Pop Culture

The 10 Coolest Fake Weapons In Movies

This arsenal makes the mace attached to your keychain look downright silly.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Every good action hero needs a trademark weapon. Indiana Jones had his famous whip, Dirty Harry had his .44 Magnum hand cannon, and Schwarzenegger brandished a shotgun with the best of them in the Terminator franchise. And while those were all well and good, we could easily walk down to our local gun store or bondage supplier and have our choice of any firearm or whip. Quite frankly, we crave something more elusive from our cinematic weaponry.

Over the years, the movie industry has transported us to different time periods, planets, and universes, and filmmakers have done a fantastic job of bringing to life arms that reflect these strange worlds. Some of these fictional weapons have been slightly modified versions of what actually exists in our world, and others are so out of the ordinary that they could only exist up on the screen.

One of the most innovative franchises on this front has been the Men in Black series, which, in addition to giving viewers a variety of memorable aliens, has introduced us to countless futuristic gadgets. The advanced vehicles and mind-wiping gizmos are wonderful, but what really sticks out are the laser-powered alien-zapping guns that have wreaked havoc in these movies. With the release of Men in Black 3 today, we're sure we're going to see even more over-the-top weapons that light up the screen. They may even be cool enough to knock something off of our list of The 10 Coolest Fake Weapons in Movies.

Follow @ComplexPopCult

10. The Big Baby from Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Who isn’t a fan of oversized firearms? In Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Big Red handles one of the largest six-round pistols we've ever seen, the “Big Baby.” Sure, it looks like most other pistols, but it’s easily four times the size of a normal handgun and fires devastating mini-rockets that can knock down enemies that are the several stories tall.

Unfortunately, the gun’s sheer size and sparse ammo means that Hellboy only uses it on certain occasions, which is a crying shame. Then again, it would have been a pretty short film if Hellboy just went around blasting people away with mini-rockets all day.

Advertisement

9. The Batarang from Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008)

Batman has crafted innumerable cool toys in his dingy cave over the years, but the simple batarang is still the crown jewel of his arsenal. It doesn’t matter if these bat-shaped boomerangs are made of metal, remote control operated, or packed with explosives, they are among the handiest, and most devastating, weapons in any comic book movie.

The Dark Knight has taken down everyone from drug dealers to super villains with these, and in each movie installment he seems to find a new use for them. And even though batarangs are entirely fictional, they’re probably the most easy-to-make on this list. Well, that’s assuming that you have access to a small fortune and have the pinpoint accuracy of a Cy Young Award-caliber pitcher.

8. The Noisy Cricket from Men In Black (1997) & Men In Black II (2002)

Tough enough to take down a 747, yet dainty enough to keep in your European man purse, the Noisy Cricket is easily the most deceptive weapon on this list. Its diminutive size masks its overwhelming power, and Agent J (Will Smith) found that out the hard way in one of the most famous scenes from the original Men in Black.

There are countless weapons in the Men in Black universe that tout big power, but fail to deliver anything more than the standard sci-fi laser blast, so that’s why the Noisy Cricket lands on this list. It’s the most powerful weapon in the movie’s arsenal, yet it’s no bigger than a Cracker Jack box prize. As a wise soul once said, “It’s not the size of the boat, it’s the motion in the ocean.”

Advertisement

7. Han Solo’s DL-44 Heavy Blaster from Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), & Return of the Jedi (1983)

It looks like just a simple laser pistol, but Han Solo’s DL-44 Heavy Blaster is one of the most stylish space guns you’ll ever see. Part old west and part Buck Rogers, Solo slings this weapon with one arm like a spacebound Clint Eastwood clearing out scum and villainy across the galaxy.

During the course of the original Star Wars trilogy, Solo’s trusty blaster struck down countless Storm Troopers and Imperial officers, but the gun’s most memorable scene is when he used it to fry the intergalactic bounty hunter, Greedo.

6. The Proton Pack from Ghostbusters (1984) & Ghostbusters II (1989)

In case you aren’t aware, the Ghostbusters’ Proton Packs fire positively charged protons at the negatively charged energy of ghosts, thus weakening them for capture. Is the science behind this accurate? We can’t see any way that it could be, but there is little denying the fact that this bit of weaponry has amassed a cult-following over the years.

The best part of the Proton Packs is that they’re nuclear powered and, thus, completely unstable. One minute they can be used for capturing ghosts, the next they can be costing millions of dollars in property damage and turning any major city into a potential Chernobyl. That type of power might be scary in real life, but it makes for comedy gold when in the hands of Bill Murray.

Advertisement

5. Oddjob's Bowler Hat from Goldfinger (1964)

The James Bond franchise made a name for itself by making weapons out of pretty much anything. From pens to briefcases and watches, pretty much every mundane item found at your local Staples has been turned into an instrument of destruction at some point during the series. However, the most memorable weapon in Bond’s world doesn’t belong to 007 himself, but rather to one of his fiercest foes, Oddjob.

In Goldfinger, arguably Bond’s best outing, Oddjob used a razor-lined bowler cap to throw as a deadly projectile. When worn, it looks like any other hat; but when thrown, it instantly turns into one of the best on-screen weapons we have ever seen. Plus, it also plays a part in one of the most shocking movie deaths of all time when the metal in the hat acts like an electrical conduit and puts the finishing touches on Oddjob’s monosyllabic character arc.

4. The Sick Stick from Minority Report (2002)

Despite being the messiest weapon on this list, the sick stick from Minority Report might also be the most inventive. Used by the police in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi action flick, the sick stick is basically a baton that emits bolts of light that induce nausea and vomiting in its victim. What better way is there to stop a baddie than to make them feel like they just spent three hours on Kingda Ka after inhaling a pound of nachos?

Surprisingly, there have been reports that this weapon could actually become a reality in our world eventually. Even though it probably won't be around in the near future, we'll start stocking up on Wet-Naps and Lysol for when it does hit the market.

Advertisement

3. The Mjölnir from Thor (2011) & The Avengers (2012)

Crafted by the dwarven blacksmiths using the precious uru metal, Mjölnir is one of the most powerful weapons to ever grace the silver screen. With the ability to punch a hole through a mountain and call upon viscous storms, this mighty hammer is a throwback to the simpler weapons of the dark ages, yet it is sleek and stylized enough to fit in with the high-tech look of Asgard.

Like Excalibur for the nerdy sect, Mjölnir can only be lifted by the mighty Thor himself, and when he does he instantly becomes the most dangerous denizen of the Marvel universe. In Thor, the God of Thunder certainly puts a hurting on Loki and the Destroyer with this indestructible hammer, but it’s in The Avengers where Mjölnir is really put to the test. Not only does he use it to fight off an army of Chitauri soldiers, but it also goes into battle against the Hulk himself. And it does so without getting a scratch on it.

2. The ZF-1 Gun from The Fifth Element (1997)

Like an all-in-one package of pain and destruction, the ZF-1 gun from The Fifth Element is packed full of features, including a flamethrower, rocket launcher, arrow launcher, net launcher, a freeze ray, a 300-round magazine, and a “replay” function that allows for each shot to keep going to the same location.

Basically, this weapon makes the user a one-man army, and in the hands of a psychotic Gary Oldman that’s not a good thing. If you don’t believe us that this is the most menacing firearm to ever be put up on the screen, then perhaps you'll believe Gary Oldman as he expounds upon all of its features.

Advertisement

1. The Lightsaber from Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), Revenge of the Sith (2005)

It’s impossible to have any weapon occupy the number one spot other than George Lucas’ greatest gift to cinema: the lightsaber. Whether it’s blue, purple, orange, red, green, or double-sided, this blazing-hot piece of malice is both a stylized look at the future and a glimpse backwards at the samurai epics of old. Who wouldn’t want one of these in their hands next time they get audited or are brought out to dinner to meet their significant other’s parents?

Throughout all six Star Wars movies, we have seen these lightsabers clash against each other in unforgettable sword fights, slice through Storm Troopers and droids, and forcibly amputate the limbs of sloppy bar patrons. This is one of the rare pieces of cinematic weaponry that makes any user an instant badass, even if their name is Mark Hamill.

Stay ahead on Exclusives

Download the Complex App