Christopher Nolan vs John McTiernan

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Superior director
64.29%
9 votes
Christopher Nolan
35.71%
5 votes
John McTiernan
14 votes. You may not vote on this poll




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I find this to be an odd comparison, it's like asking who is better between James Cameron and Michael Bay .



Yeah, I think director comparisons mostly work when they have overt similarities. Otherwise it's more an expression of what types of films someone likes, and therefore is more about the person responding than about the directors.



I find this to be an odd comparison, it's like asking who is better between James Cameron and Michael Bay .
The gap between Cameron and Bay is FAR wider, than Nolan and McTiernan...

Yeah, I think director comparisons mostly work when they have overt similarities. Otherwise it's more an expression of what types of films someone likes, and therefore is more about the person responding than about the directors.
Both are action directors, and upon a rewatch of Die Hard: With A Vengance i thought this would be a fair or fun match up.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Both are action directors, and upon a rewatch of Die Hard: With A Vengance i thought this would be a fair or fun match up.
so Batman vs Die Hard. You're asking to compare Batman vs Die Hard? I'm reading that as Batman vs Die Hard. I'd go with Die Hard. It's just a far superior Christmas movie.
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The gap between Cameron and Bay is FAR wider, than Nolan and McTiernan...



Both are action directors, and upon a rewatch of Die Hard: With A Vengance i thought this would be a fair or fun match up.
Oh okay, I thought that Cameron and Bay were both action directors as well, accept for the odd ones like Titantic or Pain and Gain.



so Batman vs Die Hard. You're asking to compare Batman vs Die Hard? I'm reading that as Batman vs Die Hard. I'd go with Die Hard. It's just a far superior Christmas movie.
I was just saying that they spawned two impressive franchises.

Oh okay, I thought that Cameron and Bay were both action directors as well, accept for the odd ones like Titantic or Pain and Gain.
Yeah they are but not comparable...



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Oh okay, fair enough . I guess Nolan's movies have deeper themes in them, more than McTeirnan. Perhaps Nolan is willing to have his plots take darker turns?

WARNING: "SPOILER" spoilers below
I mean in the The Dark Knight, the main character's love interest is killed off, where as in Die Hard, she's not.



Can't even see where the knob is
Die Hard and Predator urinate on everything Nolan has ever done.
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How am I supposed to find someone willing to go into that musty old claptrap?



Ain't surprising to use hyperbole since you hate TDK lol..

how can something "urinate", i mean you can argue that you like it more lol

Nolan is the better director



how can something "urinate", i mean you can argue that you like it more lol
It's the internet, everybody's afraid their opinion will register as just another opinion (even though that's what it is), so they often toss on some ornate insult to maybe help it stand out.

Or, to be fair, sometimes they're just trying to be funny.



It's the internet, everybody's afraid their opinion will register as just another opinion (even though that's what it is), so they often toss on some ornate insult to maybe help it stand out.

Or, to be fair, sometimes they're just trying to be funny.
Yeah, but that seems disrespectful like other films are somehow weaker in that sense..

Well, atleast he's not trolling like some do (TDKR being worse than Batman and Robin is what i consider 100% trolling)...



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Well I think Nolan has better movies, but McTiernan is the better director when it comes to staging and editing. I think McTiernan's action scenes are staged and edited much better, even some of his dialogue scenes as well perhaps.

One thing I find kind of annoying about Nolans editing is during action scenes he will cut back and forth between different action scenes constantly, where as I think it would be better if he showed one, then another, then another, instead of cutting. In Interstellar he intercuts constantly between a fight scene and a dialogue scene, for example. This doesn't make Nolan a bad director at all, it's just personal preference.



Well I think Nolan has better movies, but McTiernan is the better director when it comes to staging and editing. I think McTiernan's action scenes are staged and edited much better, even some of his dialogue scenes as well perhaps.

One thing I find kind of annoying about Nolans editing is during action scenes he will cut back and forth between different action scenes constantly, where as I think it would be better if he showed one, then another, then another, instead of cutting. In Interstellar he intercuts constantly between a fight scene and a dialogue scene, for example. This doesn't make Nolan a bad director at all, it's just personal preference.
McTiernan: better action director

Nolan: better director, coz prestige, memento and inception all have very good editing and also impressive set pieces and storytelling IMO