visible past this point, but it wouldn't cut anything. That means that a lightsabre wouldn't actually be able to cut anyting along it's entire length, and would therefore take great skill and a good memory to remember how far along the blade would actually make an impact. There have been many ideas put forwards for how we could in theory make one in years to come. Go seek knowledge, my child.

2) Proven Hypothesis: Oh, dear boy. You either need to learn what "proven" means or what "hypothesis" means. Or what "physics" means. You do realise that most of the things we take for granted (gravity, light, energy) that have been proven by physics, are actually incorrect? Or that they are only correct under certain conditions? Physics is not a completely acurate science for the most part. We know enough to know that we don't know enough. That's about it. I'm sure that i'll be flamed for saying that, but it is true. It was proven that the world was flat. Oh, wait, that's not true anymore. It was proven that the earth was the centre of the universe. No, wait, that one has gone as well. I'm sure i've been condesending enough for now.

So anyway where the hell is the pulse rifle (aliens), uzi 9mm (terminator), milligun (predator), BFG (Doom), Gauss rifle with x-ray sight (Eraser), or even Chuck Norris! At least the lightsabre made the grade, and hurrah for the sword from kill bill. I happen to own a copy of the Demon Sword from that film, signed by none other than David Caridine. Yes, i truly am a sad little man. :)

A penguin icon, cuz he's cute and fluffy. No real relation to the post, but what the hey.

I agree that the M41-A from Aliens deserves mention, but only with the flame thrower duct-taped to it.

I also think the proton gun from Ghostbusters ("don't cross the beams!") should have been on the list.

But the lightsabre is indeed cool. So what if it is scientifically impossible? Star Wars is not Science Fiction, it is Space Opera, and so not required to make scientific sense. That would be like berating Tom & Jerry because hitting a mouse with a frying pan shouldn't make a mouse-shaped dent in the frying pan.

Chuck Norris

Eraser - Railgun with xray scope

MiB - Noisy Cricket

Beverley Hills Cop 3 - gun with radio, microwave etc

Croc Dundee - The Knife

Johnny Mnemonic - hot wire

and I love the smell of Napalm in the morning...

Where T.F. are the M41a, ZF1 (look out for the little red button, Akhnot...), The recoilless relativistic railgun from Eraser, Dredd's lawgiver...

But what about the Point of View gun from Hitchhiker's?

The Doomsday Machine from "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".

...that's one weapon that I would definitely not include in the list. Have used the thing (in training), but wouldn't want to have to use it in anger. Much too complicated to get going (multiple safety mechanisms), but tends to go off on it's own account. Quite uncool when that happens.

And, btw, @ Webster: "PHYSICS are PROVEN hypothesis (maybe you don't know that word)". Actually, the plural of hypothesis is hypotheses. But maybe you don't know the plural form. Dictionaries help in these cases. Try www.webster.com.

Zatoichi's sword-cane does have a certain elegance too.

The name then reminds me of my favourite fictional killer, Ichi, and his boot-heel blades used to split people open from head to toe.

Then there's the swords used by the Kray brothers to pin the guy to the pool table.

As for improvised weapons, I think the pen used by joe Pesci in Casino takes some beating.

Just kidding, although if the protoype from Robocop had been given a bit more screen time I'm sure it could have done some serious damage, instead of the impromptu 'executive board reshuffle' at the end.

Great to see the lightsabre taking top-spot!

I agree about the M41A, if only for the sound that sucker makes!

Someone mentioned him earlier, but I think he deserves another shout: Ash, by the end of Evil Dead 2, is a weapon.

Also, I'm very disappointed about the lack of any General Electric M134 7.62mm miniguns (I'm also a Robert Rankin fan). They are definitely more awesome than an M16 with an underslung M203 grenade launcher, even if one of them is being used liberally by Al Pacino.

Finally, all you Newton-afficionadoes need to remind yourself of the big fat disclaimer at the beginning of every Star Wars movie. It's: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." NOT: "In a few year's time, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology..." you plonkers.

Other nominations include:

The various guitar cases from El Mariachi, Desperado and Once upon a time in Mexico

Sex Machine's codpiece in from Dusk Till Dawn

Some awesome other ones up there too.

From fiction I'd have to go with Iain M Bank's Lazy Gun

Anyone familiar with Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson ?

What if they aren't friendly ?

"oh, they'll see reason"..... Reason v1.1 beta gatling railgun......

I second the Lazy Gun. Now, can someone please film "Against a Dark Background" (a title so mind-numbingly clever it deserves an award on its own) so we can settle the argument once and for all.

If you *really* want to ruin some Civilisation's day though, the Dweller technique of accelerating a load of space debris, concentrically arranged by size from dust to planet, to around 0.99 C pointing the lot in the right direction and then waiting a few millenia takes a lot of beating.

The ultimate weapon from "Hitch hikers"

Designed by Hactar

For: The people of Krikkit (originally the Sliastic Armourfiends but with a flaw)

Size: Cricket ball

Function: a supernova bomb which would connect every major sun in the universe through hyperspace, thus making every star to go supernova.

Why destroy a planet when you can take everything down.

Ah! You Tube How do I love thee? Let me count the ways......... 6 in the morning, Rvd and RvD2.

For the those of you who are wondering what the Hell I'm talking about, these are movies made by amateurs? that are well worth the time taken to watch.

Yes that's my coat just next to Darth Vaders cape

quite right - though its hardly relevant I should point out that Play.com have just delivered Matter to me 2 weeks early...

To those of you who may not think that spelling matters, I can assure you it does. I remember once playing a text-only MUD for a brief time. Imagine my excitement when, after a couple of hours, I opened a box to find my very own light sabre. I immediately high-tailed it over to an arena, and challenged everyone to a fight. I must have lost a dozen times until some kind fellow pointed out to me that what I had in my hand was just a sabre that wasn't heavy.

We've missed one, Monkey's staff, it shrinks and expands and is particularly handy for smacking people round the head with.

I bought an FX one for my daughter in law, she'd bought one for her hubby's birthday- lots of squealing followed by the pair of them rushing into the garden to duel, the grandkids watching their parents behaving.....well, like kids!!

Well if we're going outside of movies there are waaaay cooler weapons in literature than in film: Xeelee Starbreaker beams (Stephen Baxter), Starship Troopers Power Armour, Nuclear-powered X-Ray lasers (Footfall), the list goes on. And in Snowcrash, Reason may be cool in a showy kind of way, but Fido is a much more interesting "weapon".

NOONE yet mentioned the "Minbari Fighting Stick" (Babylon 5) standard equipment?

//Svein

Well if we *are* going outside of movies, there's one clear winner: The Nuclear Hand-Grenade from the Paranoia RPG.

I thought the Big Friendly Giant was cute not deadly. Am I reading Roald Dahl wrong?

Could someone pass me the collarless shirt and the brown waistcoat? Ah you're so kind.

Oh yes Fido, better known as the rat-thing.... A nuclear powered armoured rottweiler cyborg with hard wired sub sonic speed limitation in urban areas...... just the job for keeping unauthorised types out of the server room or creating mayhem in the pub. The Kouriers skateboards hard their attractions too.

Django's coffin gatling gun.

Agree on the doomsday device, although we can possibly just say the bomb that Slim rides at the end could work as well.

Also:

GhostBusters - those backpacks. Bad ass

Army of Darkness - Some good Evil Dead points, but I'm going for Ash's shotgun ("This is my Boom-stick!")

Orgasmo - the Orgasmatron, or whatever its called. Funny movie, classic weapon.

Ridiculous. As others have pointed out, the Walther PPK is much more significant than the Golden Gun, which A: was only in one movie, B: and a bad movie at that, and C: it wasn't even IN THE MOVIE all that much!

Nobody's mentioned the rifle/mortar fired nuclear warheads from Starship Troopers yet?

Not sure even a lightsabre would do you much good against one of those!

Damn, I was trying to remember what movie it was where I saw the cowboy hoisting a coffin the entire movie. That is full of win.

"And how does he smell?"

(Punchline of the Killer Joke That Almost Ended WWII suppressed in view of the cessation of hostilities and absorption into NATO of a principal belligerent.)

* Trojan Rabbit

* Snarky Norman Cattlepult

* Foul Beast of Cair Banough

* The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

* Banana

* Tiger Release

* Ten (or was it Five?) Ton Weight

* Crabby Appleton's printing press that automatically removed holidays from the calendars it printed

* British Defense Establishment's laser bazooka in "Help" (if only American-style funding were available to perfect it)

(OK, OK, not all from movies but definitely threats to be reckoned with.)

I can't believe the original Predator's self-destruct nuclear bomb didn't make the list. It's cool and it go BOOM!

Of course, you only get to use it once...

It was a 16 ton weight :-)

And what about Dekard's hard gun - nice look and made a good noise.

I guess it's a bit whimpy to suggest Leggy's bow and arrow, but it should supercede Robin's perhaps.

And the good old Zippo lighter must have been thrown hundreds of times to start a deadly inferno!

I know that it is technically a weapon, but for all intents and purposes the Death Star is a battle station more than a weapon. It has weapons on it, though. =P

I still think the Staff weapon from Stargate should've made it onto the list. =P

Woverine's claw blades in X-Men?

Not particularly world-destroying or anything but easily concealed, hard to lose and don't run out of ammo or power.

Why no mention of the Train of Trismestigus? It must be by far the best and most interesting weapon and THAT is an ultimate truth!! (for all the Rankin fans out there).

coats already on.

actually I think the minigun in Predator should have been a XM214 (5.56x45 nato) Microgun not the m134 (7.62x51 nato), as the SIX-PACK system (xm214, ammo pack, and power module weighed roughly 85 pounds .. figure minimum double that for the m134 system ... (feel free to disagree with these FACTS if you can find other proof?) .. and yes the M41A1 Pulse Rifle from Aliens (and to a lesser point A3) deserves to be on the list