4. Giant Lasers
You can probably blame Austin Powers for the decline of the "giant laser" from Bond films. Whether it's Scaramanga's solar powered weapon, whirling industrial diamond-cutting lasers in Die Another Day, or the original 'giant laser' from Goldfinger, we used to respect light amplification through the stimulated emission of radiation. Nowadays, with CD players disappearing and laser pointers that can either dazzle airline pilots or
enthral kittens, the laser has lost its capacity to scare us. A shame, as it used to be brilliant at chopping people's limbs off or allowing villains to blow stuff up while cackling. We're more likely to see lasers return if an an aging bespectacled Bond needs to get his eyes corrected in 'The Spy Who Had Difficulties Reading That Funny Chart At The Opticians'.