Throughout film history, heroes and villains alike have wielded some truly powerful weapons. Whether they are guns, swords, or any other kind of object that can do a person harm, they often become an integral part of the story in which they are featured. Some of these weapons are truly powerful. They're the kind of thing that offers up a true challenge to the hero, giving them insurmountable odds to overcome. Other times, they are something that when wielded by the right person, someone true of heart and spirit, can take down an evil force and restore peace to the world. Either way, they are often impressive, memorable, and good for merchandising purposes.

However, that's not to say that some of the weapons featured in movies aren't kind of lame. Let's face it: Hollywood movies can't always get it right, and there have been times where the weapons they give their heroes or villains are laughably weak, ineffective, or just entirely impossible. Yes, when watching a film you have to suspend your disbelief somewhat, but that doesn't mean that the internal logic of a film shouldn't include the weapons it features. If a story is to be grounded in some kind of reality, even a fantastic one, then the weapons that the heroes and villains use need to remain logical. After all, a hero or villain is only as good as their ability to wield said weapons. If they can't do that, then what hope does the audience have for a good story? These are 10 movie weapons that are truly impressive (and 10 that are actually pretty weak).

20 STRONG: M41A PULSE RIFLE (ALIENS)

Taking on even just one xenomorph would be difficult on its own, but having to wander into an entire hive of them? That's going to take some serious firepower. Luckily, the rough and tumble team of Marines heading into the abandoned mining colony are armed to the teeth. Chief among their weapons is the M41A Pulse Rifle.

This tactical gun would be at home in any combat situation, but it excels at tearing xenomorphs apart with its 10mm rounds and explosive firing power. It also includes a grenade launcher for good measure, Ripley immediately recognizes that this gun gives her and the Colonial Marines a fighting chance against the Xenomorph scourge.

19 WEAK: JASON'S MACHETE (FRIDAY THE 13TH)

Jason Voorhees cuts an imposing figure in the Friday the 13th series, and his weapon of choice for terrorizing campers and anyone else who gets in his way is, of course, his trusty machete. Sure, it's pretty dangerous when it's wielded by a monster like Jason, but how effective would his machete really be?

In terms of how it's kept, probably not very effective at all. Think about it: Jason has been hanging out at Camp Crystal Lake with that same machete for at least 20 years now. With all the mud, moisture, and blood that thing has got on it, it has to be completely rusty and dull right now, meaning it could barely be used to clear brush, let alone some troublemaking camp counsellors.

18 STRONG: SELF-DESTRUCT (PREDATOR)

The Predator may have his share of absolutely brutal weapons, as seen throughout the entire Predator franchise, but there's one that stands out among all the rest: the self-destruct sequence. Even though we didn't get to see it in The Predator, there can be no doubt that it is still the strongest weapon at the disposal of this highly intelligent alien race.

Just look at the first film, Predator. Once Dutch had the upper hand and was about to end things against his alien adversary for good, the Predator just punched in a few numbers on his wrist computer, and essentially triggered an explosion to rival a nuclear bomb. Luckily, Dutch was able to outrun it, but just barely.

17 WEAK: LEG GUN (PLANET TERROR)

Planet Terror was an absolutely gonzo zombie film that comprised half of 2007's Grindhouse. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Planet Terror was as gory as it was absolutely bonkers. One of the most memorably insane parts of this film was Rose McGowan's machine gun leg.

This thing was pretty a pretty popular part of the film, comprising most of the poster for it as well. However, how effective would this thing really be in a fight? You certainly wouldn't be able to use it while you're running, and trying to use it standing up would throw your balance off pretty badly. Overall, this would be the last weapon you'd want in a zombie apocalypse.

16 STRONG: STORMBREAKER (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR)

After Mjolnir is destroyed in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor is left without a weapon to use against the forces of evil. This becomes a big problem in Avengers: Infinity War when Thor is unable to stop Thanos from destroying the Asgardian population and gaining one of the Infinity Stones.

However, Thor is eventually united with a new weapon, forged by Eitri (and completed with a little bit of help from Groot) called Stormbreaker. This ax channels Thor's incredible powers and allows him to swoop into Wakanda and turn the fight in favor of Earth. Unfortunately, even though it comes close to stopping Thanos, it is ultimately not enough.

15 WEAK: SONIC SHOTGUN (MINORITY REPORT)

Minority Report is one of those films that lives in the public consciousness, and yet is still somehow is forgotten. This is in spite of the fact that the film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Cruise. On top of that, it was adapted from a short story by Philip K. Dick, so it should be more fondly remembered.

For all of its strengths and weaknesses, one of the most defining features of the film is its use of futuristic weaponry. One of these weapons is the sonic shotgun, a non-lethal weapon that delivers a blast of sonic energy that sends pursuers flying. Despite its purpose as a non-lethal weapon, this thing doesn't really seem any more threatening than one of those giant air cannons that exist today.

14 STRONG: NOISY CRICKET (MEN IN BLACK)

It was an instant punchline from the moment it was introduced in the first Men In Black film: the noisy cricket. As J is being shown the ropes of the alien-policing organization, he is first shown the Series 4 De-Atomizer, before being handed this tiny little gun, which in many respects, is actually pretty cute.

For anyone who doesn't know, this would seem like an insult, but it's really quite the honor to be handed such a powerful weapon when just starting out with the organization. The noisy cricket immediately proves that it is one of the most highly destructive and threatening weapons in the MIB arsenal. Its powerful recoil is enough to hurl agent J through the air any time it's fired.

13 WEAK: ZF-1 POD WEAPON (THE FIFTH ELEMENT)

There's a scene in The Mask where Jim Carrey pulls two comically large guns out of his pockets. These things have more barrels than you can count, plus a bunch of other weapons attached to them. That's the image that comes to mind when you see the ZF-1 Pod Weapon in The Fifth Element, a gun that is so many different things, there's no way it can be any good at any of them.

This weapon, as described by Gary Oldman's Zorg, has a rocket launcher, net launcher, freezing ray, homing beacon, and an arrow launcher. It's so many guns in one, that it can't possibly be effective in a fight. It even has its own self-destruct sequence, which ends up being the downfall of the Mangalores who take them.

12 STRONG: PROTON PACKS (GHOSTBUSTERS)

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, you know you have to call the Ghostbusters, so there's no point in even asking the famous question. That's because this ragtag team of afterlife exterminators is equipped with one of the most powerful weapons built in movie history: the proton pack.

This ghostbusting device, as explained by Egon in the film, is essentially a miniature particle accelerator, meaning that Egon basically achieved what CERN has been trying to do over 30 years ago. The proton packs are highly effective at containing ghosts, but their true power is only shown once the Ghostbusters are forced to do what they've been told not to do the whole time: cross the streams.

11 WEAK: GOLDEN GUN (MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN)

James Bond has faced many villains over his long, time-bending career, and a lot of those villains have made use of their own signature weapons. For example, Oddjob had his razor-brimmed hat, which he could hurl at any of his enemies to take them down. That's a pretty silly idea, but maybe not quite as garish as the Golden Gun, used by Francisco Scaramanga.

While anyone who has played a round of multiplayer Goldeneye will tell you that the golden gun is a pretty effective weapon, in reality, it's kind of a silly idea. Sure, it looks great, but let's not forget that gold is by far one of the weakest metals. That's why it is generally not used in any practical purposes, such as firearms. It may look cool, but that's about it.

10 STRONG: DEATH STAR (STAR WARS)

The Death Star. From the first time our heroes see it on-screen, we know that this thing is one of the most dangerous, powerful and overall imposing weapons in the Star Wars universe. Not only is this thing so massive that it is confused for a moon, but it houses fleets of Imperial TIE fighters and is protected by massive turrets.

Of course, the most important thing to know about the Death Star is that it can destroy a planet, and it can do so with relative ease. There only needs to be enough time for the massive laser to charge up before unleashing one fatal shot. Finally, it has only one weak point, which would have been impossible to hit if not for the power of the force.

9 WEAK: FREDDY'S GLOVE (NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET)

It's an iconic horror movie weapon, one that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone who sees it in their nightmares, but let's be realistic: is Freddy Kreuger's glove from the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise really that effective of a weapon? We're going to go ahead and say no, and we have the reasons.

Freddy literally has the ability to stalk people and put them down in their dreams. As demonstrated in many of the sequels, Freddy doesn't even need his glove to take out these kids. It's a nice piece of intimidation, but for a monster who attacks people when they are at their most vulnerable, it kind of just seems like window dressing.

8 STRONG: GOOD SAMARITAN (HELLBOY)

Hellboy made its mark as a comic book adaptation that carried over a lot of the imagination of the source material to the screen. That's due in part to Guillermo Del Toro's masterful direction and design work, which brought the monsters, heroes, and villains of the story so gracefully to the screen.

One of the most fun aspects of the film was Ron Perlman's portrayal as the main character, who utilizes one of the coolest weapons ever designed for a film: the Good Samaritan, a four-round revolver forged from Irish church bells and blessed silver, with a handle made from pieces of the True Cross. The gun is an impressive piece of hardware, and is more than enough in battling the forces of Hell.

7 WEAK: SEISMIC CHARGE (STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES)

The much-derided Attack of the Clones features one of the coolest sounding weapons ever introduced in the Star Wars Universe: the seismic charge. Utilized by Jango Fett to try and get Obi-Wan off his tail, the seismic charge pulls in sound from the surrounding area then releases it as a giant wave of destructive force.

Here's the problem though: anyone with even a small understanding of space would know that because there is no air in the vacuum of space, sound cannot travel. Therefore, the seismic charge would be entirely useless, since it has nothing to run on. Without air to be vibrated, sound just cannot exist. We can forgive a lot in the Star Wars films, but this just went too far.

6 STRONG: LIGHTSABER (STAR WARS)

It may be one of the most popular weapons to ever appear throughout film history, and for good reason. The lightsaber was an instantly iconic weapon, a mix of outer space technology and old school swordsmanship. It has lived on in the public consciousness, mostly for its distinct sounds and connection to one of the greatest space operas ever made.

On top of its cultural importance, the lightsaber has been demonstrated to be one of the most powerful weapons in the world of Star Wars. Not only can it deflect practically any shot from a blaster, but it can also cut through steel. In the right hands, the lightsaber may be one of the most dangerous weapons in the galaxy.

5 WEAK: GLAIVE (KRULL)

Krull is one of those cult science fiction movies from the '80s that isn't good enough to remember fondly and also not bad enough to warrant a remake. The film concerns the journey of Prince Colwyn to rescue a princess from an evil sorcerer. Even with all the imagination that went into this movie, the plot is just so basic.

On top of all of that fantasy malarkey, you have the introduction of a magical weapon known as the "glaive." First of all, this bladed throwing star/boomerang is not even close to what an actual glaive is. Second, it just seems like if this starfish with knives on its arms was the last hope for anyone's world, they would be in big trouble.

4 STRONG: CAP'S SHIELD (THE AVENGERS)

Captain America's shield might be one of the most iconic pieces of weaponry in all of comic book history, and it's just as powerful in the MCU. Cap's trusty shield, made from vibranium, is entirely bulletproof, lightweight, and incredibly useful in a fight. As wielded by a living Super Soldier, its effectiveness at dispatching enemies is undeniable.

On top of that, it is also useful in a fight when combined with the powers of other heroes. This is proven during the battle of New York when Cap uses his shield to reflect Iron Man's energy blasts. The shield has also been shown to completely stop Mjolnir in its tracks, creating a giant shockwave. Overall, Cap's shield might just be the best weapon to have on hand in the MCU.

3 WEAK: GENESIS DEVICE (STAR TREK II: WRATH OF KHAN)

The Genesis Device in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is an impressive piece of technology in that it can terraform a planet and create life where there was none before. However, in that same vein, if it is used on a planet that already contains life, it could wipe everyone and everything out of existence.

That might make it sound like a powerful weapon, if only for one glaring problem: it doesn't work. This is proven in the film when the newly formed planet, Genesis, proves to be entirely unstable, eventually destroying itself. You can't really say that a movie weapon is effective when it has a glaring production flaw.

2 STRONG: PHASER (STAR TREK)

There are plenty of weapons in the Star Trek universe, but none is more handy or trusted than the standard issue phaser given to the crews of Starfleet. This thing might seem like it would be weak, given its diminutive size, but in the right (or wrong) hands, the phaser can actually do a lot of damage.

Think about it: on the one hand, you have the stun feature. This can immobilize your enemies entirely, giving you the chance to escape or arrest them for crimes against the Federation. On the other hand, you have the other setting on your phaser, one that instantly takes out whoever you're up against. That makes it a pretty handy weapon.

1 WEAK: HATTORI HANZO SWORD (KILL BILL)

The Hattori Hanzo sword is touted as being one of the best weapons available in Kill Bill. It is proven effective when taking on the Crazy 88 and O-Ren Ishii. However, at the end of the day, it is a katana, and despite what some sword enthusiasts might want to tell you, katanas are just not that great.

That's not to say they are terrible. It's just that they are no better than any other sword out there. Sure, they look really cool, however, the process of making them and the steel used in forging didn't make them any better (or worse, for that matter) than any other sword. Beatrix could have used a Scottish broadsword and been just as effective, though it wouldn't have looked as cool.