stvn1974

Nolan makes films for dumb people who think that they are intellectually challenging.

This is my Nolan bashing quota for the day.

OldBoy

He may try for emotion, but his movies just boil down to one action set piece to another. Not saying in a bad way at all, but I find, sans Batman, Cameron movies to be more rewatchable and basically turn your brain off and sit back for a joyous, action packed ride. And only Titanic evoked the most emotion of course. But most of his others have those moments, but they are fleeting. Nolan makes you turn your brain on just a little more.

rocket1312

ftfy

GoldenJCJ

Technically that’s not Nolan bashing. You’re bashing the people who like Nolan. I’m not sure you should be calling anyone dumb.

Trevor

I like most of Cameron’s films well enough, but I’d watch all 11 of those Nolan films before I got to my fourth Cameron film.

MR Round

Pre Avatar Cameron is a really fun time in film, same with anything before interstellar, but my dislike for Nolans work after inception gave my vote to Cameron because while avatar is just one big giant cartoon at least its not alot of pretentiousness for the sake of it.

story

If we're talking about fun movies with my family, I'm giving this to James Cameron. Here's what our kids have seen and their ratings:

James Cameron
1984 The Terminator - Really good!
1986 Aliens - One of the greatest movies of all time!
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day - One of the greatest movies of all time!
1994: True Lies - Really good!
1997: Titanic - One of the greatest movies of all time!

Christopher Nolan
2010: Inception - Really good!

Watching Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day with my kids for their first time was a delight. In Aliens, when Ripley and Newt come up the elevator to the empty landing platform and Bishop isn't there, they lost their minds! "She was right! She couldn't trust him! Nooooo!" So good!

When Terminator 2 ended, they said, wow, that has got to be one of the greatest movies of all time. When I said that movie actually is often considered one of the greatest movies of all time by a lot of people, they lost their minds! "And we got to see it!" So good!

I like Nolan movies, but for where my kids are at, they're just not a good fit. Too dark or long or talkie. It will be a different story when they're older.

I'm giving this to James Cameron. Watching his movies on my own, with friends, or with my family is simply a delight.

stvn1974

Him making movies for dumb people isn't bashing?

Hokeyboy

Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, T2, and Titanic are five of my alltime favorites. Don't care for the Avatar flicks, and Trues Lies was a bit of a mess.

Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and Inception are also top notch, and I like Nolan's other movies to some extent, except Dunkirk didn't work for me and the ambitious Tenet was equally fascinating and so far up his own ass.

I don't think there will ever be a better Summer Blockbuster Movie than T2. And I'm sure that's Level 99 Nostalgia in action.

So I love both. Apples and oranges. And maybe a diced tangelo.

TomOpus

You didn't find any emotion when Virgil is trying to revive Lindsey in The Abyss?

Nick Danger

When I looked over those lists, I realized that I have never had the desire to re-watch a Nolan movie. I always walked out of the theater dissatisfied.

Cameron by default.

OldBoy

i didn't say his movies are totally devoid of emotion (even Virgil submerging at the end and his texts back and forth as he descended were gripping), but it is very few and far between. JC is known for his action epics, not his heart and little emotion.

GoldenJCJ

Oddly enough, millions upon millions of young women fell in love with Jack and Rose and would vehemently deny that JC films were devoid of emotion.

Titanic, the aforementioned Abyss scenes above, and John’s relationship with the T-800 in Terminator 2 are just a few examples.

rocket1312

My step dad does not cry at movies, but he happily admits he cried at the end of T2.
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stvn1974

If you don't have tears dripping onto your lap when Ahnuld raises his thumb at the end of T2 you are a soulless shell.

Toddarino

I very much enjoy Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises & Interstellar. I rewatch them often, especially Interstellar.

However…
Terminator, Aliens, the Abyss, Terminator 2 and True Lies beat all of those films.

Dr. DVD

One gives me entertainment and spectacle, and the other really makes me think while giving occasional spectacle, so no preference for me. Cameron is basically the modern Cecil B. DeMille in spirit with Nolan the modern Kubrick.

maxfisher

I like-to-love most of the films each of them has made, but if I had to choose between only having access to one of their bodies of work, I’d go with Nolan. I enjoy the hell out of The Prestige and his Batman trilogy, and have watched Interstellar more times than any other movie that’s been released in my adult life. It has some goofy bits and plot holes, but it’s my favorite film score, the visuals are amazing and, as someone who can struggle with cynicism about the future of our species, I appreciate it’s willful attempt to find some optimism amidst a bleak future.

I’m struggling to think of a movie I’d consider intellectually challenging, and am honestly not even sure what your criticism means. Are you talking about people having difficulty following the details of a plot? Or have you encountered a lot of people who say a Nolan movie changed the way they considered some vital aspect of life? Or you think that he’s shooting for one of those results? Or something else?

milo bloom

Cameron is a little stronger but the Bat-trilogy is pretty darn good.

I am interested in watching Interstellar at some point.

mndtrp

The Cameron movies that I like, I really really like. Unfortunately, that only gets me up to True Lies. Titanic is impressive, but I don't really have any interest in watching it. I didn't like the first Avatar, and don't intend to see the second one.
I've liked all of Nolan's movies. I feel kind of bad not choosing Cameron, but based on amount of movies I like, Nolan wins.