Skip to main content
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Sherlock Holmes during the new show, Young Sherlock.
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (March 6-8)
Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
(L to R) Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo 'Matty' Nix in The Rip.
Action Movies The 25 best Netflix action movies to watch right now
One Piece
Netflix The 25 best shows on Netflix to watch in 2026
The Lion King is undoubtedly one of the best movies on Disney Plus
Movies The 30 best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
Comedy Movies How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Walton Goggins as the Ghoul in Fallout season 2
TV The 25 best shows on Amazon Prime Video to watch right now
For All Mankind
Apple TV Plus The 25 best shows on Apple TV to watch right now
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
Amazon Prime Video The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
David Lynch as Gordon Cole and Laura Dern as Diane in Twin Peaks: The Return.
Streaming Services The 25 best shows on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3
TV The 30 best shows on HBO Max to watch right now
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
Sci-Fi Movies The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
Ghostface in Scream (2022)
Horror Movies All 7 Scream movies ranked, from worst to best
Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher in Scream 1996
Horror Movies Scream 7 baits fans into thinking an underrated horror icon was finally getting his due – and I'm not happy about it
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

50 Movie Characters Who Suck At Their Jobs

Features
By George Wales published 16 November 2012

P45s ahoy!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Indiana Jones Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

The Job: Archaeologist

Why They Suck: Upon discovering an ancient temple, Indy goes capering through it willy-nilly, happily seeing the place collapse in on itself in order to snag a solitary gold idol. Should he not have had some equipment with him? Other than the whip, of course…

M Skyfall (2012)

The Job: Head of MI6

Why They Suck: Don’t get us wrong, it was a tricky call, but surely you’d back Bond to recover a data-stick full of highly sensitive information over authorising a relative rookie to make an incredibly tricky shot with around a 50% chance of success? Hindsight is a beautiful thing, we suppose…

Claude Kersek Cape Fear (1991)

The Job: Private Investigator

Why They Suck: Kersek sets up an elaborate security system around the Bowden house and waits for Max Cady to show up. However, he fails to notice that Cady has disguised himself as the maid, and winds up in a pool of his own blood. Aren’t PIs supposed to be observant?

You may like
  • Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather. The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
  • Ice Cube in War of the Worlds War of the Worlds dominates nominations for anti-Oscars the Razzies, though we're not super surprised given its 4% Rotten Tomatoes score
  • Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3 The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now

Evelyn Carnahan The Mummy (1999)

The Job: Archaeologist

Why They Suck: Despite being explicitly warned not to by an expert in the field, Carnahan reads aloud from the book of the dead, seemingly for no good reason other than to see what would happen. Needless to say, it’s nothing good.

Homer Simpson The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Job: Nuclear Safety Inspector

Why They Suck: Where to start. Besides falling asleep on the job, pouring all manner of fluids over his console and regularly skipping work altogether, Homer has caused a stack of industrial accidents during his time at the power plant. And he’s the safety inspector…

Dr. Henry Wu Jurassic Park (1993)

The Job: Geneticist

Why They Suck: Despite possessing the incredible scientific nous required to bring dinosaurs back into existence, Dr. Wu failed to think of the old frog DNA loophole that allowed the dinos to breed. Idiot.

Shelley Levine Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

The Job: Real estate salesman

Why They Suck: Once upon a time, Shelley might have been a big wheel in the real estate business. Now however, the desperation comes off him in waves, and he can’t make a sale to save his life. Customers know a loser when they see one, and nobody wants to buy a house from a loser.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Randal Graves Clerks (1994)

The Job: Video store clerk

Why They Suck: He closes the store for hours at a time to play hockey, orders luridly-titled hardcore pornography in the presence of a minor and generally subjects the customers to a barrage of sarcasm and barely-concealed antipathy. Hardly employee of the month material.

Fifield & Milburn Prometheus (2012)

The Job: Geologist and biologist respectively

Why They Suck: You’d think that a pair of scientists might know better than to touch a strange black goo found on a far-flung planet with their bare hands. You’d have thought wrong.

Lieutenant Frank Drebin The Naked Gun (1988)

The Job: Police officer

Why They Suck: Hmm, where to start? Despite his frequent undercover assignments, Drebin is singularly incapable of getting the right end of the stick, something of a handicap for a man whose business lies in solving cases. And god help anyone with the misfortune to call him partner…

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Current page: Page 5

Prev Page Page 4
George Wales
George Wales
Social Links Navigation

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.

Read more
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
 
 
Ice Cube in War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds dominates nominations for anti-Oscars the Razzies, though we're not super surprised given its 4% Rotten Tomatoes score
 
 
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in Sonic 3
The 25 best movies on Prime Video to watch right now
 
 
Year in Review: The Best of 2025 main listing image for Best Movies of 2025 featuring images from Weapons, Superman, Sinners, and The Long Walk
The 25 Best Movies of 2025
 
 
Sam Rockwell as The Man From the Future in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die got me in the mood for more time-travelling fun and these 6 sci-fi comedies fit the bill
 
 
Ryan Gosling as Court Gentry in The Gray Man.
The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
 
 
Latest in Movies
An apparently dead person wearing a matted fur bunny suit
Severance star Adam Scott's new horror movie Hokum just got an intensely creepy first trailer
 
 
Don Lee in The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
James Wan is set to direct his first movie since the Aquaman sequel, and it's a remake of a hit Korean crime thriller
 
 
Kate Winslet at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum casts Kate Winslet as female lead
 
 
Grogu saluting in The Mandalorian and Grogu
New Mandalorian and Grogu TV spot doesn't give much away about the movie, but it does show Baby Yoda sneezing everywhere
 
 
Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford in Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars fans are discussing why two major characters barely interacted, but I think it makes total sense
 
 
Ghostface in Scream 7
Scream 7's Ghostface star doesn't know who she kills in the new sequel: "I'm going to leave that up to the audience"
 
 
Latest in Features
In Pokemon Pokopia, the transformed Ditto trainer takes a selfie looking aghast in front of a glowing piece of land where a relic is buried
I've spent 20 hours in Pokemon Pokopia obsessing over its mysterious world and what it hides beneath the surface
 
 
BG3
The future of RPGs is isometric
 
 
Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
 
 
Underside of Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with glass viewing window and RGB fans
We could get a shock when 2026 gaming laptop prices are unveiled, here's what you need to know about buying this year
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
 
 
In Hitman World of Assassination, Agent 47 sits at the departure gate in an airport during the loading screen
After weeks spent locked into Hitman's Freelancer mode, I realize there's one vital thing 007 First Light needs to learn
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Steam logo from Valve
    1
    Valve says "more games are finding success" on Steam than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
  2. 2
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show:
  3. 3
    Dispatch leads faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
  4. 4
    Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke
  5. 5
    The Future Games Show returns this week - here's how to watch

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...