Harrison Ford movie-o-meter
It used to be said that Harrison Ford had never been in a bad movie. Man, did that change. Let’s see if the body of Han Solo’s work is now mostly good or mostly crap. Crude scoring as follows: 10 for good, 5 for OK, 0 for rubbish. If his average is above 5 then we can still consider Ford’s career as good.
American Graffiti – 10
Star Wars – 10
Empire – 10
Raiders – 10
Blade Runner -10
Jedi – 5
Temple of Doom – 5
Witness – 10
Mosquito Coast – 5
Frantic – 5
Working Girl – 5
Last Crusade – 10
Presumed Innocent – 5
Patriot Games – 5
The Fugitive – 10
Clear and Present Danger – 10
Sabrina – 0
The Devil’s Own – 0
Air Force One – 5
Six Days Seven Nights – 0
Random Hearts – 0
What Lies Beneath – 5
K-19 – 5
Hollywood Homicide – 0
Firewall – 0
Average = 5.4 = Still mostly good but dangerously close to tipping the balance. Sabrina started the rot. Can Indy IV save him?
Working Girl was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for best musical/comedy.
Presumed Innocent scores a 91 on Rotten Tomatoes.
I liked Frantic and Patriot Games quite a bit too.
Ahhh…Devil’s Own. So promising.
Comment by Tim J — February 25, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
Temple of Doom is much, much better than folks give it credit for. Far superior to the third film (which you inexplicably give a 10?!?!?!?) I’ll admit that my big worry about the new film are comments from the producers that’s it’s more like the 3rd film which too me was too derivative of the first and far, far too silly.
And you slam Mosquito Coast? And Frantic?
Jedi I’ll grant you. Sabrina is a guilty pleasure. (And I don’t normally like chick-flicks) I liked Patriot Games more than Clear and Present Danger though… I agree with the rest though.
Comment by Clark — February 25, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
Temple of Doom is not better than Crusade. No way. But I do agree that it’s better than what most people say.
Comment by Tim J — February 25, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
Sabrina as a 0 is pretty harsh. Must agree on Temple of Doom, unfortunately. Hard to watch.
Hmm, at what point did he start dating Ally McBeal?
Comment by FHL — February 25, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
After he had a late mid-life crisis and would stop at strip clubs in Nebraska as he’d fly out of his cabin in Wyoming. He finally divorced his wife, much to the shock of all friends, and started dating Alley McBeal and quickly there after getting her in a motherly condition.
i.e. right around the time his movies went to hell.
I’m sticking to Temple of Doom being better than I remembered by far and definitely superior to Last Crusade. Last Crusade is the Return of the Jedi of the series. I just hope the new one isn’t all jokes and one liners. That pause when he falls into the truck and gives a one liner before hitting the Commies doesn’t bode well.
Comment by Clark — February 25, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
To add, I will agree that the life raft ride out of the plane, down the mountain side and into the river sucked. But I’ll raise you the silly love triangle and the fake Scottish accent along with the comedy hi-jinks of that department head. Ugh.
I will say that I absolutely loved the opening of Last Crusade. River Phoenix was perfect as Jones. Must better than the guy they had in the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. (Interestingly broadcast every Thursday on The History Channel)
Comment by Clark — February 25, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
I’m sorry, but Temple of Doom is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
Comment by Jeff G — February 25, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
C’mon, Clark. “Temple of Doom” is a royal piece of Shhhhhhhhhmack. The only thing good about it is the prologue–which is the way you feel about “The Last Crusade” ironically.
I agree with FHL that “Sabrina” should probably score a little higher–perhaps a “5″ for “OK.”
IMO, the worst of his movies–that I’ve seen–is “Six Days and Seven Nights.” My wife and I got halfway through it and turned it off–and I was sorely tempted to see just how far I could make that DVD soar into the atmosphere. Pure Trash.
Comment by Jack — February 25, 2008 @ 6:39 pm
I disagree with presumed Innocent. that was a much better flick than a 5…
And, I am saddened to see ROTJ as a 5…could you at least bump it up to a 7.5???
Comment by Hayes — February 25, 2008 @ 7:32 pm
“Six Days, Seven Nights†is a different sort of film. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I concede that it would only appeal to a select audience.
Comment by Jim Cobabe — February 25, 2008 @ 8:00 pm
The first Indiana Jones movie is original, a classic. After that the movies take on a pattern. They may as well be Hardy Boy books.
Comment by danithew — February 25, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
Danithew, I think that’s true of the 3rd but the 2cd one has a classic plot even if the action is way too over the top in a few places. (The slide down the mountain, the roller coaster ride)
Comment by Clark — February 25, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
How about this? List your favorites in order.
1. Raiders
2. Empire Strikes Back
3. Blade Runner
4. Star Wars
5. Temple
BTW – to the original list. No love for Apocalypse Now? Force 10 from Navarone? The Frisco Kid? (A little remembered little gem of a western comedy with Ford as a gunfighter and Gene Wilder as a Rabbi trying to get to California)
Comment by Clark — February 25, 2008 @ 10:18 pm
Dudes, I just watched Temple of Doom three days ago with my oldest son (he’s 6- I edited the heart scene) and I could barely watch it. Complete drivel- from the casting of the horrid, shrill lead woman to the preposterous roller coaster ride- it was just SO bad. Crusade was so, so much better.
Comment by tracy m — February 26, 2008 @ 12:32 am
1. Raiders
2. Blade Runner
3. Fugitive
4. Empire
5. Star Wars
Comment by tracy m — February 26, 2008 @ 12:35 am
Add The Conversation to Clark’s pre-Han Solo list.
Comment by John Mansfield — February 26, 2008 @ 7:20 am
As I said the rollercoaster and the leap out of the plane are silly. But no sillier than “he didn’t have a ticket” or the like.
Plus Temple has the best sidekick of all time: Short Round. “You call him Dr. Jones!”
Comment by Clark — February 26, 2008 @ 10:30 am
Too bad
He turned down Kevin Costner’s roles in JFK (1991), The Untouchables (1987), Dragonfly (2002), the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990) and The Sum of All Fears (2002), Russell Crowe’s role in Proof of Life (2000), Nick Nolte’s roles in Cape Fear (1991) and The Thin Red Line (1998), Warren Beatty’s role as Dick Tracy (1990), Liam Neeson’s role in Schindler’s List (1993), Mel Gibson’s role in The Patriot (2000), George Clooney’s roles in The Perfect Storm (2000) and Syriana (2005), Val Kilmer’s role in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), and Tommy Lee Jones’s role in U.S. Marshals (1998), and Tom Skerritt’s role in Alien (1979) . He was considered for the leads in Jurassic Park (1993), Insomnia (2002/I) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
Comment by Jay S — February 26, 2008 @ 11:36 am
Two words: Regarding. Henry.
Comment by Greg — February 26, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
Air Force One should be zero.
Patriot Games should be 10.
Working Girl should be zero.
Jedi should be 10 (“hey, it’s me!”).
Where the hell is Regarding Henry?
His role as the Tommy Lee Jones character in US Marshalls would have been absolutely weird given the reversal from “The Fugitive.” I’m glad he said “no.” And oh how I wish he would have accepted the role in Red October. I love Alec, but Jack Ryan will always be Harrison Ford for me.
I’m going into Crystal Skull with low expectations.
Comment by David J — February 26, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Wow. I just can not imagine Harrison Ford as Gay Perry. Not even remotely. That would have been very interesting.
Seeing Harrison Ford as Eliot Ness would have been interesting.
Comment by Clark — February 26, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Air Force One and Regarding Henry are guilty pleasures (like Sabrina) Not great movies but not as bad as folks are making out. They are pure saccharine enjoyment.
Didn’t Working Girl get accepted critically very well? I thought it was overrated at the time but I’d not say it ought be a 0.
I like Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan better than Ford.
Comment by Clark — February 26, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
Presumed Innocent was really a good movie. I liked it at the time and I think it has stood up well. Raul Julia was incredibly awesome. Bonnie Bedelia not so much. I give it a 9.
Sabrina was not bad, kind of charming really: 5
Temple of Doom is a 0. I hated that stupid kid with a passion and the female lead was worse.
Frantic is at least an 8. It was a good story, fun to watch, and immortalized by Bare Naked Ladies in “One Week.” What more could you ask?
What Lies Beneath is schlock. Give it a 3 at best, and only because of Michelle.
Regarding Henry deserves a mention. I give it a 7. Ford actually was convincing as a brain-damaged lawyer, although the message of that movie appeared to be that the only way to give lawyers any morals is to shoot them in the head. On behalf of my bar association, I protest in the strongest possible terms.
Comment by MCQ — February 26, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
Clark,
Looking at my comment again (#8) I think it may come across a little harsh. Sorry about that–there’s nothing personal in it. I think you’re, like, the smartest guy in the world–even with your reverence Cameron. ;>)
Comment by Jack — February 27, 2008 @ 8:50 pm
Oh, yeah. And “Witness” is over-rated. It should be knocked down from a 10 to a 5 (though I’d put it at a 6.73 on a more nuanced scale).
Comment by Jack — February 27, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
Oh, yeah, again. “The Last Crusade” should be knocked down from a 10 to a 5 (a 4.13 on a more nuanced scale).
Comment by Jack — February 27, 2008 @ 8:56 pm
Presumed Innocent wasn’t bad at all.
Comment by Supergenius — March 1, 2008 @ 9:43 pm
[...] always been kind of impartial toward Harrison Ford. He never left a big impression on me, but he was Han Solo and Indiana Jones, so it’s not like I could really dislike him. [...]
Pingback by 5 Actors I Hate And The Stupid Reasons Why | Involuntary Fury — May 21, 2010 @ 10:46 am