James Cameron V Michael Bay V Christopher Nolan

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by groundgamer

A simple one this. Do you prefer James Cameron, Michael Bay or Christopher Nolan?

My vote goes to Mr Nolan, purely for his masterpiece: The Dark Knight

How is it a simple one? Nolan has shown he can make good, deep movies time and again while the other two are decent popcorn directors at best.

[P@t_Mtl]

I think it's very fair to say of the 3 Nolan is the best director. Yes Cameron & Bay make fun movies but I don't see them being able to make movies in the same fashion as Nolan does

[JBL4645]

So I guess Titanic wasn’t fun, even thou I saw it some 14 times, because the Dolby digital mix was just the best sound in town at the time.

Bay I can’t hardly grasp the dialogue pace is too, fast.

Nolan the dialogue is often spoken at normal pace to understand characterization.

The vote looks more like Piggy in the middle with Bay. Cameron and Nolan neck and neck!

[makaveli21]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

How is it a simple one? Nolan has shown he can make good, deep movies time and again while the other two are decent popcorn directors at best.

Agree--this isn't even close.

I would rather see a Nolan vs. Fincher vs. Aronofsky poll

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by makaveli21

Agree--this isn't even close.

I would rather see a Nolan vs. Fincher vs. Aronofsky poll

That is a lot closer to an apples/apples poll.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

That is a lot closer to an apples/apples poll.

agree

[TRIGON]

First of all, Michael Bay doesn't belong in a comparison with these other 2 fine directors. To even lump him with them is a joke.
For the other 2, Cameron is the clear winner. Mostly for his body of work. His films have become modern classics. Nolan, for the most part makes excellent films, but he has not had as long of a career. Out of directors of the last ten years though, I would definitely put Nolan at the top.

[DarchAmonNagar]

James Cameron for my all time favourite movie Aliens! Nolan then Bay

[SkillzthatKillz]

Michael Bay for his masterpiece, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

























Kidding of course, my vote goes to Cameron. Nolan is a great director but Cameron has directed the 2 highest grossing films of all time. I don't think anyone can say he got lucky doing that.

[Kryptonic]

Cameron. Although Nolan is not far behind.

Bay is perhaps the worst director currently working.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Cameron. Although Nolan is not far behind.

Bay is perhaps the worst director currently working.

Apparently you've never seen any Uwe Boll movies.

Logan

[makaveli21]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

That is a lot closer to an apples/apples poll.

I feel that Cameron and Bay are pretty much apples/apples. Long on special effects, short on screenplay and character development.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by makaveli21

I feel that Cameron and Bay are pretty much apples/apples. Long on special effects, short on screenplay and character development.

My preference for Nolans work is because the final product is more serious. I think Nolan is much better at pacing and using subtle nuances for an impact. Also, I find Nolans eye more engaging and effective. Everyone will disagree with me here, but I find Nolans action sequences to flow in a more coherent fashion. For me, Cameron is "big and bold" for the sake of big and bold, and not enough substance in the storytelling. Plus, I can do without the silly dialogue (I know thats the writer in him though.)

[Shanester]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

My preference for Nolans work is because the final product is more serious. I think Nolan is much better at pacing and using subtle nuances for an impact. Also, I find Nolans eye more engaging and effective. Everyone will disagree with me here, but I find Nolans action sequences to flow in a more coherent fashion. For me, Cameron is "big and bold" for the sake of big and bold, and not enough substance in the storytelling. Plus, I can do without the silly dialogue (I know thats the writer in him though.)

Have you seen Aliens??

That's hands down best non stop action film of the past 25 years imo.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Shanester

Have you seen Aliens??

That's hands down best non stop action film of the past 25 years imo.

Agreed. It's arguably the greatest action film of all-time (I think it's #1) and as Ebert put it, he was exhausted when it was over.

Nolan absolutely, imo, does not shoot action scenes as good as Cameron. I don't think it's even remotely close. Nolan is mediocre at action scenes--not bad, but nothing special. Everything he does in them has been seen before and the editing is generally weak. Cameron is a master of action scenes and puts them together far more cohesively and in a more engaging and involving way than Nolan.

[Beast]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

My preference for Nolans work is because the final product is more serious. I think Nolan is much better at pacing and using subtle nuances for an impact. Also, I find Nolans eye more engaging and effective. Everyone will disagree with me here, but I find Nolans action sequences to flow in a more coherent fashion. For me, Cameron is "big and bold" for the sake of big and bold, and not enough substance in the storytelling. Plus, I can do without the silly dialogue (I know thats the writer in him though.)

Better at pacing? With the snails pace of Batman Begins and Dark Knight?

And subtle nuances? I must have missed them while Bale was gargling gravel.

As for Nolan's action scenes. Look at Batman Begins. There's no flow or coherant storytelling. It's all jump cutting and spinning the camera around instead of shooting the action.

You can do without silly dialogue and yet take Nolan's Batfillms seriously? Hooookay.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by Beast

You can do without silly dialogue and yet take Nolan's Batfillms seriously? Hooookay.

It's not who you are, but what you do that defines you...

Logan

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Beast

Better at pacing? With the snails pace of Batman Begins and Dark Knight?
And subtle nuances? I must have missed them while Bale was gargling gravel.

As for Nolan's action scenes. Look at Batman Begins. There's no flow or coherant storytelling. It's all jump cutting and spinning the camera around instead of shooting the action.

You can do without silly dialogue and yet take Nolan's Batfillms seriously? Hooookay.

I dont suffer from ADD.

IMHO you are 100% delirious on your other points.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by makaveli21

I feel that Cameron and Bay are pretty much apples/apples. Long on special effects, short on screenplay and character development.

Just because the effects in Nolans films weren't CGI {Batman anyway, Prestige was mostly CGI as well} doesn't mean they weren't special effects.

Logan

[Beast]

Originally Posted by jadedeath

Just because the effects in Nolans films weren't CGI {Batman anyway, Prestige was mostly CGI as well} doesn't mean they weren't special effects.

Logan

Plus Ripley's journey in Aliens is hardly lacking in Character Development.

Or Sarah Conner's journey from who she was in T1 to who she was in T2.

Or Jake Sully's journey from washed up lost human being to finding a cause and a life.