Nicholas J. Michalak said:

Just depends on how you want to look at it. Just take it as it was when the film was released, or coupled with all the EU stuff. If it's the latter, then Fett is proclaimed as the best bounty hunter in all the galaxy with Bossk, supposedly, right behind him (which Bossk conceits to). So, if you take it that way, then, yes, Fett is an expensive guy to put on the payroll. If you just take the films at face value, then, it's just whatever you want to make it. Still, Fett could be out grabbing another bounty, and getting paid for it instead of lurking around Jabba's palace.

I seems with Fett and the EU we tend to put the cart before the horse.

The question seems to be

"Why is Fett, the King Badass of the Universe, behave in such an un-badass manner in the films?"

instead of more appropriately

"Why does the EU insist Fett is King Badass when in the films he's clearly not, and is perfectly happy to be sneaky, call for reinforcements, never shoots anyone, and take a job chilling full time at Jabba's palace before dying like a shmoe?"

If the EU told us Han Solo was a Jedi, I don't think we'd look at the films as say "Why doesn't he use his Jedi powers more?" We'd just say the EU was wrong. For some reason with Fett it seems to go the other way.

But even IF Boba is the top bounty hunter of the universe, that's no reason to assume he wouldn't rather take a high paying gig as Jabba's bodyguard.