2. Richard "Data" Wang (Jonathan Ke Quan)
Movie: The Goonies
Most notable invention: It's a toss up between the pincers of power and the slick shoes.
Despite the fact that his character was a tad stereotypical, Data's trench coat full of gadgets made him one of the best parts of this '80s classic. You have to give him credit for his willingness to lug around all the crap for the off chance that he would get chased through some underground caves in a race to find some hidden pirate treasure. His overly-stereotypical Asian parents must have been so proud.

3. Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis)
Movie: Honey I Shrunk the Kids
Most notable invention: Shrink ray
Rick Moranis played the downtrodden nerd to perfection, which is why it was so satisfying to see his big invention actually work out. Plus, it spawned some awesome amusement park rides. But I only wish that they could turn that shrink ray on the crappy sequels, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. They should've made a fourth one called, Honey, Why Don't We Be More Careful Around the Goddamn Shrink Ray?

4. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)
Movie: Iron Man
Most notable invention: The Iron Man armor
Kind of like Batman, Stark is both a billionaire and an inventor, but when it comes to fabrication chops, he outclassed Bruce Wayne by a mile. He essentially invented a jet you can wear, which isn't quite as cool as a time machine, but sure would beat paying 2 dollars for every subway ride. He also created a bunch of different versions of the armor so, if it was real, I could probably get one that would fit my abnormally short and hairy legs.

 5. Newton Crosby (Steve Guttenberg)
Movie: Short Circuit
Most notable invention: Johnny 5
Screw your printing press, Johannes Gutenberg, Steve Guttenberg's character invented one of the most lovable self-aware robot in movie history. It's refreshing to see a sentient bot that's not trying to enslave mankind or turn us all into a fine pink dust. And yes I forced this one because I really wanted to make a Johannes Gutenberg joke. So what?

 6. Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis)
Movie: Ghostbusters
Most notable invention: The proton pack
Peter was the PR specialist and Ray was the paranormal expert, but it was Egon's inventions that got the ghosts off of the streets and into the containment unit. Not only did the proton pack and the trap make totally kick ass toys, but he taught us one of life's most important lessons, "don't cross the streams."

 7. Randall "Rand" Peltzer (Hoyt Axton)
Movie: Gremlins
Most notable invention: The Bathroom Buddy
He wasn't a great inventor in the traditional sense, but his undeniable spirit is what earns him his place on the list. Sure, the Bathroom Buddy sucked and squirted tooth paste everywhere and his orange juicer made a mess that would cause Mr. Clean to crap his freshly washed pants, but Rand never lost his passion and curiosity, even when it almost killed the whole town by unleashing a horde of horrific monsters.

 8. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum)
Movie: The Fly
Most notable invention: Telepods
Seth is one of the most tragic characters on the list because his pride and joy would've worked had someone closed the damn window and kept that stupid fly out of the telepod. He didn't get a second chance to fire his machine up, either, because he was too busy melting into a disgusting pile of goo and fly parts.

 NUMBER 9 CONTAINS SPOILERS SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE PRESTIGE, DON'T READ IT.
9. Nikola Tesla (David Bowie)
Movie: The Prestige
Most notable invention: Cloning machine
Tesla was a real guy and an incredibly interesting one at that, but I'm not sure he was as Willy Wonka-like as David Bowie portrayed him. My only gripe is that I wish there was more of him in the movie. Who makes a movie where a brilliant, eccentric scientist creates a machine that can clone human beings, then breezes over that whole story line to focus on two fruity magicians trying to decide who's better at pulling birds out of a hat? People who hate science, that's who.

 10. Navin Johnson (Steve Martin)
Movie: The Jerk
Most notable invention: The Opti-Grab
What makes Navin great is that he's not a scientist or some lab rat. He was just a guy that saw a problem (people's glasses sliding down their noses) and fixed it with some crap he had laying around. That's the true spirit of invention. Not bad for someone who "was born a poor black child."

THE WORST Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black)
Movie: Envy
Most notable invention: VaPooRize
The movie sucked, the plot was stupid and the name of the product gives me the same uncomfortable feeling I used to get when Uncle Jesse's band would play on Full House. I wish someone could invent a way for me to un-watch this piece of crap that didn't involve taking a power drill to my temple. One of those Men in Black things would be perfect. Who invented that? Ah, just forget it....