Harrison Ford's best film [Archive] - Forums @ The Digital Fix

Michael Brooke

28-02-2002, 11:20

I think The Conversation and Apocalypse Now are probably the best films he ever appeared in – though whether they can legitimately be called “Harrison Ford films” is another question entirely!

gZa

28-02-2002, 11:26

My thoughts exactly!

My favourite film with Harrison Ford in - is America Graffiti
My favourite 'Harrison Ford' film - is probably Raider of the Lost Ark but jeez the guy's been in loads of classic films!

Best Harrison Ford performace? Ermm The Mosquito Coast

Alanok

28-02-2002, 11:29

My heart says Star Wars Empire Strikes Back my head says Bladerunner.

Davester, did you get my e-mail btw?

Rob

28-02-2002, 11:45

I'm a big fan of Star Wars and Indy, s my favourite film with him in it is Raiders.

But I agree with one of the comments above - The Mosquito Coast is his best performance. Don't think this is available on DVD (R2), anybody know when?

kerbcrawler

28-02-2002, 11:53

I agree with Michael on this one (above) but would otherwise opt for Blade Runner if the first two didn't count.

KeyserSoze

28-02-2002, 11:57

Mosquitos Coast, what film is that, it sounds familier

Rob

28-02-2002, 12:05

Assuming it was a genuine query and you're not asking what is "Mosquitos Coast" ........

It's based on a [Paul?] Threoux Novel and is directed by the great [IMO] Peter Weir.

HF is an inventor who gets tired of living in the first world and decides to decamp his whole family to Central America and live in the jungle. He eventually does wacky things like make big blocks of ice in the steaming jungle!

Also stars Helen Mirren and River Pheonix.

Wonderfully entertaining film.

Davester

28-02-2002, 12:35

Originally posted by Alanok
My heart says Star Wars Empire Strikes Back my head says Bladerunner.

Davester, did you get my e-mail btw?

'tis diffcult to decide. I do love Empire, but Indy is so cool, and Bladerunner is a classic.

Al, got both mails. It is much appreciated - cheers. I'll have a read this evening a reply with some thoughts.
:)

Dan Druff

28-02-2002, 12:55

Best

Blade Runner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Empire Strikes Back

In that order..maybe if they re-insert the scene with him in E.T. you can include that! :D (only kidding)
Frantic and Witness are also good.

Worst (of his movies I've seen)
Patriot Games
Last Crusade
Temple of Doom

KeyserSoze

28-02-2002, 12:56

omg i was wondering what that film was the other day.

Werdna007

28-02-2002, 13:02

While we are talking about worst films I always thought one of the worst was Air Force One.

Maybe I am not just talking about his performance, I just dislike that film.

john316

28-02-2002, 13:18

Can I just pick the whole Indy series because he is so good in all 3 films?! :D

Arch Stanton

28-02-2002, 13:22

Worst Harrison Ford film....Random Hearts, Sabrina, 7 days 7 nights...basicly every film he made in the 90's.

Best...Raiders in popcorn mode. Witness in i'm an actor me, mode.

john316

28-02-2002, 13:39

Originally posted by Arch Stanton
7 days 7 nights...basicly every film he made in the 90's

That was a good film as was:

Patriot Games
Clear and Present Danger
What Lies Beneath (well 2000 but close enough!)
Air Force One
The Fugitive (well I haven't seen but everybody likes it)
The Devil's Own

There's some excellent movies from a 'bad' decade - I bet most actors try and avoid that level of 'failure'! :D

Mike

28-02-2002, 17:22

I thought he was embarrassingly hammy in "The Mosquito Coast" personally and deadly dull in "Witness".

His best performance was in "Blade Runner" I thought, where his woodenness was part of the character, and he did pretty well in the underrated "Clear and Present Danger", despite being totally outclassed by a fantastic supporting cast of twitchy character types.

The best film he's been in, as Michael indicated, is "Te Conversation" - come to think of it, he showed more life in that small part than he ever has done since.

To be fair, he has done quite well in a few other films, notably "Working Girl" where he wasn't asked to do much other than show up and be charming. But he must be one of the most boring actors ever to inadvertantly become a star.

Idle Child

28-02-2002, 17:46

the old guy used to be my favourite actor and role model when i was at an earlier and impressionable age..

My favourite has to be:
Empire Strikes Back. Han Solo (my favourite Star Wars character, the loveable rogue encased in carbonite.. classic scene. Not a dry eye in any house!).

But i think his best performance might actually be in Frantic.
Mosquito Coast and The Fugitive are worthy contenders.

but it simply CAN NOT be Last Crusade because of that awful scottish accent when trying to infiltrate the german castle.. "I think i've gone and caught a bit of a sniffle" :brickwall - not the greatest of ideas or inspired screnwriting either!

sticker

28-02-2002, 18:13

I only just watched Winess the other night - and gotta say I LOVE THAT MOVIE! > gonna for for Witness...

http://homepage.eircom.net/~garryleavycomedian/sticker cruser.gif

George vader

28-02-2002, 18:28

What next?
The best Tom Hanks "movie"?:rolleyes:

Tob

28-02-2002, 20:17

Originally posted by sticker
I only just watched Winess the other night - and gotta say I LOVE THAT MOVIE! > gonna for for Witness...

http://homepage.eircom.net/~garryleavycomedian/sticker cruser.gif

Witness by a country mile. A wondefully understated performance and my favourite Peter Weir film. How dare you call Harrison boring! The greatest blockbuster superstar in my humble opinion (although he needs to get a new agent).

Davester

28-02-2002, 22:18

Originally posted by George vader
What next?
The best Tom Hanks "movie"?:rolleyes: :rolleyes: God it is just a bit of fun! Was there really any point in your post? erm, No! well, I guess you added to your post count :eek:

Arch Stanton

28-02-2002, 22:25

Originally posted by Davester
:rolleyes: God it is just a bit of fun! Was there really any point in your post? erm, No! well, I guess you added to your post count :eek:

Mr Stanton waits with baited breath for Chevy Chase's best film.

Davester

28-02-2002, 22:34

Originally posted by Arch Stanton

Mr Stanton waits with baited breath for Chevy Chase's best film. Mr Stanton will have to wait a while as Chuck Norris is next in the list :D

aprout

01-03-2002, 12:18

Witness & Raiders.

Sorta related; did anyone see the Big Breakfast this morning with Harry Knowles (from Ain't It Cool News) on it?

He described 'The Conversation' as 'a Harrison Ford flick which also starred Gene Hackman' :rolleyes:

Mike

01-03-2002, 12:51

Can I jump the gun here and say that "Invasion USA" is not only Chuck Norris's best film but one of the finest trash films ever made.

rgfinch

01-03-2002, 13:07

I agree with Mike - he's as wooden as Keanu. Spoils everything he's in.

Rob

01-03-2002, 13:34

Of course if he wasn't Indiana Jones and Han Solo the anti-blockbuster crowd would almost certainly rate him:D

Davester

01-03-2002, 17:48

Originally posted by Mike
Can I jump the gun here and say that "Invasion USA" is not only Chuck Norris's best film but one of the finest trash films ever made. It is Lone dog (can get it on dvd too from play!!!!!)

budfox

31-08-2004, 11:53

The Fugitive gets my vote.

One of my favourite all time films

DuncanSWardle

31-08-2004, 11:57

Did we not have loads of threads about different actors best movie in which someone painstakingly collated the results and decided ?

bertieblueshirt

31-08-2004, 12:17

Good to see some fellow Witness lovers. :thumbs: That gets my vote. An electric performance in parts IMO.

Soprano

31-08-2004, 12:33

Not a gifted actor, but a great leading man.

Han Solo and Indiana Jones are both legends.

fatherofnight

31-08-2004, 17:02

frantic, for me too. followed by bladerunner and force ten from navarone ;)
i suppose he's a star more than a great actor and he pretty much seems to play the same character in most of his films. and everybody's right he has made some absolute dross, i include the star wars trilogy in that dross, but even brando/deniro/pacino(the father son and the holy ghost) have made some crap too.

anephric

31-08-2004, 17:08

Can I jump the gun here and say that "Invasion USA" is not only Chuck Norris's best film but one of the finest trash films ever made.

Delta Force is better (IMHO): Lee Marvin phoning in a performance and Robert Forster all blacked up...

anephric

31-08-2004, 17:14

I want to say The Mosquito Coast because I'm biased as Paul Schrader adapted it (and I'm an acolyte) but he wasn't great in it; twitchy and as near to unlikeable as he dare venture but not great... He was alright in American Graffiti, good in The Conversation (although all he had to do was appear smug and vaguely sinister) but he does give good, cocky face in Empire... he's the only fun character in that whole opus.

Blade Runner it is, but there's not much competition now, really, is there?

As to his woodenness/boringness, he's apparently the most dreadful "star" to interview because he is so monosyllabic and phlegmatic...

That Chevy Chase challenge sounds intriguing; I vote Memoirs of an Invisible Man (if I must)...

Mike

31-08-2004, 19:20

Chevy Chase's best film is er,, erm... Well, "Fletch" has a smile or two and I have a soft spot for "Caddyshack" but only for the scenes with Rodney Dangerfield.

I don't like The Delta Force. Speaking as a half-Semite, I broadly prefer right wing American propaganda to right wing Israeli propaganda. Also, the director Menahem Golan once made a pass at an ex-girlfriend of mine before I manfully steamed in and told him her price for the evening.

Fred2002

31-08-2004, 22:08

While we are talking about worst films I always thought one of the worst was Air Force One.

Maybe I am not just talking about his performance, I just dislike that film.
His performance in Air Force One was fine "Get of my plane!!" it was just he was landed with a bit of a dubious script not to mention some nice duff CGI for the plane crash! The fact that he and the rest of the cast where clearly having difficulty keeping a straight face whenever Gary Oldman's accent slipped (He shouts 'Shut Up' in a Yorkshire accent at one point :lol: )probably didn't help either.....

My personal favourites would be Empire Strikes Back (lots of emotion going on there especially the Han/Leia thing) The Fugitive and the Indy films (Trilogy about to be shown on the Beeb BTW)

Worse? Well I have never rated his performance in Patriot Games but he did improve with better material in Clear & Present Danger.

Thought he was kind of over acting and hammy "Hey, its me!" in Return of The Jedi though.......

Paul Bennison

31-08-2004, 22:26

Thought he was kind of over acting and hammy "Hey, its me!" in Return of The Jedi though.......

His performance in RotJ is so wooden, he must have felt right at home in those forests. When he's persuading C3P0 to help them escape he's practically splintering.

I love his touching performance in Witness but, odd choice though it is, I think his best performance was in The Fugitive. IMHO he captures a wide scope of emotion to perfection, from devastation to confusion, through steely determination to resolute satisfaction.

paulsaz

01-09-2004, 01:58

I always liked Frantic, not seen it for a while though might have to search out a copy.

anephric

01-09-2004, 08:08

I don't like The Delta Force. Speaking as a half-Semite, I broadly prefer right wing American propaganda to right wing Israeli propaganda. Also, the director Menahem Golan once made a pass at an ex-girlfriend of mine before I manfully steamed in and told him her price for the evening.

Wow. I'd *love* to cuss up Golan. Did he fire you back an offer? Okay, that minus 20 percent and we gotta deal?

Delta Force is so ludicrously reactionary and Reaganite I can't take it seriously, but I appreciate your point.

ohood

01-09-2004, 08:25

I think he did a fine bit of menace in The Conversation, he didn't play what he always seems to these days, a tired world-weary [insert occupation here] mumbly guy.

BeauBrummie

01-09-2004, 08:53

Blade Runner and Raiders of the Lost Ark get my vote

Fred2002

01-09-2004, 22:15

Blade Runner and Raiders of the Lost Ark get my vote
Just caught the last hour of Raiders on the Beeb, 4:3 FULLSCREEN :nono: :mad: :nono: but suprisingly it appeared to be the uncut version with fully melting Germans at the end - they usually cut this bit!

Cracking soundtrack though :thumbs: