Harrison Ford’s Going Back To Space.

ford.jpgWell it appears that Harrison Ford’s self imposed hiatus following the travesty that was Hollywood Homicide (Look at me! I’m Harrison Ford and I’m made of wood! And no, I didn’t go see it. The trailer was scarring enough.) he’s back with a couple new projects coming down the pipe … Project one is a drama coming through Warner Brothers titled The Wrong Element. An appropriate enough title for a Ford starring-vehicle considering he has been precisely that wrong element in pretty much every film he’s appeared in over the past decade. The one that caught my eye, though, is Godspeed, a sci fi thriller set on an international space station being produced by James Cameron and written by Ryne Douglas Pearson. Pearson is also the man behind Knowing – widely touted as Richard “Donnie Darko” Kelly’s next directing project – and is doing the adaptation of the Pang Brothers’ stellar ghost story flick The Eye.

There was a time when Ford was money in the bank but that time ended oh, so very abruptly with Air Force One, since which time he has been absolutely wretched in everything he’s appeared in (What Lies Beneath being a possible exception) and looking like he’s just mailing in “performances” for the sake of a paycheck. I’m hoping that this has just been an extended dry spell for him and, if so, this looks to be the kind of project that could pull him out of the slump. First, he’s good in sci-fi. Second, it’s got an interesting writer attached. And third, if there’s one thing you can say about James Cameron it’s that he’s not about to let anybody slack off on the job for any reason. This is the man who once made Arnold Schwarzenegger piss himself rather than give him a bathroom break and set the shot up again. So we know there will be a bit of whip cracking and name calling going on if Ford is giving anything less than his best. There’s still no director attached but I’m willing to say that if Ford doesn’t pull his socks up on this one and turn in something at least passable it’s because he simply doesn’t have it in him any more …

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14 thoughts on “Harrison Ford’s Going Back To Space.

  1. I have been a big Ford fan for a while. I’ll say that I think he is not picking projects that I as a fan really want to see him in. He is a great actor that I think should, after the paydays he has seen, do some more envelope pushing material or even art house type work. His fans (customers as he calls them) are older now and I think want to see him in different things that arent so box office driven (at least some of the time). But I have to disagree about Hollywood Homicide- I believe that it is a great movie of its “type”. And Ebert and Roeper gave it “Two thumbs up”.

  2. Well, personally, im a huge Ford fan. I love his acting period. K-19 rocked, and Hollywood Homicide was a FUN movie. I didnt say great, but FUN. What Lies Beneath was excellent in performance, and Random Hearts was excellent in performance. I am looking forward to Godspeed. Also you can not really say he is great in Sci-Fi. StarWars, Bladerunner…um…any other ones…? He is great in Drama/political thrillers. He is great actually, in all films he plays in. so i dont think its fair to say he is losing it. Also, WATCH A MOVIE BEFORE CRITCIZING IT!

  3. Nothin’ personal, Bubba.
    Seemed like a challenge, that’s all.

    I’ve got to find something better to do with my time…like watch a movie or somethin…

  4. I’m willing to admit that I saw Hollywood Homicide out of sheer boredom and it wasn’t the worst movie I’ve seen. I even laughed out loud more than once. Ford as a neurotic totally wired cop isn’t as bad as you might expect.

  5. Sure, bald man … you just go ahead and find me a single decently respected reviewer that gave Hollywood Homicide positive press and I’ll recant it all. Every word.

  6. Okay

    1. You didn’t see it but you ragged on it. YOU ARE SO BUSTED.

    2. You are Canadian and yet you choose Air Force One (a reasonably entertaining film) as the beginning of Ford’s end. OBVIOUSLY THERE’S NO BIAS THERE AT ALL.

    3. What Lies Beneath was an entertaining genre film, K-19 the Widowmaker was a step up for Ford and a very good film.

    There’s Harrison Ford and Chevy Chase. I’m a Ford man.

    I rest my case.

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