As one of the biggest names in the history of Hollywood, American actor Harrison Ford has starred in dozens of blockbuster titles throughout the years that also resonated fondly with critics. And several of those fall into the science fiction genre. A couple of these titles have understandably been thrown to the general viewer’s wayside in recent years, but several others happen to fall within two of the most popular franchises the genre has ever seen: Star Wars and Blade Runner. The majority of this list will be ranking the individual titles of those franchises in which Harrison Ford made an appearance.
But, he has performed in a couple of other, more forgotten science fiction films that will also be accounted for. And, if his role was listed as “uncredited” to any degree in a sci-fi movie, it won’t be featured here. So, in other words, The Rise of Skywalker will not be making an appearance on the list. That’s probably for the best, though.
Nonetheless, those that did make the cut are among the most recognizable and respected films that the science fiction genre has to offer. Plenty of them were helmed by big-name directors, too. But all that said, this is every sci-fi movie featuring Harrison Ford, ranked.
8 Ender’s Game (2013)
Based on Orson Scott Card’s novel of the same name, Ender’s Game (2013) by Gavin Hood was just a few qualitative steps away from meeting the potential of its source material. The book was great, in other words, while the film adaptation at hand definitely came up a few parsecs short.
It stars Asa Butterfield as the titular Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, and while that actor may not have the most name value, several A-list performers do comprise the rest of the cast. Viola Davis, Ben Kingsley, and of course Harrison Ford are among the supporting actors here in Ender’s Game. And despite their superstar statuses, their individual characters were operating within a rather shallow plot and with a particular paucity of development. The film did garner positive critiques re: its special effects and use of CGI, though.
7 Cowboys and Aliens (2011)
This sci-fi romp by director Jon Favreau holds a meager consensus approval rating of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes and, despite its star-studded cast, it only made $175 million on a $163 million budget. It barely made its money back at the box office, in other words, and it definitely didn’t impress critics, so, yeah. On paper, it should absolutely come in last.
But it is worth noting that Harrison Ford performed to an adequate degree here in Cowboys and Aliens (2011). As did Daniel Craig, and their respective characters were fleshed out to a much more meaningful degree than the prior entry on the list. Where Ender’s Game seemed to focus most prominently on action-packed spectacles and flashy special effects, Cowboys and Aliens — despite its inane premise — actually put character at the forefront of the project. And it was slightly better off for it.
6 Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Although pretty much every contemporary entry of this fan-favorite franchise has been marred by the last two or three releases, audiences are beginning to forget just how successful Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) was upon release. Directed by J.J. Abrams, this first of the Star Wars sequel trilogy made an absolute bounty at the box office, and even impressed critics pretty much across the board. It did garner a decent bit of hate from some fans for repeating the same structure and formula as the original Star Wars from 1977, but in the end, this entry is warranted above the previous two if not for its iconic moments alone.
Take yourselves back to Han Solo — the most famous character portrayed by Harrison Ford, save perhaps for Indiana Jones — and his Wookie partner Chewbacca revealing themselves onboard the Millennium Falcon. Sure, it may have been a fan-fueled plot point, but seeing that dynamic duo return after thirty years away from the franchise is a moment in cinematic history that science fiction nerds will not soon forget.
5 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
This is the final entry in the original Star Wars trilogy, and also the consensus worst thereof. Of course, that isn’t to say it’s a bad film — just that the other entries in this world-famous trilogy topple it from a sheerly qualitative standpoint, no matter how one might feel about the introduction of Ewoks. Directed by Richard Marquand, Return of the Jedi (1983) got a lot of things right in terms of general narration.
Take the opening act at the Palace of Jabba the Hutt, for instance. It was action-packed but still well-paced, and each sequence served a purpose in propelling the plot forward. Luke revealing his fresh, green lightsaber along with a newfound predilection for outsmarting his opponents remains a standout moment from the film. And while Harrison Ford’s reprisal of Han Solo went a bit underutilized in this entry, the aforementioned battle at Jabba’s Palace did revolve around Han’s being frozen in a substance called carbonite. That’s an iconic image in itself.
4 Blade Runner 2049
Critics and audiences alike have endlessly waxed lyrical about Blade Runner 2049 (2017), favoring its warm and welcoming color palettes, compelling plot, and mesmerizing camerawork — courtesy of legendary American cinematographer Roger Deakins. Plus, Harrison Ford met all expectations (and perhaps even surpassed them, considering who you ask) with his performance, a reprisal of his role as Jack Deckard.
But newcomers Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas showed surprisingly wonderful efforts as well. None of that is to say that anyone expect them to perform particularly poorly, per se. It’s just, they really were that admirable in the end. You don’t usually get dynamic characters to this degree that facilitate such praiseworthy performances from within such a speculative universe. In other words, in Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s science fiction classic, Harrison Ford and company really did outdo themselves. And even still, 2049 only comes in at number four.
3 Star Wars
There isn’t much to note with regard to the quality of the original Star Wars by George Lucas, or its impact on the film industry as a whole. There isn’t even anything left to analyze with regard to Harrison Ford’s individual performance as Han Solo. But it is worth noting that this is of course the project that launched Ford, Lucas, and pretty much everyone involved directly into superstardom.
Considering George Lucas created perhaps the most famous fictional universe of all time here with the original Star Wars (later subtitled A New Hope), placing it at number three could very well be a hot take. However, for as much as the oldest film on this list did to help the movie industry progress throughout the years, its script can at times show its age. Of course, it’s still a classic, and will forever hold up in just about every other respect.
2 Blade Runner
Directed by Ridley Scott, the original Blade Runner (1982), set the standard for science fiction films to come for the next four decades. Although it was anything but successful upon release, this has become known as a seminal project in the careers of pretty much everyone involved, and is commonly cited among the greatest sci-fi films ever made.
The film managed to find the perfect balance between speculative sci-fi elements and emotionally resonating characters. Here, Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, a former police officer who is now known as a “blade runner” regarding his current occupation. Tasked with tracking down a group of synthetic humans called “replicants”, Deckard showcases true passion in this fictional version of Los Angeles in which it is, interestingly, always raining. There’s no denying it — that’s a truly intriguing premise off the bat, and everything else came together in perfect harmony with Blade Runner to result in one of the most dulcet and influential compositions in the history of science fiction films.
1 Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Aside from the iconic plot twist — where Darth Vader reveals to Luke that he is, indeed, his father — several storytelling tactics were employed when making The Empire Strikes Back (1980) that renders it perhaps the best science fiction film of all time, not just of Harrison Ford’s career. He of course reprises his role as Han Solo, pilot of the Millennium Falcon, and is famously frozen in carbonite at the end of the film.
But so many other events transpire in tandem with Han’s storyline here in this second entry of the original Star Wars trilogy, and it’s never too much to keep up with. Director Irvin Kershner managed multiple characters operating on completely different planets and still tied everything together in the end. That’s ultimately what makes this film the best, let alone its applicable special effects, witty dialogue, iconic character dynamics, and so much more.