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Few Hollywood stars have created as many iconic and celebrated movie franchise characters Harrison Ford – Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Rick Deckard – without a doubt some of the most recognizable roles in cinema. Ford’s talent and success are evident in a career that spans decades, beginning in the 1960s when, as he noted in an interview with Vanity Fairhe and his wife flip a coin”two out of three” to decide whether to go to the east or west coast – the two places where actors can expect to find better success. His career took great strides when he began working with George Lucas – first American Graffiti (1973), and of course, Star Wars (1977), which cemented his place as a leading man in Hollywood.
Today, many of these Harrison Ford stories are still being worked on. He appeared as Han Solo Star Wars: The Force Awakens as recently as 2015. Although no longer described by Ford itself, the Jack Ryan franchise continued, most recently in the John Krasinski TV series. Indiana Jones 5 is slated for release in 2023 and has been rewritten to accommodate the actor’s age. So, it seemed like a good opportunity to revisit the Harrison Ford franchises that audiences know and love.
Honorable Mention: The fugitive
One of Harrison Ford’s most iconic roles is as Richard Kimble The fugitive (1993), the story of a man framed for murdering his wife. While the film was based on a 1960s television series and continued into a sequel, US Marshals (1998), making it a notable franchise, Ford only appears in the original film. Thus, it is not included in the rankings below.
4. Jack Ryan (1992-1994)
Taking on the role of Jack Ryan after Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford appeared in two of the films of the franchise: Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and blatant disaster (1994). Based on Tom Clancy’s novels, these two films helped develop the character of Jack Ryan, the former marine and CIA analyst turned history professor (the details of his backstory changed slightly with each new installment) in a way already The Hunt For Red October (1990) did not. Patriot Games Ryan found himself in the middle of the fray in the United Kingdom, while Clear and blatant disaster focuses on a face-off between the US government and a Colombian cartel.
However, while providing a thoroughly entertaining duo of action-thrillers – and even as Clear and blatant disaster provides a more nuanced follow-up to its predecessor – both films fall into the traps of predictability and familiarity. Patriot Games also received mixed reviews after it changed details of the Tom Clancy book it used as its source material, particularly the depiction of the conflict in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, Harrison Ford’s performance hardly reaches a level of notoriety or beauty found in his other work, presenting a character that audiences do not associate with him alone. Unfortunately, these two films alone cannot compete with Ford’s other franchise roles.
3. Indiana Jones (1981-present)
Few films have as important a place in the action-adventure genre as Indiana Jones series. Indy’s hat and whip have been cemented as cinematic symbols of exploration and archeological quests, stories that have inspired countless copy-cats and references. Here, Harrison Ford offers a higher level of charisma and charm, creating an unforgettable character. Moments like the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), in which Indiana Jones runs from a giant rolling boulder, is among the most iconic scenes in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, however, the final installment of the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull (2008) didn’t quite follow, earning this franchise a lower spot on the list. This film departs from the elements that first gave the series its success with audiences, ditching adventure realism for an unrealistic science fiction ending. It is still unclear what exactly the 5th installment of the franchise will be about.
2. Blade Runner (1982-2017)
The original Blade Runner (1982) is undoubtedly one of science fiction’s most compelling and influential stories. Based on Phillip K. Dick’s Make the Android Dream of Electric Sheep, it inspired an entire sub-genre and aesthetic. Although the character of Rick Deckard is not as iconic as Harrison Ford’s other roles, in both the original and Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 follow-up Blade Runner 2049Ford delivers a nuanced performance that delves into more dramatic depth than any other franchise in which he appears.
At first, Deckard works as a “Blade Runner,” whose job is to track down and kill humanoid machines called “replicas.” However, things get complicated when Deckard becomes romantically involved with a replicant named Rachael, eventually running away with her. In Blade Runner 2049, we find Deckard, years later, hiding out in post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. Not as in Indiana JonesFord’s performance here helps reveal even deeper layers of his character and provides an exciting, entertaining, and thought-provoking sequel.
1. Star Wars (1977-2015)
Impossible to imagine Star Wars anywhere but the first place on this list, offering, perhaps, Harrison Ford’s strongest and most recognizable role. Furthermore, Star Wars has become one of Hollywood’s leading franchises. Elements of Ford’s character are at the center of the cinematic universe, like the Millennium Falcon and his partner Chewbacca – now the stuff of Hollywood legend. The fact that Harrison Ford was a major player in the original film and then retained a major role in the latest trilogy is impossible to overlook.
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