The 21 Greatest Harrison Ford Movies Ever, Ranked From 'Star Wars' to Indiana Jones
If Harrison Ford were only known for playing Han Solo, his place in the Hollywood pantheon would be secure. But "Star Wars" is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his impressive career. As Ford returns to one of his most iconic roles in "Blade Runner 2049," let's take a look back at his 20 greatest films so far.
21. 'Air Force One' (1997)
20 years after "Star Wars" made him a superstar, Ford wasn't exactly a spring chicken anymore. "Air Force One" played that to its advantage, however. Here, Ford proved once more that age is no barrier to being a kick-ass action hero. Gary Oldman delivers one of his most maniacal performances this side of "Leon: The Professional" as the would-be hijacker of the President's plane.
20. '42' (2013)
Chadwick Boseman may have been the breakout star in this Jackie Robinson biopic, but Ford more than held his own as cantankerous but progressive Brooklyn Dodgers manager Branch Rickey. Few roles have done more to tap into Ford's knack for playing grumpy but lovable old coots.
19. 'The Mosquito Coast' (1986)
"The Mosquito Coast" is one of the few Ford movies to fizzle at the box office, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have plenty to offer fans. While the movie generally divided critics, everyone seemed to agree that Ford's portrayal of an erratic father, trying to help his family start over in a Central American paradise, is one of his best.
18. 'American Graffiti' (1973)
Four years before "Star Wars," audiences got a small taste of the magic George Lucas and Harrison Ford could leave together with this coming-of-age comedy. Ford played a small but memorable role as arrogant street racer Bob Falfa. Basically, if Han Solo cruised the streets of '60s-era LA rather than the spaceways in a galaxy far, far away, this would be the result.
17. 'Patriot Games' (1993)
"Patriot Games" marked Ford's first outing as Jack Ryan, the iconic Tom Clancy hero. This uneven but satisfying R-rated spy thriller features an intense rivalry between Ford's Ryan and a vengeful IRA operative (Sean Bean), one that resulted in one of the best action sequences you'll find in a '90s movie.
16. 'Presumed Innocent' (1990)
While part of us will always want to see Ford wielding a whip or firing a blaster, even courtroom dramas can be riveting when he's the star player. Ford was particularly excellent in this legal thriller about a prosecutor who finds the roles reversed when he's charged with the murder of a colleague.
15. 'Return of the Jedi' (1983)
Ford famously cast doubt over whether he'd even return for the final chapter in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. We can't imagine "Return of the Jedi" without him. While undoubtedly more flawed than its predecessors, Ford's carefully honed swagger and strong chemistry with co-star Carrie Fisher elevates every scene in which he appears.
14. 'Clear and Present Danger' (1994)
Even more than two decades after the fact, Ford is widely regarded as the best actor to take on the role of CIA crusader Jack Ryan. With a better, more complicated and character-driven script than "Patriot Games," "Clear and Present Danger" offers a riveting (and expansive) tale as Ryan unravels a vast conspiracy linking the U.S. government to a Colombian drug cartel as the former wages a private war on the latter. And that RPG attack on a convoy of SUVs? *kisses fingertips
13. 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)
Ford made a belated return to his most iconic role with this hugely popular "Star Wars" sequel, which picked up 30 years after we last saw Han Solo, Princes Leia, and the rest of the gang. From the moment we saw Ford utter the line, "Chewie, we're home," we knew Ford still had that special magic. What we didn't know is that "The Force Awakens" would end up being Ford's swan song for the franchise. At least it gave Han a fitting, if tragic, end. #RIPScruffyLookingNerfHerder.
12. 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984)
This first Indiana Jones sequel (or prequel, technically), continues to divide fans. Some adore it for its spooky tone and rousing sense of adventure, while others still can't get past the plucky kid sidekick and Kate Capshaw's endless shrieking. But there's no denying that Ford is mesmerizing in this one, further cementing his status as one of the all-time great Hollywood action heroes.
11. 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989)
After the divisive "Temple of Doom," Steven Spielberg and George Lucas brought the franchise back to more familiar territory for the third Indy movie. "Last Crusade" delivered more of the Nazi-punching, globetrotting adventure we loved from the original, along with a terrific dynamic between Ford and Sean Connery. Maybe it wasn't groundbreaking, but this still ranks as the last good Indy movie.
10. 'The Conversation' (1974)
It certainly didn't hurt Ford's budding Hollywood career when he appeared in this 1974 Francis Ford Coppola film. And while star Gene Hackman pretty much stole the show in this paranoid thriller, Ford himself was a small but vital part of its success. Heck, the only reason "The Conversation" didn't win an Oscar that year is because it had to go up against that *other* Coppola classic, "The Godfather, Part II."
9. 'Working Girl' (1988)
Movie theaters are crammed with brainless, formulaic romantic comedies, which is why we appreciate when a film like "Working Girl" dares to break the mold and succeeds. Ford stars opposite Melanie Griffith as Jack Trainer, a business executive roped into helping his girlfriend exact a complicated revenge scheme against her glory-hogging boss. It is arguably the most underrated movie on his resume, featuring a performance that proves Ford's scary-good comedic chops.
8. 'Witness' (1985)
More than just an excuse to make Ford wear another funny hat, "Witness" was a major turning point for Ford as he transitioned from action and genre films to more serious, dramatic roles. Part mystery and part love story, this film cast Ford as a dedicated detective who takes refuge in an Amish community while trying to solve a murder. Ford wound up earning his first (and somehow only) Academy Award nomination for this one.
7. 'Apocalypse Now' (1979)
Ford was a bit more well-known by the time he reunited with Francis Ford Coppola for this classic, psychedelic Vietnam War film. Again, Ford was a small player in a cast that includes legendary performances from the likes of Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando, but he still leaves a strong impression in that early scene where Sheen's Captain Willard receives his marching orders.
6. 'Blade Runner' (1982)
Even as fans were itching to see Ford's Han Solo return, "Blade Runner" offered a very different sort of Ford-driven science fiction adventure. This film offers a haunting vision of the future, one where Ford's Rick Deckard hunts down wayward androids in LA"s rain and neon-soaked noir wasteland. "Blade Runner" didn't truly come into its own until the 1992 Director's Cut and 2007 Final Cut removed the studio's meddlesome additions, but now it can claim its place as one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made. (Ditto its sequel.)
5. 'Star Wars' (1977)
This is the film that elevated Ford from promising Hollywood upstart to full-fledged superstar. While "Star Wars" is more about Luke Skywalker's rise from farm boy to Rebel hero, the film simply wouldn't have had the same impact without Ford's charming, rascally Han Solo lighting the way. Han is the character every kid wanted to be.
4. 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
Ford's Han Solo is even more electrifying in this sequel, a movie which still represents the pinnacle of the "Star Wars" franchise. "Empire" showcases Han at his coolest and most heroic, but also his most vulnerable as Han falls in love with Princess Leia and finds himself a pawn in Darth Vader's deadly games. Whose heart didn't break when Han's lifeless body emerged from that carbonite chamber?
3. 'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)
By the end of this near-perfect film, Dekkard is basically a damsel in distress -- which isn't a sight fans of the guy who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones are used to seeing. But it's the only outcome fitting of our much more dogged, and weary, Blade Runner -- which gives Ford one of his more surprisingly nuanced and vulnerable performances ever. Seriously, this movie -- and Ford's understated, almost-bring-you-to-tears work in it -- are all-timers.
2. 'The Fugitive' (1993)
While Ford will always be best remembered for his starring roles in the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises, he's rarely been better than he was in this 1993 action-thriller (an update of the 1960's TV series). Ford brought a unique blend of confidence and vulnerability to the screen as he played a man wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. The tense game of cat-and-mouse between Ford's Richard Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones' Marshal Gerard holds our attention no matter how many times we re-watch this one.
1. 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)
Who says lightning never strikes twice? Already a Hollywood superstar thanks to "Star Wars," Ford found a role just as iconic and mesmerizing thanks to globetrotting archaeologist Indiana Jones. The original Indy film is still the best, offering a rip-roaring blend of adventure, Nazi intrigue, death traps and even a little romance. We don't know if it's physically possible to have a better time at the movies.
