We can't expect every character in the movies to be a Tony Stark-level genius, but if filmmakers want us to buy into a character's plight, they had better make sure that we can at least believe that what they're doing is within some scope of reasonable logic. Sometimes, usually because screenwriters are lazy, a character's actions will seem so far removed from reality that it takes us out of the film, and we're left ignoring what's happening on screen, still poring over the nonsense of what just happened. Sometimes it can suit the narrative, but usually it's just a way to solve a story problem - usually to create a conflict or keep one going. Here are 10 dumb movie characters who made disastrous decisions...
10. Obi-Wan Kenobi - Star Wars
There are a few key mistakes made by Obi-Wan (aka Ben) Kenobi (Alec Guinness) throughout the Star Wars movies that suggest being a Jedi Master doesn't require a massively high IQ. For starters, Ben sheds his Jedi name in the original trilogy, in hiding as Ben Kenobi, but really, if you want to disguise yourself, how's about changing your bloody surname as well? It's a lazy plot device to allow Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to see the name and investigate, yet in the process makes it this character seem like a total moron. Oh, and then there's the fact that Ben hides Luke Skywalker on the very same planet his father (Darth Vader) was raised on, and doesn't even make the effort to change his name to avoid detection. Maybe being a Jedi Master makes you complacent, but it's also an extremely dumb series of moves that eventually got Kenobi killed. I have no sympathy.