Harrison Ford’s all-time best movies
As Solo September rolls on, let’s look back on some of the best films in Harrison Ford’s storied career.
When you talk about the great action stars of all time, Harrison Ford has to be near the top of the list. Han Solo. Indiana Jones. Rick Deckard. Jack Ryan. You get the picture.
Ford’s status throughout American culture is the stuff of legend. Han and Indy are two of the most recognizable and beloved characters in the history of cinema; you’d be a fool to deny it. He’s worked with all-time great directors in Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Ridley Scott. The man is truly revered.
As Solo September rolls on, let’s take a look back at some of Harrison Ford’s best movies.
More from Han Solo
- A look back at ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ 5 years later
- Star Wars needs to embrace recasting actors
- How did the Millennium Falcon make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?
- The most popular Star Wars ‘ships’ on AO3
- Will Alden Ehrenreich return as Han Solo?
The Fugitive (1993)
In this thriller, Ford stars as Richard Kimble, a man falsely accused of killing his wife who goes on the run to find the real culprit. Alongside Ford is Tommy Lee Jones, who earned an Oscar for playing the US Marshal charged with tracking down Kimble.
What’s funny about The Fugitive is that some of the actors didn’t know if the movie would be all that great. If you’ve seen this film, you know how wrong they were. To me, it’s one of the most re-watchable movies out there; Ford’s performance is just one reason why.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
The Blade Runner franchise (1982, 2017)
After the release of Blade Runner 2049 last year, some friends of mine asked if the franchise was worth getting into. I told them to quit wasting their time talking to me and start in on Ridley Scott’s masterpiece.
Five years after he first starred as the scruffy looking nerf herder, Ford headlines Blade Runner as Rick Deckard, a cop who’s charged with hunting down rogue replicants (robotic humans created for manual labor). In a film that initially received a mixed critical reaction, the legacy of Blade Runner rolled all the way into 2017 when the sequel was finally produced.
In 2049, Ford returns as Deckard in the most criminally underrated movie of the past year. Seeing Rick come out of the shadows to confront Ryan Gosling’s Officer K is just chilling.
Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger (1992,1994)
Taking over for Alec Baldwin, Ford steps in as Jack Ryan in 1992’s Patriot Games. There are a few Star Wars connections here with James Earl Jones (voice of Vader) playing Ryan’s boss and Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) as Lt. Commander Robby Jackson. Ford reprised his role of Ryan in Clear and Present Danger, released two years later. Ford’s role as the CIA agent was the last great take on the character until John Krasinski’s rendition this year.
The Indiana Jones franchise (1981-1989)
You could make a compelling argument for Indy as the greatest movie character in cinematic history. The guy was smarter than everyone, could throw a punch as well as he could take one, seemed to get the girl every time and was every Nazi’s worst nightmare. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas changed the action genre forever with Raiders of the Lost Ark, followed it up with Temple of Doom and capped the ’80s off with The Last Crusade. Wondering why Kingdom of the Crystal Skull wasn’t mentioned? I didn’t think so.
Photo Credit: [Star Wars: The Clone Wars] LucasfilmThe Star Wars franchise (1977-1983, 2015)
From the time we saw Han Solo in A New Hope, we knew this was a guy we could get behind. With Chewie at his side, it seemed like no task was too tall for the smuggling duo (except trying to bring Kylo back). There are so many moments in Han’s journey that stand out, whether it’s leading the charge on the forest moon of Endor, swooping in at the last second to save Luke in during the assault on the first Death Star or unsuccessfully trying to smooth talk Jabba, Han has brought fans joy since that fateful day at the Mos Eisley cantina.
Next. Solo: A Star Wars Story received Harrison Ford’s input. dark