How many famous carpenters are out there besides Jesus for the Christian faith? Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, is another. And, some may not know this, but Harrison Ford began work as a carpenter before he slowly started to get cast in movies.
From carpenter to renowned actor, Ford has been in and seen a lot as the industry has changed. Now he’s finally in the MCU viaCaptain America: Brave New Worldas he plays Thunderbolt Ross/Red Hulk. Is Red Hulk one of his greatest roles or are there other movies and characters out there that are better? Let’s go through some of his classics and hidden gems.
What Lies Beneathis a thriller with a supernatural twist uncommon for most Ford movies. He’s more of a secondary character though as Michelle Pfeiffer leads this movie extraordinarily well as a fearful wife, Claire, who is starting to hear things in their house. Is the next-door neighbor hurting his wife? Is therea literal ghostin the house? Is Ford, as Norman, poisoning his wife to hallucinate things? Elaborating any further would spoil things and while it may be slow and drawn out, the finale is Ford at his darkest.
K-19: The Widowmaker is based on a true story about the maiden voyage of the titular Russian submarine. Ford, as Captain Alexei Vostrikov, takes over for Liam Neeson, Captain Mikhail Polenin, on this mission. Everything Vostrikov does puts the crew in danger and Polenin lets him know that at every turn. Vostrikov’s luck finally runs out when the reactor core gets damaged, sending the sub into a death spiral. While some of the character turns don’t make sense along with the Russian accents Ford and Neeson are trying, it is a gripping movie and Ford plays a good villain.
Blade Runneris a detective story set in a cyberpunk world that needs little introduction. Ford plays a Replicant Hunter named Rick Deckard in this one, sort of like a detective who specializes in figuring out if a person is a human or a robot.
Deckard is given his greatest case yet when a bunch of Replicants are running around the city killing people, going against mechanical directives. It fits the film noir genre well asBlade Runneris a hazy melodic maze through what it means to be a person or a robot and it may take a few tries to fully appreciate it.
Captain America: Brave New Worldis the second time Fordplayed a Presidentwith the first beingAir Force One. Since it debuted in theaters in 1997, it became a cable classic following the home media release. It’s an easily digestible movie that could be likened toDie Hardon a plane. Ford, as President Marshall, gets aboard Air Force One only to have it quickly hijacked by terrorists. He escapes capture and hides in wait, slowly picking terrorists off one by one. The dynamic between Ford and Gary Oldman, who plays the lead terrorist, is not as engrossing as seeing Bruce Willis go against Alan Rickman inDie Hardbut Ford and Oldman certainly share an unforgettable epic finale inAir Force One.
Ford first portrayed theTom Clancy character, Jack Ryan, inPatriot Gameswhich is also a good movie. However, while there are some pacing issues like a slow start and focusing on too many characters,Clear and Present Dangeris the better of the two movies. It begins with CIA analyst Jack Ryan trying to uncover a plot involving cash obtained from Columbian drug dealers. The government wants to keep it but this proves to be a bad idea. Multiple powers are vying for the cash behind the scenes and only a clear mind like Ryan’s can see through the muck. The cast is great and the last forty minutes will have viewers rooting for brotherly love between military men like no other movie could.
The Fugitiveis exciting from top to bottom as Richard Kimble, Ford, is accused of killing his wife. He claims a man with one arm did itbut U.S. MarshallGerard, played by Tommy Lee Jones, does not believe him. Ford escapes lock-up, going between forests and sewer ducts to evade the law.
Most people have probably seen the iconic moment when Kimble yells at Gerard in a drainpipe followed by a dive into the dam below. If not in The Fugitive then in other pieces of media including The Simpsons. It’s a good movie to get that adrenaline pumping in a desperate struggle for the truth.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Backis thought to be the best movie in the overall film series with this initially being the dark middle chapter in the original trilogy. Fordreturns as Han Solowho gets more of a central role in the plot. Viewers get to see his ties to the underworld unravel via Jabba the Hutt and his sacrifice saves his friends by being lowered into Carbonite. For theatergoers in 1980, this must have been one heck of a cliffhanger. Han Solo is one of Ford’s most iconic roles and this movie has to be the best portrayal of this outlaw.
Next to Han Solo,Indiana Jones is another iconic rolefor Ford which some value more. It can be hard to pick a favorite film in the franchise between the original,Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the original trilogy’s finale,Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.Raiders of the Lost Arkis darker, bloodier, and raw whereasIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeis more fit for the whole family. It works better for the character to see him deal with his dad, played by Sean Connery, and how Indiana got to be the way he is. While lighter in tone, the film is full of adventure and action along with heart. This series should have ended with Indiana and his father riding off into the sunset which Ford will one day do as well, leaving fans with a lifetime of memories to cherish.
