History ObfuscatingStupidity / Film

* In MyFellowAmericans, former Presidents Kramer and Douglas run for their lives, trying to discover the criminal genius who framed them for a bribery scandal. [[spoiler: Turns out it was the supposed fool of a Vice President, Ted Matthews, who arranged to remove both the former Presidents and his own boss with a single scandal.]]

* Sir Roger Moore's JamesBond uses this several times.
* [[HangsALampshade Lampshaded]] in ''Film/{{Scream 2}}'', when Dewey claims he is using a form of this trope:

* In ''SupermanIII'', villain Ross Webster's assistant and girlfriend Lorelei acts the part of the DumbBlonde but is secretly highly intelligent (when alone she reads Immanuel Kant's ''Critique of Pure Reason'' and disputes one of Kant's arguments). As a result she's able to outwit Ross and his sister.

* Subverted in ''TheCourtJester'': some of the villains, believing the title character is either an assassin they hired or a RobinHood-esque resistance leader, believe he's doing it. In fact, he's actually a carnival performer who really is that twitchy and bumbling.

* In MyFellowAmericans, former Presidents Kramer and Douglas run for their lives, trying to discover the criminal genius who framed them for a bribery scandal. [[spoiler: Turns out it was the supposed fool of a Vice President[[=/=]DanQuale parody, Ted Matthews, who arranged to remove both the former Presidents and his own boss with a single scandal.]]

* In MyFellowAmericans, former Presidents Kramer and Douglas run for their lives, trying to discover the criminal genius who framed them for a bribery scandal. [[spoiler: Turns out it was the supposed fool of a Vice President, Ted Matthews, who arranged to remove both the former Presidents and his own boss with a single scandal.]]

* Samantha "Sam" Sparks in ''CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' was secretly a nerd in her school days but hides her brains behind the facade of the pretty, ditzy weathergirl for fear of being stigmatised. It adds another layer to the character that she is voiced by AnnaFaris who is more well known for playing genuinely ditzy characters.

* Mr. Shhh (played by Steve Buscemi) in ''Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead.'' He's introduced with narration showing up in a slightly disheveled suit and slumped shoulders. He proceeds to kill a couple of muggers without breaking a sweat.

* [[HangsALampshade Lampshaded]] in ''Film/{{Scream}} 2'', when Dewey claims he is using a form of this trope:

*** Interestingly, the third film reveals that Gordon had no idea that Bruce was Batman (that's right, Gotham's top cop is the ''last'' named character to figure out who Batman is).

* David "Mo" Rutherford, in ''The Stuff''. He portrays himself as a quite inept and dimwitted lowlife, introducing himself in a particularly obnoxious manner. The trope quite soon lampshaded when one character, impressed with Mo's ingenuity in placing a small microphone into the pockets of everyone in present at the meeting on the night before, comments "you're not as dumb as you appear to be". To which he responds "Nobody is as dumb as I appear to be".

* ''TrueLies'' does this beautifully several times, though it borders on ridiculous when Harry calls the obvious nuclear warhead an espresso machine...of course at that point it's clear he was being sarcastic to annoy the terrorists.

* David "Mo" Rutherford, in [[The Stuff]]. He portrays himself as a quite inept and dimwitted lowlife, introducing himself in a particularly obnoxious manner. The trope quite soon lampshaded when one character, impressed with Mo's ingenuity in placing a small microphone into the pockets of everyone in present at the meeting on the night before, comments "you're not as dumb as you appear to be". To which he responds "Nobody is as dumb as I appear to be".

* In ''Film/TheAvengers'', Natasha Romanoff uses a variation of this combined with a WoundedGazelleGambit as an interrogation technique. She lets the interrogat-ee think that they've outwitted her and plays the part of the helpless prisoner, then waits for them to [[YouJustToldMe shoot their big mouth off]] while they're gloating about how she failed to live up to her reputation. Then she [[PlayAlongPrisoner breaks out]] and kicks the shit out of them.

* Bruce Wayne in ''TheDarkKnightSaga'', he pretends that he is [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob vain, stupid, frivolous and superficial playboy millionaire]] in public, all to make people never suspect of him being {{Batman}}.
** In a more specific example: in ''TheDarkKnight'', Joker causes chaos by threatening to blow a hospital unless the people kill a man who claims to know Batman's identity. When someone tries to ram the police vehicle carrying the man, Bruce pulls a vehicular TakingTheBullet. Afterwards he acts like it was an accident, but still shoots a knowing glance towards the man whose life he saved.

* Yoda in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' is introduced this way, pretending to be an irritating little creature who steals food and squabbles with R2 before finally revealing himself to be the ancient and powerful Jedi master. It's all a SecretTest of Luke's patience.
* JackieChan tends to play these kinds of characters, particularly in ''RushHour'', when he allows Chris Tucker's character, Carter, to believe he doesn't speak English. [[spoiler: Carter gets him back, though, when he reveals that he can speak Chinese just fine. The Screwups Reel makes it quite clear, however, that Tucker himself can't, and since he doesn't speak Chinese in the second movie either, it's possible that Carter only knows the basics of the language or learned just enough for the prank.]]

* The janitor in the horror film ''Disturbing Behavior'' pretends to be mentally handicapped because it causes people around him to drop their guard and become "interesting."

* Both Mr. Green and Colonel Mustard both embody this throughout most of the film ''Clue''.

* Both Mr. Green and Colonel Mustard both embody this throughout most of the film ''Clue''.

-->'''Gordon:''' You don't watch the news much, Mr. Wayne.

* Yoda in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' is introduced this way, pretending to be an irritating little creature who steals food and squabbles with R2 before finally revealing himself to be the ancient and powerful Jedi master. It's all a SecretTestOf of Luke's patience.

* Yoda in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' is introduced this way, pretending to be an irritating little creature who steals food and squabbles with R2 before finally revealing himself to be the ancient and powerful Jedi master. It's all a SecretTestOfCharacter for Luke.

* Yoda in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' is introduced this way, pretending to be an irritating little creature who steals food and squabbles with R2 before finally revealing himself to be the ancient and powerful Jedi master.

* James Kirk in the new ''[[Film/StarTrek Star Trek]]'' film practically turns this into an art form, frequently acting like a [[HandsomeLech womanizing idiot]] or [[TheFool playing the fool]] throughout parts of the film.
** However, it quickly becomes clear that he's not nearly as stupid as he leads people to believe, effectively beating the supposedly unbeatable [[UnwinnableTrainingSimulation Kobayashi Maru]] through rather ingenius means and then [[spoiler: stopping Nero's [[RoaringRampageofRevenge rampage of revenge against the Federation]]]].

** In the musical version of ''{{Theatre/Wicked}}'', it is implied that [[spoiler: the Scarecrow, actually a transformed Winkie prince, ''knew'' he was the most intelligent of the group, but faked stupidity so that he could join up with Dorothy and return to Elphaba.]]

* Yoda in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' is introduced this way, pretending to be an irritating little creature who steals food and squabbles with R2 before finally revealing himself to be the ancient and powerful Jedi master.

* Roger Rabbit spells it out in ''WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', and implies that obfuscating stupidity is second nature to a toon:

* Samantha "Sam" Sparks in ''CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'' was secretly a nerd in her school days but hides her brains behind the facade of the pretty, ditzy weathergirl for fear of being stigmatised. It adds another layer to the character that she is voiced by AnnaFaris who is more well known for playing genuinely ditzy characters.

* Bruce Wayne in ''{{The Dark Knight Saga}}'', he pretends that he is [[RichIdiotWithNoDayJob vain, stupid, frivolous and superficial playboy millionaire]] in public, all to make people never suspect of him being {{Batman}}.

-->'''Gordon:''' That was a very brave thing you did.
-->'''Bruce:''' Trying to catch the light?
-->'''Gordon:''' So you weren't protecting the van?
-->'''Bruce:''' Why? Who's in it?

* Silent Bob, from KevinSmith's ''ViewAskewniverse'' appears to be little more then Jay's silent companion, only less exuberant and dumber. It turns out that he's quite knowledgeable. YourMileageMayVary; Silent Bob may seem smarter than Jay because his friend is very loud.

** YourMileageMayVary, but given that he never actually does anything useful in the movie, it could just be that he's full of hot air on that one, which would also just make him stupid rather than using ObfuscatingStupidity.

--->'''Lt. Groves:''' "Do you think that he [[XanatosGambit plans it all out]], or just [[IndyPloy makes it up as he goes along?]]"

* In ''{{Maverick}}'', Bret Maverick pulls this off effectively in an early scene where he invites himself into a {{poker}} game, saying, "I promise that I'll do nothing but lose for at least an hour." For the first hour of so he indeed loses every hand. From second hour of the game on, Maverick winds up cleaning out the rest of the table. When one fellow gambler accuses him of cheating, Maverick explains, "What do you think I was doing for the first hour? I was learning your tells." This sets the tone for the rest of the movie, in which Maverick appears to be bumbling his way through the West, but in reality is as shrewd and sly as anyone else in the movie.