21 Best Movies For People Who Love Gadgets

When the world of gadgets and movies become one, then the cinematic experiences become wildly exciting and entertaining. Not only does it boost the movie even before it is released, it also works wonders for the merchandisers. There have been movies like ‘Star Wars’ and the ‘Back To The Future’ franchise, that have made so much more money from the merchandises than the movie itself. This says a lot about the influence gadgets have on the audience and merchandise industry.

Ranking the best movies with gadgets raises several conundrums. What constitutes a “gadget?” Things like Batman’s grappling gun, Spidey’s web shooters and Hawkeye’s vast array of arrows come to mind. But what about Wonder Woman’s lasso? Thor’s hammer? Do these magical items count? Perhaps these questions aren’t meant to be answered. As far as I am concerned, the below mentioned movies aren’t ranked in any particular order; they’re just cool. There are things like the Bat-mobile that were cut for various reasons (there are too many of them). This compilation only considers things seen in live-action films to date. With all that said, here is the list of top gadget movies of all time:

21. Click

We all have fantasized about controlling our life through a remote. And this movie gratifies this very fantasy. The movie is not filled with gadgets but the Universal remote is enough to intrigue the audience. The remote can control life with a click of a button, like controlling a T.V. The gadget doesn’t justify any technology or any reasoning and works on rhetoric functionality. The absurd technology is covered up with some humour. Even though with all its failures, the technology does make the watch a little exciting and intriguing.

20. Inspector Gadget

The gadgets in this movie not only have an advanced technology but also a personality. The gadget mobiles can easily track the inspector and reach out to his location. (I hope Uber takes a note). It has quite a few small time gadgets but the most exciting one is the “The Copter Hat”, which transforms from a simple looking hat to a flying gadget. The Copter Hat helps the Inspector Gadget to chase the crooks and solve cases and is also pollution free. It isn’t realistic at all but I guess with no emission it has its heart in the right place.

19. Men In Black Series

The Men in Black tend to have some very difficult missions; missions where they have to save the planet from the machinations of aliens. And not only save Earth but also the aliens living on the planet in peace. Hence, they need some very exclusive gadgets to defend earth. There are a variety of flashy and demolishing guns at their disposal. But the most significant and intriguing gadget they have is “The Neuralizer”. The agents of Men In Black use it to erase the memories of people. And they do so for the sole purpose of making people unaware of the existence of aliens on Earth.

18. Wonder Woman

Diana of Themyscira uses her lasso competently as a weapon during battle — but the enchanted rope comes with a nice fringe benefit: it compels anyone ensnared by it to tell the truth when being questioned. Many may consider this to be a silly weapon to have but when one takes the matter to its logical conclusion, it would be invaluable in any situation. As the only “magical” item on this list, I considered it worthy. However, don’t hold onto hope that Thor’s hammer made the cut.

17. Spider-Man

The Sam Raimi films do not count here, as Peter Parker’s web shooters were a biological trait that he inherited during his transformation. Spidey’s webs give him a variety of abilities including the coolest means of transport imaginable in Manhattan, web-slinging over traffic like a boss. They also allow him to ensnare criminals and have been shown to be strong enough to influence massive amounts of weight without breaking. They also show unmatched elasticity and strength, much like a spider’s actual web.

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16. Man of Steel

As far as technology goes, the living ghost of Jor-El is pretty damn impressive. Made possible by advanced, Kryptonian technology, Jor-El survives physical death via a digital projection of his consciousness. Inside the Kryptonian scout-ship (Man of Steel’s version of the Fortress of Solitude) Jor-El’s digital ghost appears to his adult son in order to teach him about his origins as Krypton’s last son. Once uploaded into any Kryptonian vessel, Jor-El is able to help Lois Lane escape from the black zero after manipulating the ship’s atmospheric conditions.

15. Ant-Man

Hank Pym’s formula for size manipulation is something with unparalleled potential. Not only can it manipulate size and mass, it can access a quantum reality, giving Dr. Strange’s powers a run for their money. As Ant-Man/Giant/Man, Scott Lang is able to turn the tide of the airport battle between the divided Avengers, allowing Captain America and Bucky Barnes to escape. A scientist also recently confirmed that Ant-Man could easily beat Superman in combat — which is kind of a big deal.

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14. Captain America: Civil War

In the comics, Sam Wilson (aka Falcon) doesn’t just have bird-like tech; he actually is able to communicate with birds. Redwing is such a bird that acts sort of as a sidekick for the Avenger. In the films, however, Redwing is a drone that superficially resembles a bird. Falcon uses it to gather information with stealth. This was shown during the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ during the prologue in Laos. As a nod to the comic book inspiration, Wilson names the drone Redwing and talks about “him” as if he is a pet, even going so far as to encourage Black Widow to pet him, affirming that the drone is “cute.”

13. X-Men Series

Cerebro is a massive machine that increases the abilities of telepathic mutants; specifically, Charles Xavier. In the films, Xavier is able to use Cerebro to track and account for every person (mutant or otherwise) on earth. This allows him to control their thoughts and actions. It also can be used for massive destruction (as seen in X2) as Xavier’s power, when focused hard enough, can inflict damage and even kill those who are connected to him through Cerebro.

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12. The Dark Knight

In Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Masterpiece, our hero is forced to create a complete, digital representation of Gotham City through the use of sonar that is connected to every available cell phone. Batman uses this to locate and defeat the Joker during the film’s climax. Lucius Fox comments that the technology goes too far and is dangerous. Fox agrees to help stop the Joker but asserts that he will resign from Wayne Enterprises, as he cannot condone the use of the machine. Batman, already knowing the folly of this kind of power, tells Fox to enter his name into the system upon completion of the mission; an act which will destroy the device, preventing any more abuse of power.

11. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

In what is (in my analysis) the best scene of this 2014 thriller, Swiss HYRDA agent Arnim Zola uploads his consciousness onto endless reels of tape. This allows him to live after his physical death on a retro style computer. This is a nod to his comic book appearance in which he does the same (although with slightly less realistic results). Zola informs Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff about HYDRA’s infiltration of SHIELD after World War II and does a great job of distracting the heroes almost long enough to get the drop on them. Zola’s monologue contains hints of what was to come in ‘Captain America: Civil War’.

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10. Avengers

Before becoming the Vision, JARVIS was Tony Stark’s personal OS. Apart from running all aspects of Stark’s mansion (and later, Iron Man suits), JARVIS was shown to have the ability to engage in banter with Stark. This was an AI that had wit and sarcasm down like it was no big deal. JARVIS was later shown to be able to simultaneously operate several Iron Man armours without any human assistance.

9. Iron-Man

‘The Iron Man’ not only was a huge box office blockbuster but it made the money rolling on the merchandise section. From the Iron Man mask to complicated shape shifting toys, from Tony Story bobble heads to official apparel, every merchandise became a best seller. The Iron Man suit itself is the most fascinating gadget of the movie. With every installment, it has become meaner and leaner. In the last edition of ‘The Avengers’ the suit of Iron Man took a leap of Hulk. It became a battle destroyer. The movie ‘Iron Man’ is a paradise for a gadget freak and Marvel makes sure that it stays that way.

Since 2008, we have seen legions of Iron Man suits including the War Machine armour and “Veronica” (The Hulkbuster). The Iron Legion, Avengers Tower, 1/3 of Vision and countless other gadgets are all a result of Stark’s technology. He even designed Spier-Man’s new suit. Stark technology is everything every gadget could ever want or hope to be.

8. District 9

‘District 9’ might not have been the coolest movie but it surely had some amazing gadgets. The plot and the vivid graphics of the movie are remarkable. Hence, the audience seemed to miss out on its amazing weaponry and tech fleet. The detailing of the weaponry in the film is pure art and fits very well with the theme.

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7. Minority Report

The Tom Cruise movie is known for its technology and gadgets. And the most important part is that the portrayed tech has actually translated into daily life. It inspired a world of tablets with instant content push and update. The movie is still seen as the Nostradamus of the tech world and it remains to be seen if the transport world becomes exactly like the movie depicted.

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6. Blade Runner

‘Blade Runner’ ranks in top 5 when it comes to the most scientifically inaccurate movies of all time. However, the movie has everything for a gadget fan with its surreal tech world: Flying Cars. Check. Inter Planetary Transportation. Check. Foreign Planet Tourism. Check. The movie has everything going for it that a science-fiction enthusiast can imagine. It has robots that seem unrealistically human. The movie’s depiction of future, though, totally misses its mark. But for a movie buff that dreams about gadgets, this is the perfect destination.

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5. 2001: Space Odyssey

Not all gadgets are flashy; some are subtle and inspiring. The various gadgets conceptualised by Stanley Kubrick for his movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ are a landmark in cinema. Yes, not all the tech in the movie went onto become a reality but each piece of conception inspired people like Spielberg, Ridley Scott etc. The movie’s portrayal of technology translated into some of the most brilliant pieces of movie making. The entire notion of computers and overarching ideas of technology made a deep impression. Also, the interface of artificial intelligence is something that we have seen in Apple products. Hence, it might not have been the most accurate film but it made a foundation for the generation of directors to come.

4. Mission Impossible series

No, by cool gadgets we don’t mean the umpteen face lifts of Tom Cruise. ‘Mission Impossible’, at least the initial parts of the franchise, made use of a lot of gadgets. And it raised the coolness quotient by the guiding light of Tom Cruise. The smart glass with its self-destruction piece is still one of the coolest gadgets ever. Also, the smart gloves which Cruise uses to climb a glass building is also a breathtaking gadget. There have also been some unrealistic wild ones like the Oxygen Monitor, and a blank book that turns into a laptop. But somehow with his suave ways, Tom Cruise makes them believable. The film is an adrenaline pump for a moviegoer and the cool gadgets add to the rush.

3. Back To the Future series

The time machine has always caught the eye of the audience. And nobody made better use of it than Robert Zemeckis in the movie, ‘Back to the future’. There are so many gadgets from the movie that became a reality. And the only reason it happened was that it was doable and the audience was in awe of the technology. The gadgets include TV video phones, Digital zoom, a similar application like Facebook, online money accounts and the most recent self lacing Nike shoes. The movie is a dream come true for every geek and has always been a big favourite at Comic Cons. There have been so many Gag gifts that have been inspired from the movie. ‘Back to the Future’ took the merchandising to a whole different level altogether.

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2. James Bond series

James Bond movies has been known for its sexy women and mind-blowing gadgets. This is the reason everyone wanted to be the suave and exciting James Bond. The flashes of Aston Martin, the glory of the watches, the thread of the tailor-made suits and the charisma of James bond; and then there are the aspirational gadgets that set the tongue rolling. It could be the dream glares that make James Bond peep through the clothes, though that is not his agenda, or so he says. Or maybe it’s the camouflage car that becomes transparent; the dart shooting cigarette; the golden gun; and the very famous single digit sonic agitator. The James Bond movie franchise has kept the legacy of gadgets going. Lately, James Bond cinema has become real and humane and hence the movies have lost its glittery touch. But I hope keeping the thought they make sure the gadgets don’t leave the realm of the movie.

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1. Star Wars series

One gadget, ‘The LightSaber’. Yes, there are many other gadgets that were equally great. But nothing even comes close to the iconic Lightsaber. The charm and the thrill of the duel that a Lightsaber ensued cannot be matched. And the reason being that the Lightsaber duels could be recreated in the living rooms and streets. It gave the gadget a very personalized outlook. There are so many other gadgets and technologies that the Star Wars franchise inspired. The whole concept of hologram replication stemmed from the movie. The droids and the prosthetic hands are among the most significant conceptions led by the movie. Star Wars not only has a strong cult following but also has led to a significant progress in the world of science and technology.

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