The Best and Worst of Harrison Ford

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" star Harrison Ford.

Films starring Harrison Ford that I've seen:
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 
Blade Runner
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Firewall
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 
Cowboys & Aliens
42
Ender's Game 
Anchorman: The Legend Continues
The Expendables 3

Best Performance: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The first two Star Wars films may put Ford on the map, but Raiders of the Lost Ark was the film that made him a bona fide movie star. Ford's badass presence and sharp wit instantly made Indiana Jones one of the greatest action heroes of all-time. 

Worst Performance: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
This is one of the few times in film history where an actor has given the best and worst performance of their career playing the same role. While Kingdom of the Crystal Skull isn't nearly as bad as it's made out to be on the whole, Ford seems like he's being forced against his will to dawn the fedora and satchel one last time. I don't know if it was because he was pissed about rebooting the series after a nearly two decade hiatus or if he just really hated working with Shia LaBeouf, but I've never seen Ford look more displeased on screen than he does here.
      
Best Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Like basically every other film nerd on the planet, I have a deep, undying love for the original Star Wars trilogy. While the entire trilogy is excellent, The Empire Strikes Back stands out from the pack by a considerable margin. It's the first movie I ever saw that had the look and feel of an epic event film and to this day, it remains one of the most well-constructed and entertaining blockbusters to ever come out of Hollywood.

Worst Film: Blade Runner (1982)
I'm well aware that cinephiles and sci-fi fanboys will want to hang me for saying this but I've personally never understood the outpouring of acclaim for this film. Blade Runner is a visually-stunning film that's dragged down by an overstuffed, convoluted storyline and a pace so slow that it makes Paul Thomas Anderson's films seem breezy by comparison.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Joy" star Jennifer Lawrence.