Al Pacino vs Robert DeNiro

[1987_Lakers]

I think it's a right time to have this debate for the final time now that The Irishman is completed, likely their last noticeable film.

Pacino
The Godfather
Serpico
The Godfather Part II
Dog Day Afternoon
Scarface
Dick Tracy
Glengarry Glen Ross
Scent of a Woman
Carlito's Way
Heat
Donnie Brasco
The Insider
Insomnia
Angles in America
The Irishman

DeNiro
Mean Streets
The Godfather Part II
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Raging Bull
The King of Comedy
Once Upon a Time in America
The Untouchables
Goodfellas
Awakenings
Cape Fear
A Bronx Tale
Casino
Heat
Analyze This
The Irishman

[fourkicks44]

Pacino for me.

[mr4speed]

I think it's a right time to have this debate for the final time now that The Irishman is completed, likely their last noticeable film.

Pacino
The Godfather
Serpico
The Godfather Part II
Dog Day Afternoon
Scarface
Dick Tracy
Glengarry Glen Ross
Scent of a Woman
Carlito's Way
Heat
Donnie Brasco
The Insider
Insomnia
Angles in America
The Irishman

DeNiro
Mean Streets
The Godfather Part II
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Raging Bull
The King of Comedy
Once Upon a Time in America
The Untouchables
Goodfellas
Awakenings
Cape Fear
A Bronx Tale
Casino
Heat
Analyze This
The Irishman

Didnt DiNero also make a movie titled "The Score"? I thought he was superb in Deerhunter and Raging Bull and Cape Fear. Both great, hard to decide...

[imdaman99]

Pacino higher peak, DeNiro more consistent.

[FultzNationRISE]

Better than making a Spurs GT that gets 14 replies.



:roll:


RATPOIZON


Proctor the biggest dweeb here.


Anyway give me

[MaxPlayer]

They're both character actors, but DeNiro maybe more extremely so. Still, I prefer DeNiro. Watching them in The Godfather 2, DeNiro steals the screen as a young Vito Corleone, almost as good as Brando in the first film, while Pacino as Michael just seems flat to me.

Also, OP left Meet The Parents off his DeNiro list, which I think is one of his best and certainly most hilarious roles.

[FultzNationRISE]

They're both character actors, but DeNiro maybe more extremely so. Still, I prefer DeNiro. Watching them in The Godfather 2, DeNiro steals the screen as a young Vito Corleone, almost as good as Brando in the first film, while Pacino as Michael just seems flat to me.

Also, OP left Meet The Parents off his DeNiro list, which I think is one of his best and certainly most hilarious roles.


Good catch and agreed.

[AirBonner]

Both are on the same tier below Leo

[MaxPlayer]

BTW I liked The Irishman, but that was one of the most depressing movie endings I've seen in a while.

[FultzNationRISE]

Both are on the same tier below Leo



http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DTx1Kd4WhHo/ULjf_4fhRLI/AAAAAAAACrM/MsOERC9BzoM/s1600/Inception%2BLeonardo%2BDiCapro%2BGo%2BDeeper.jpg

[RRR3]

De Niro. Pacino is a chucker and his defensive effort hasn

[SouBeachTalents]

Both ATG, but Jack Nicholson >

[RRR3]

Both ATG, but Jack Nicholson >
Jack was nothing without the refs.

[egokiller]

Gosh Gad < Both

[diamenz]

i'd say pacino is more believable and charasmatic in the characters that he plays, whereas deniro is a 'better' actor (not sure exactly what i mean by that). both are on the same plane as far as being entertaining, and of course their mannerisms and facial expressions are unrivaled. pacino has the captivating eyes, that's for sure, and the boyish charm (sea of love) and is definitely more intense. deniro has more range as far as playing roles, and has the comedic element to boot.

they're interchangeable as my top two, with hopkins sitting at a solid third. if i had to choose though, i favor pacino.

[Long Duck Dong]

:wtf:

Why was my post deleted?


DeNiro role in the Godfather has forever rubbed me the wrong way. His Italian accent and mannerisms are pathetic

But it's no surprise. Guys like Pacino, Joe Pesci and Martin Scorsese were raised in Italian neighborhoods by blue collar Italian parents. They got the feel of Italians and the street. Deniro was raised by a Wap mom and an artistic gay father, and went to upper middle vlass private schools.



Apparently someone is a yuge Dinero fan. :oldlol:

It's not really homophobic. I'm just saying a guy who raised by a wap mom and a half Italian gay actor father doesn't give him background to carry the heavy gangsta rolls like it would the other guys raised around tough guys in the neighborhood

[1987_Lakers]

They're both character actors, but DeNiro maybe more extremely so. Still, I prefer DeNiro. Watching them in The Godfather 2, DeNiro steals the screen as a young Vito Corleone, almost as good as Brando in the first film, while Pacino as Michael just seems flat to me.

It's odd that you would say that, alot of people consider Pacino's performance in The Godfather II as one of the best performances in cinema history. I would say his performance in GFII, Dog Day Afternoon, & Scarface are his greatest performances. For DeNiro it's Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, & Raging Bull.

[warriorfan]

It's odd that you would say that, alot of people consider Pacino's performance in The Godfather II as one of the best performances in cinema history. I would say his performance in GFII, Dog Day Afternoon, & Scarface are his greatest performances. For DeNiro it's Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, & Raging Bull.

Yeah I don’t get that take. I get the description of Michael being flat but that was his character. He was different than the rest of his family. He wasn’t a gangster and didn’t want to be. It was still a great performance.

[Indian guy]

I prefer watching Pacino more, but De Niro is undoubtedly the superior actor IMO. More realistic in his portrayals and certainly had more range. Could play tough or weak, smart or stupid, serious or goofy, large-than-life or ordinary Joe. Pacino had range too, but in the far majority of his roles he's always the dominant alpha dog.

De Niro understood hair/clothes/body language like nobody else. His ability to physically embody his characters is second to none. He didn't even have to talk. You just looked at him and he was instantly believable as that guy. He just had that gift. Obviously, not including anything from the last 20-odd years, where he's clearly not putting in the same effort. I was shocked by how ordinary he was in the Irishman.

I'll say this though, Pacino is the more charismatic performer. He just dominates the screen. In all 3 movies Pacino-DeNiro have shared the screen together - Heat, The Righteous Kill and Irishman - Pacino I think totally dominates their scenes. He just has that presence.

[JohnnySic]

DeNiro is more believable in his roles; more like a real guy. Pacino is more of a cartoon character; yells a lot. Both are great actors, but its evident that Pacino is doing more "acting", if that makes sense.

[bladefd]

I thought Pacino was slightly better at acting but De Niro had better roles/movies. Pacino was in a few too many trash movies imo relative to De Niro. Ultimately, De Niro will be ranked higher on top 10 lists, which is fine. I just prefer Pacino's acting

[Smoke117]

DeNiro is a much better actor in my opinion. Al Pacino was great in the 70s, but he has never really come close to reaching that level since. Since he came back into the spotlight with Scarface most of his acting is just yelling a lot. There's little subtly to his acting for the most part in his performance over the last 30 years. DeNiro, on the other hand, had a good 20 year prime. I also think DeNiro just peaked higher in general.

[Smoke117]

DeNiro is more believable in his roles; more like a real guy. Pacino is more of a cartoon character; yells a lot. Both are great actors, but its evident that Pacino is doing more "acting", if that makes sense.

Exactly. There is little subtly in most of Pacino's roles since Scar Face. Here and there you get one like Lefty in Donnie Brasco, but for the most part it's him just yelling a bunch and being over dramatic in many of his roles. It's odd considering he was a very thoughtful actor in his 70s prime.

[egokiller]

Want to know who

[ROCSteady]

A couple underrated movies not in OP, even though he put all the greats.

De Niro: Sleepers, This Boy's Life, Jackie Brown, Meet The Parents, The Fan (LOL wildly dumb yet entertaining)

Pacino: Panic In Needle Park, Sea of Love, Two Bits, Danny Collins, Paterno, Two For The Money (another overlooked character in meh movie)

Personal favorites-

De Niro: Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, A Bronx Tale, Raging Bull, Heat

Pacino: Godfather Part I & II, Scent of a Woman, Carlito's Way, Donnie Brasco, Any Given Sunday (caricature version but wildly awesome role)

[Patrick Chewing]

Pacino for Godfather, Carlito's Way, Heat, and Donnie Brasco alone.

[Smoke117]

[QUOTE=egokiller]Want to know who

[Smoke117]

Anyway, Pacino's best movie is Scarecrow with Gene Hackman. (who is an incredibly underrated actor)

[1987_Lakers]

Two of those are a classic example of Pacino's overacting. The Recruit I don't even remember.

You should check out Insomnia (2002), Pacino doesn't overact at all. It's a pretty underrated film, directed by Christopher Nolan. Robin Williams is also very good in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idz5RDFxm8M

Probably the only scene where Pacino loses his temper, but also my favorite.

[Smoke117]

You should check out Insomnia (2002), Pacino doesn't overact at all. It's a pretty underrated film, directed by Christopher Nolan. Robin Williams is also very good in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idz5RDFxm8M

Probably the only scene where Pacino loses his temper, but also my favorite.

Seen it. I saw it in the theater with my dad way back then. It's a Stephen King adaption. As I said before, Pacino has a few gems here and there like Lefty from Donnie Brasco, but in general since ScarFace he's basically used yelling and overacting as a way to show how "intense" his characters are. His prime was basically that relatively short period in the 70s when he was on top of the world. DeNiro had a good 20 year prime from the mid 70s to mid 90s.

[scuzzy]

Pacino before 1990


Deniro after 1990

[Smoke117]

Pacino before 1990


Deniro after 1990

lol Pacino's 80s offerings are a joke compared to DeNiro's, but okay.

[Smoke117]

i'd say pacino is more believable and charasmatic in the characters that he plays, whereas deniro is a 'better' actor (not sure exactly what i mean by that). both are on the same plane as far as being entertaining, and of course their mannerisms and facial expressions are unrivaled. pacino has the captivating eyes, that's for sure, and the boyish charm (sea of love) and is definitely more intense. deniro has more range as far as playing roles, and has the comedic element to boot.

they're interchangeable as my top two, with hopkins sitting at a solid third. if i had to choose though, i favor pacino.

lol what? The guy who has overacted through over half of his career is more believable? :facepalm :oldlol:

[1987_Lakers]

I will say this, Pacino was much better in The Irishman. DeNiro was a damn snooze fest in that movie, bunch of mumbling, boring dialogue by his character. Pacino on the other hand killed it, gave the movie some much needed energy that it lacked.

[1987_Lakers]

Seen it. I saw it in the theater with my dad way back then. It's a Stephen King adaption. As I said before, Pacino has a few gems here and there like Lefty from Donnie Brasco, but in general since ScarFace he's basically used yelling and overacting as a way to show how "intense" his characters are. His prime was basically that relatively short period in the 70s when he was on top of the world. DeNiro had a good 20 year prime from the mid 70s to mid 90s.

Check out Angels in America. A mini series on HBO. Pacino won an emmy for best actor for it.

[Smoke117]

I will say this, Pacino was much better in The Irishman. DeNiro was a damn snooze fest in that movie, bunch of mumbling, boring dialogue by his character. Pacino on the other hand killed it, gave the movie some much needed energy that it lacked.

That really has nothing to do with the acting, but the characters. Jimmy Hoffa was obviously the more showy part.

[Smoke117]

Check out Angels in America. A mini series on HBO. Pacino won an emmy for best actor for it.

I know the series, but I never watched it. I'll check it out. Listen, I think Pacino was great in the 70s and generally like him as an actor, but to me he has no case over DeNiro who was just better in a lot more movies and just plain more consistent. As I said before, I also think he peaked higher. Raging Bull is the greatest performance ever as far as I'm concerned.

[sd3035]

Can't respect this ridiculously insecure manlet anymore

https://onecitizenspeaking.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451d3b569e201bb09e2c730970d

[Smook A.]

I really like both but I prefer Al Pacino

Can't really go wrong with either. I think they're both two of the top 5 actors of all time along with Brando, Nicholson, and Day-Lewis

[Andrei89]

I like both but DeNiro played in better movies.

[TheMan]

I think it's a right time to have this debate for the final time now that The Irishman is completed, likely their last noticeable film.

Pacino
The Godfather
Serpico
The Godfather Part II
Dog Day Afternoon
Scarface
Dick Tracy
Glengarry Glen Ross
Scent of a Woman
Carlito's Way
Heat
Donnie Brasco
The Insider
Insomnia
Angles in America
The Irishman

DeNiro
Mean Streets
The Godfather Part II
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Raging Bull
The King of Comedy
Once Upon a Time in America
The Untouchables
Goodfellas
Awakenings
Cape Fear
A Bronx Tale
Casino
Heat
Analyze This
The Irishman
No Meet the Fockers???

:facepalm

I love both actors but gimme DeNiro based on his work with Scorcese.

[TheMan]

Pacino for Godfather, Carlito's Way, Heat, and Donnie Brasco alone.
DeNiro Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas :confusedshrug:

[Patrick Chewing]

DeNiro Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas :confusedshrug:


It

[1987_Lakers]

No Meet the Fockers???

:facepalm

I love both actors but gimme DeNiro based on his work with Scorcese.
Really? Who thinks of Meet The Fockers when they think of DeNiro??:oldlol:

Only noticable movies I missed is Sea of Love for Pacino and Meet The Parents for DeNiro.

Pacino's performance in Dog Day Afternoon is probably my all time favorite.

[JohnnySic]

Pacino was truly great in Donnie Brasco. Understated, rather than flamboyant.

[TheMan]

Really? Who thinks of Meet The Fockers when they think of DeNiro??:oldlol:

Only noticable movies I missed is Sea of Love for Pacino and Meet The Parents for DeNiro.

Pacino's performance in Dog Day Afternoon is probably my all time favorite.
I was being sarcastic :lol

[FultzNationRISE]

Really? Who thinks of Meet The Fockers when they think of DeNiro??:oldlol:

Only noticable movies I missed is Sea of Love for Pacino and Meet The Parents for DeNiro.

Pacino's performance in Dog Day Afternoon is probably my all time favorite.


Obviously that's not the first thing people think of, but it was a good franchise and Deniro was surprisingly funny in it.

[Lebron23]

DeNiro is a much better actor in my opinion. Al Pacino was great in the 70s, but he has never really come close to reaching that level since. Since he came back into the spotlight with Scarface most of his acting is just yelling a lot. There's little subtly to his acting for the most part in his performance over the last 30 years. DeNiro, on the other hand, had a good 20 year prime. I also think DeNiro just peaked higher in general.
Al Pacino was pretty good in Carlito's Way. And in Any Given Sunday.

[Smoke117]

Al Pacino was pretty good in Carlito's Way. And in Any Given Sunday.

Pacino's role in Any Given Sunday was actually offered to DeNiro, but he turned it down.

[1987_Lakers]

Pacino's role in Any Given Sunday was actually offered to DeNiro, but he turned it down.

Also heard DeNiro was gonna do Scarface if Pacino didn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4QAA8Fwy1c

[Bawkish]

De Niro could do an explosive, loud aggressive character roles (Cape Fear, Raging Bull) as good as his calm, reserved roles (Heat, Godfather 2)

[Andrei89]

De Niro could do an explosive, loud aggressive character roles (Cape Fear, Raging Bull) as good as his calm, reserved roles (Heat, Godfather 2)


And Pacino couldn't ?

In Godfather 1 and 2 he was calm and rarely got aggressive.

[ArbitraryWater]

I prefer watching Pacino more, but De Niro is undoubtedly the superior actor IMO. More realistic in his portrayals and certainly had more range. Could play tough or weak, smart or stupid, serious or goofy, large-than-life or ordinary Joe. Pacino had range too, but in the far majority of his roles he's always the dominant alpha dog.

De Niro understood hair/clothes/body language like nobody else. His ability to physically embody his characters is second to none. He didn't even have to talk. You just looked at him and he was instantly believable as that guy. He just had that gift. Obviously, not including anything from the last 20-odd years, where he's clearly not putting in the same effort. I was shocked by how ordinary he was in the Irishman.

I'll say this though, Pacino is the more charismatic performer. He just dominates the screen. In all 3 movies Pacino-DeNiro have shared the screen together - Heat, The Righteous Kill and Irishman - Pacino I think totally dominates their scenes. He just has that presence.



and he could do disgusting scum, just about everything, he naturally lived it...

regardless if he came from an upper class area with a gay father... seamlessly transitioned into the role.

[Smoke117]

And Pacino couldn't ?

In Godfather 1 and 2 he was calm and rarely got aggressive.

Yeah...in the 70s. After Scarface he's mostly hammed it up. Donnie Brasco was on showtime yesterday and I was watching it for a bit and then was curious about reviews and it was amusing how a lot of them were saying how Pacino is actually trying again. That's the kind of reputation he had going into that movie. He's had a few gems here and there, but for the most part he's overacted a majority of the time since the mid 80s.

[Patrick Chewing]

Smoke clearly stans for DeNiro. No sense in debating him further.

[Smoke117]

Smoke clearly stans for DeNiro. No sense in debating him further.

Not really. It's just the way it is. My complaints about Pacino are common complaints about him.

[Smoke117]

I prefer watching Pacino more, but De Niro is undoubtedly the superior actor IMO. More realistic in his portrayals and certainly had more range. Could play tough or weak, smart or stupid, serious or goofy, large-than-life or ordinary Joe. Pacino had range too, but in the far majority of his roles he's always the dominant alpha dog.

De Niro understood hair/clothes/body language like nobody else. His ability to physically embody his characters is second to none. He didn't even have to talk. You just looked at him and he was instantly believable as that guy. He just had that gift. Obviously, not including anything from the last 20-odd years, where he's clearly not putting in the same effort. I was shocked by how ordinary he was in the Irishman.

I'll say this though, Pacino is the more charismatic performer. He just dominates the screen. In all 3 movies Pacino-DeNiro have shared the screen together - Heat, The Righteous Kill and Irishman - Pacino I think totally dominates their scenes. He just has that presence.

Pacino's acting is distracting in Heat with all the over the top escapades, but that actually isn't his fault. The character is supposed to be a coke head, but they cut all those scenes out. He was basing his portrayal off the fact that his character was always on coke.

[ROCSteady]

Smoke clearly stans for DeNiro. No sense in debating him further.

So you don't like DeNiro because he's a loony Trump hating liberal?

I'm glad I can separate the work from the person or else I would be a giant hypocrite being fans of people I don't agree with their worldview.

If I "boycotted" all the creatives and entertainers I admire because of their personal views, I would have missed out on a whole lot of enrichment in my life.

I always get a kick out of Republican Conservatives who refuse to support great art because they don't like someone's politics but probably listen to Neil Young and Pearl Jam because they're not in someone's Facebook outrage post lmao.

I'm not saying this is you, per se, just something I've noticed. Obviously, the lefties are crazy with their whole Cancel bullshit but basically, people are just full of shit :lol

[diamenz]

So you don't like DeNiro because he's a loony Trump hating liberal?

I'm glad I can separate the work from the person or else I would be a giant hypocrite being fans of people I don't agree with their worldview.

If I "boycotted" all the creatives and entertainers I admire because of their personal views, I would have missed out on a whole lot of enrichment in my life.

I always get a kick out of Republican Conservatives who refuse to support great art because they don't like someone's politics but probably listen to Neil Young and Pearl Jam because they're not in someone's Facebook outrage post lmao.

I'm not saying this is you, per se, just something I've noticed. Obviously, the lefties are crazy with their whole Cancel bullshit but basically, people are just full of shit :lol

ya.

[TheMan]

So you don't like DeNiro because he's a loony Trump hating liberal?

I'm glad I can separate the work from the person or else I would be a giant hypocrite being fans of people I don't agree with their worldview.

If I "boycotted" all the creatives and entertainers I admire because of their personal views, I would have missed out on a whole lot of enrichment in my life.

I always get a kick out of Republican Conservatives who refuse to support great art because they don't like someone's politics but probably listen to Neil Young and Pearl Jam because they're not in someone's Facebook outrage post lmao.

I'm not saying this is you, per se, just something I've noticed. Obviously, the lefties are crazy with their whole Cancel bullshit but basically, people are just full of shit :lol
I know a few conservatives who are huge Rage Against The Machine and Tool fans :lol

[Patrick Chewing]

So you don't like DeNiro because he's a loony Trump hating liberal?

I'm glad I can separate the work from the person or else I would be a giant hypocrite being fans of people I don't agree with their worldview.

If I "boycotted" all the creatives and entertainers I admire because of their personal views, I would have missed out on a whole lot of enrichment in my life.

I always get a kick out of Republican Conservatives who refuse to support great art because they don't like someone's politics but probably listen to Neil Young and Pearl Jam because they're not in someone's Facebook outrage post lmao.

I'm not saying this is you, per se, just something I've noticed. Obviously, the lefties are crazy with their whole Cancel bullshit but basically, people are just full of shit :lol


Wow. Where did this outrage come from? Look back on all my posts. Where have I said I don't like DeNiro because of his political views? I simply think Pacino is far and away a better actor than DeNiro.

There are roles that Pacino played that I in no way think DeNiro could have done. Some may disagree, but that's what I think.

[ROCSteady]

Lol not outrage more just an observation of growing up in a white conservative area. I wasn’t necessarily saying this is you but you give off the vibes to discredit someone’s work because of their politics. This is a fair choice for those ppl, just find it retarded and hypocritical.

Lol I need a vacation, overthinking stupid things that don’t concern me

[ArbitraryWater]

OP missed Angel Heart and Cop Land

[MrFonzworth]

What Korean dramas have these two been in?

[Smook A.]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a9/54/9e/a9549ed44efc0c15a7d033f7c93be12e.jpg

When you think about the greatest actors of all time, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are always mentioned in the top 5 along with guys like Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington, etc.

These two guys have been in a countless amount of iconic movies such as The Godfather, Scarface, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Serpico, Goodfellas, and the list goes on and on. Over the decades, there's always been talk about who the greater actor is, and it's a tough one because both of them are so great. It's a shame that someone as good as Pacino only has 1 Oscar. I think both him and De Niro deserve at least one more to their name.

Who's the greater actor in your opinion?

[ArbitraryWater]

dude again

[Smook A.]

dude again

What do you mean again? :lol First time I’ve ever made this thread

[SaltyMeatballs]

Pacino is better. De Niro’s a good actor but he plays the same guy often. He also gets bonus points for openly hating on Trump

[Akeem34TheDream]

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?475228-Al-Pacino-vs-Robert-DeNiro

[Smook A.]

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?475228-Al-Pacino-vs-Robert-DeNiro

Forgot about this one

[1987_Lakers]

Pacino

[Jasper]

bob , drama , comedy ... more diverse

[Smoke117]

We've been over this many times, and De Niro is much better and it's not even close. It comes to simple longevity. Pacino was a great actor in the 70s, but he flamed out and then came back and, frankly, for the most part he's just over played 90% of characters he played. Scarface really was a double edged sword. It brought him back to the limelight, but it basically became the template for his acting afterward...overact and be very loud all the time because that's dramatic I guess. From the mid 70s to basically the end of the Century De Niro was a fantastic actor. He didn't devolve till he started to take acting less seriously and was trying to get his film festival going so he would take stupid roles just for the money. He was a great actor, though, for a good 25 year period. Pacino had a great peak in the 70s, but his overall work is much weaker than De Niro's overall work.

[insidehoops]

The debate continues.