Zack Walkter

My dad is the luckiest father in the world. Being related to me is all the gift any father needs! My dad doesn’t seem to look at it that way, but oh well! Some movie characters down the years have had to put up with a lot from their old men though. Let’s look back on some of the most hilariously crappy movie dads ever to grace the silver screen! 1. Wayne Szalinski in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids giphy.com In real life, Rick Moranis’ story is sad yet uplifting. He was one of the most recognizable Hollywood stars of the 80s and 90s, appearing in movies like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors and Brewster’s Millions. Tragically, his wife died from breast cancer in 1991, and Moranis took the decision to spend his time raising his two children as a single father rather than making more movies. But the role he’s best known for is in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, where his mad scientist character puts his children in jeopardy with his wacky shrink-ray. 2. Randall Peltzer in Gremlins giphy.com The dad in Gremlins isn’t even the main character, but brings Randall Peltzer his son home a mogwai as a gift. Great gift! Something that the shopkeeper didn’t want to sell him, warned him repeatedly about and gave a huge list of rules about looking after! But what’s the worst that can happen? Well, if you saw the movie, you’ll know. 3. John Milton in Devil’s Advocate giphy.com We all love Shouty Al, but he is literally the devil in this movie. How does anybody beat that in being an awful father? Yet Darth Vader still somehow manages it! 4. BONUS ROUND! Bryan Mills in Taken giphy.com Movies are also full of awesome father figures down the years too, whether you think of Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird, or Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness. You’ve got to give the Father of the Year award to Liam Neeson’s character in Taken, though! Who wouldn’t want a kick-ass dad like Bryan Mills? If you do anything to hurt his kids, he will find you, and he will kill you! And look like a badass while he’s doing it! After reading about some of these, just be glad that the worst your father does is snore at night or something. Personally, my dad doesn’t snore… but he must have a dream nearly every night that’s he’s a motorcycle. The worst thing my dad does is when he has mantrums. You know, it’s like when a grown man has a tantrum like a child. Usually it’s when the home improvements go wrong! 5. Sonny Koufax in Big Daddy giphy.com Sure, Adam Sandler’s character Sonny Koufax makes good in the end. The whole point of the movies is that fatherhood changes his self-centered perspective. But he’s lazy bum, a 32-year-old law school graduate, who adopts a kid just to impress his girlfriend. Hardly gonna get many Fathers Day presents. 6. Jim’s Dad in American Pie giphy.com He means well, and the gross-out American Pie franchise puts him in some awful positions. But if Jim’s Dad (we didn’t find out his name is Noah Levenstein until the 4th movie in the series) isn’t the father figure in movie history who made us cringe into our popcorn the most, we don’t know who is. 7. Jack Byrnes in Meet the Parents giphy.com Another well-meaning dad who just wants the best for his daughter and comes good in the end. But who would want to be on the receiving end of Robert De Niro’s treatment in Meet the Parents. De Niro’s character when he plays ex-CIA spy Jack Byrnes is everything a boyfriend fears in a potential father-in-law. 8. Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums giphy.com Sure, the whole Tenenbaum family is pretty darned screwy. But Royal Tenenbaum (yes, that’s really his name, get used to this movie’s weird world, people) really has to take responsibility for how messed up his kids are through his lousy parenting! 9. Mrs. Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire giphy.com The whole point of this movie is how much the late great Robin Williams’ character wants to see his kids, right? Well, try being a good husband and father first of all, and maybe throw in a responsible guy too! Who the heck goes straight for ‘disguise myself as an elderly British nanny’ rather than all that? This is the mind of a psychopath we’re dealing with here! 10. Darth Vader in Star Wars giphy.com Erm, so. Spoiler alert, but… in case you didn’t know… like, you’ve been living in a galaxy far, far away all your life. But… Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s dad. I know, you didn’t see that coming right? He also tells Luke this right after chopping off his arm in a lightsaber battle. Quality parenting right there! 11. Mr. Wormwood in Matilda giphy.com In the kooky world of Matilda, the title character is a sweet and incredibly smart school girl who discovers she has magical powers. Her dad is played brilliantly by Danny De Vito as an over-the-top bully who doesn’t notice his daughter’s incredible brain power and spooky talent, and gets his just desserts. 12. Dr. Evil in Austin Powers giphy.com In the hilarious Austin Powers movies, Dr. Evil’s (Mike Myers, who plays several characters in the movie) son Scott (Seth Green) just wants to impress his dad enough that he will accept him. Never mind if his father is trying to take over the world, he just wants some love! Credits: auntyacid.com Share this story on Facebook with your friends.