Is it really fair to compare the two? Probably not. Both have delivered some of Hollywood's most memorable performances. Both have worked with great directors and both are now shadows of their former selves. Now I love Al Pacino, his performances are so wonderful but I think Robert DeNiro is the better actor. So, who do you enjoy better? Who do you think is the better actor? Who has had the better career?

Like you said, they were (and can still be on occasion) both great. While Pacino is starting to do more solid work again ("Angels in America", "The Merchant of Venice"), Robert Deniro is still milking the cash cow for everything it's worth ("Meet the Fockers", "Hide and Seek", "Godsend"). Right now I have more respect for Pacino - but make no mistake, they're two of our generation's finest performers.

In their prime? DeNiro.
Currently? Pacino.
Overall? DeNiro.

-JP

Pacino has more range as an actor but I like more of DeNiro's films.

I'd lean towards De Niro since he's created more memorable characters.

Totally. Absolutely. No questions asked.

Pacino was great for about five years in the early 70s, but he's been a hack since, and lately he's just been a parody of his hacky self.

DeNiro, Hoffman and Nicholson are the three greatest film actors of their generation.
(And even Jeff Bridges is better than Pacino)

A hack? I can understand disagreeing with some of his acting choices but calling all post-70s Pacino a hack is really ignorant.

DeNiro.

too hard to choose

I think both are great. I can see DeNiro pulling off the roles Pacino did , but I can't see it the other way around. I couldn't see Pacino playing DeNiro's role in Cape Fear, for example. I clearly go with DeNiro.

Pacino all the way for me. He's definitely the best.

I try to collect Pacino and De Niro movies (see my sig), so I obviously like them both a lot. If I had to pick one though, I would go with De Niro because his career seems more complete.

Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons wrote a great comparison on ESPN2. The archives are currently on ESPN Insider, but you can view the column here for free:
http://www.santagati.com/omerta/archives/000151.htm

Both are great, but i like Pacino better.

As much respect and admiration I have for Al, I gotta go with De Niro. Sure I have been somewhat disappointed with De Niro's choices of the last few years, but De Niro in his prime was untouchable IMO.

Yes, both are great, but I prefer DeNiro as the better actor.

DeNiro is the better actor, he even does a great job in his recent godawful comedies.

Pacino has always been a little too shrill and over the top, the first two Godfather movies excepted. His last decent performance was in Sea of Love.

Since DeNiro is just a shell of once he once was, I'll go with Pacino right now.

If you were asking this question in the 80's, I would have gone with DeNiro.

Hard to choose, but I'll lean towards DeNiro here.

At least Pacino isn't embarassing himself over and over again these days.

How could you make this thread without a poll? It's screaming for one.

Pretty tight race. I like them both. I would probably have to side with Pacino because he was in Scarface, one of my favorite movies ever.

Who has won more awards? Oscars, Golden Globes, etc.? That would be an interesting comparison.

Pacino
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000199/awards
Academy Awards
1 win (Scent of a Woman), 7 additional nominations (Glengarry Glen Ross, Dick Tracy, ...And Justice for All, Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather: Part II, Serpico, The Godfather)
Golden Globes
3 wins (Angels in America, Scent of a Woman, Serpico) 11 additional nominations (not counting Cecil B. DeMille Award) (Glengarry Glen Ross, The Godfather: Part III, Dick Tracy, Sea of Love, Scarface, Author! Author!, ...And Justice for All, Bobby Deerfield, Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather: Part II, The Godfather)
Screen Actors Guild Awards
1 win (Angels in America)

De Niro
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000134/awards
Academy Awards
2 wins (Raging Bull, The Godfather: Part II), 4 additional nominations (Cape Fear, Awakenings, The Deer Hunter, Taxi Driver)
Golden Globes
1 win (Raging Bull), 7 additional nominations (Meet the Parents, Analyze This, Cape Fear, Midnight Run, The Deer Hunter, New York, New York, Taxi Driver)
Screen Actors Guild Awards
1 nomination (cast - Marvin's Room)

DeNiro would be my pick

deniro has alot more range, comedy, action, drama, pacino is limited but i still prefer him.

My pick (and one of the best scenes in cinema history)

then why are you...