Ron Howard movies, ranked

You know how they say some movies don’t age well? “Gung Ho” is about a Japanese company taking over an American car plant in Pittsburgh. It stars the likes of Michael Keaton, Gedde Watanabe, and George Wendt. While the culture-clash comedy isn’t as sweaty as it could be, it certainly has some issues by modern standards. Beyond that, even at the time, it wasn’t considered a very good movie.

There is something fascinatingly horrifying about the character design in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Maybe you can gawk at Jim Carrey’s Grinch in bafflement for a few minutes. After that, you’ll want to turn the movie off. Trust us. There is nothing here but morbid curiosity.

There are three movies based on Dan Brown's books on this list. They all star Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. “Inferno” is the third of the three films, and by the time it came out, it seemed like people were pretty tired of the series. Do you even know what happened in this film, even though it’s technically the conclusion of a three-movie story?

This is the first film that Howard directed. He was only in his early 20s at the time, but he was also making this movie for Roger Corman. It’s a cheapo flick that has some charms like a lot of Corman films but obviously suffers from a lack of budget and time.

Ssome people really dug Brown’s Robert Langdon books. They definitely had a cultural moment. However, the stories are actually a bit silly, and the movies can’t quite handle the over-the-top nature of the stories. These are the forgettable films of Hanks’ career unless you are a true Brown devotee.

It feels weird that Howard directed a film like this. “The Dilemma” is a dark comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, and it hinges on Vaughn’s character deciding whether or not to tell James’ character he saw his wife kissing another man. Also, that man is played by Channing Tatum. This almost feels like a paycheck gig for Howard, in which case we hope he got the money he was looking for.

Speaking of strange films for Howard, how about a big, dumb action-thriller starring Mel Gibson? You know, the movie wherein the trailer he yelled, “Give me back my son!” Howard should perhaps be credited for hopping genres, but on the other hand, it feels like when he is handed middling material he never really elevates it, and that’s definitely the problem here.

This is the first of the Langdon films, and also the best. Paul Bettany is nuts. Tom Hanks has fun hair. The story is completely insane and involves the Catholic Church and the shocking truth about Jesus. You know, the guy from the Bible. It’s a pretty goofy film, but it has its fun charms. And also some weird stuff like an albino monk who self-flagellates himself.

If you are scratching your head, we don’t blame you. This is maybe the most forgotten of Howard’s films. This 2003 film is a Western starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. It’s the movie Howard made right after winning an Oscar. There was a lot going for it on paper, but in the end, the results were merely fine.

At its peaks, “In the Heart of the Sea” is a gripping film. The movie, which purports to tell the true story that inspired “Moby Dıck,” also looks great. However, it has long stretches where it drags, and it could have probably been a smidge shorter, or at least ratcheted up the excitement a bit.

This is the perfect example of Howard as the “reliable hand” studios can turn to. “Solo” was supposed to be directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord. However, there were creative differences, and backers of Lord and Miller will say it’s because they wanted to make the movie funny and silly, a veritable “Thor: Ragnarok” for the “Star Wars” universe. The “Star Wars” folks didn’t want that, though, so in stepped Howard. The results? A decent, but disappointing, movie about many people’s favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder.

Hey, it’s a movie with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman acting together. While it’s not bonkers (and possibly marriage ruining) like “Eyes Wide Shut,” it has its positives. It is about Irish immigrants trying to make it in America, which means you have to hear some non-Irish folks trying their hand at accents from the Emerald Isle.

Before “Backdraft,” Howard had never made a movie like this. It’s a legit action thriller coming from a guy who had primarily made comedies beforehand. Our initial instinct was to rank this movie lower, but then we pondered it further. The film, which stars Kurt Russell as a firefighter, actually works in a lot of ways, including the special effects. It actually got three Oscar nominations. OK, so maybe we mistook “Backdraft” for “Firestorm” starring Howie Long for a second. Clearly, we figured things out eventually.

Formula One racing is not popular in the United States, but auto racing can make for exciting movies when directed properly. Just look at “Ford vs. Ferrari.” While you may not know the story of the rivalry at the heart of “Rush,” it does feature some well-shot racing footage, plus a chance to see Chris Hemsworth, not as Thor.

Yes, “A Beautiful Mind” won Best Picture and won Howard his only Best Director. It’s also not one of the better winners of the Best Picture Oscar. The story of mentally ill mathematician John Nash screams “awards bait” with its bombast and melodrama. It has a lot of holes in it, though, including in its treatment and depiction of mental illness.

Remember newspapers? They used to make movies about them quite a bit. Some of them are quite good, like “His Girl Friday.” Others are perfectly fine, like “The Paper.” This is yet-another Howard movie starring Michael Keaton, and the premise of it taking place over 24 hours at a New York newspaper is actually a smart conceit.

This movie has quite the cast, including the dynamic duo of Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. The story feels a little small but in a relatable way. Many people love “Parenthood” and consider it an excellent family comedy. We aren’t quite as high on it, but any movie with Martin and Moranis in it, not to mention a young Keanu Reeves, has a lot going for it.

While “EDtv” was a flop, it actually was kind of prescient in a lot of ways. It’s about a TV network that decides to film a man’s life 24/7 and air it. That man happens to be played by Matthew McConaughey. This was before the rise of reality TV, let alone Instagram and Snapchat, which is a point in the favor of “EDtv.”

Do you like fantasy stories? Given the popularity of “Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones,” there are decent odds you do. “Willow” is very much awash in fantasy, and it also features Val Kilmer. If you love fantasy, “Willow” is probably right up your alley. If you aren’t necessarily the biggest fantasy fan, there are still things to like about this movie, and you could end up enjoying it anyway.

“Cocoon” was a real step forward for Howard. It was only his fourth directorial effort, and it was a big hit that also got awards love. The movie is about old folks who become young again through alien technology. Famously, Wilford Brimley was only 51 when this movie came out. He was playing old folks seemingly forever.

Of the biopics directed by Howard and starring Russell Crowe, “Cinderella Man” is the better of the two. Sure, it’s a pretty by-the-numbers underdog sports story about boxer James J. Braddock. However, it’s about as good as a by-the-numbers underdog sports movie can be.

The movie that launched by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks into their respective successful careers. Sure, it’s a silly comedy about a man falling in love with a mermaid. It’s also quite clear watching the movie the charms that Hanks carried, and Howard’s capabilities as a director.

This is an occasion where Howard deserves credit for more than reliable professionalism. How do you turn a movie about a series of interviews between David Frost and former President Richard Nixon into an interesting movie? Howard found a way. Of course, having Michael Sheen as Frost and an excellent Frank Langella as Nixon certainly helped.

After making “Grand Theft Auto” on a low budget for Roger Corman, Howard got to move things up a notch with “Night Shift.” The film stars Henry Winkler, Howard’s “Happy Days” co-star, and a promising young actor named Michael Keaton. This movie is really a showcase for Keaton. He and Winkler are both really good, and so is Shelley Long. Oh, did we mention this is a movie about two guys who turn a morgue into a brothel? Yeah, you read that right.

In the end, this is pretty clearly Howard’s best film. They used planes to film scenes in actual zero-G. It’s technically very impressive. It’s a gripping story with excellent actors, including Tom Hanks naturally. If Howard deserved Best Director for any film, it’s “Apollo 13,” one of the best movies made about space and space travel.