Pacino vs. DeNiro - Battle Royale!

I am a man on a mission. Here I am, determined to solve the eternal quetion that has plagued mankind for eons and eons.

Pacino . . . or . . . DeNiro

I think this calls for a . . .

BATTLE ROYALE!



Alright gentlemen, this match will be decided by a decade by decade, year by year breakdown of each of your impressive resumes. Now I want you to go to your respective corners and Come Out Swingin!

Round 1 . . . FIGHT!

The Early Years

1960’s – Both of the youngsters make their first impressions. A dark cloud of awesomeness begins to settle over the film industry.
Winner – Tie, psssht, rookies

1970’s – Pacino hits it big with The Godfather, DeNiro hits it big with the Godfather Part II, but Pacino edges it out with Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico.
Winner – Godfather Pacino

1980’s – Pacino does 5 movies in 10 years, and yes, Scarface was good, but DeNiro comes into his own with an impressive resume including Raging Bull.
Winner – Robert DeNiro

Alright, alright, break it up! Back to your corners!

Ok now fellas, let's go around again, but this time, it's a year-by-year breakdown format. Make sure everything stays above the waistline.

Round 2 . . . FIGHT!

The 90's

1990
Pacino has a stellar year; finishes the Godfather saga, makes a great cameo in Dick Tracy, and makes his first foray into directing! But wait, DeNiro does a little movie called FUCKING GOODFELLAS!
Winner – “Turning Your Mind Into Mush” DeNiro

1991
DeNiro turns in an Oscar nominated performance 2nd year running in Cape Fear. Pacino makes out with Michelle Pfieffer.
Winner – DeNiro in all his vegetable-dye-tattooed gloriousness

1992
Pacino finally wins Best Actor for Scent of a Woman. DeNiro claps for him.
Winner – Lieutenant Colonel Al Pacino

1993
Carlito’s Way, so underrated.
Winner – Pacino papi chulo

1994
DeNiro does Frankenstein. Pacino does nothing.
Winner – Mary Shelley’s DeNiro

1995
Heat should make this a tie but DeNiro also found time to make Casino. One of the best years in Pacino/DeNiro history!
Winner – Lord DeNiro shall destroy all who oppose him

1996
DeNiro shops for a new boyfriend while working with Leonardo DiCaprio, Wesley Snipes, and Brad Pitt. Pacino goes to City Hall.
Winner - DeNiro

1997
DeNiro was great in Jackie Brown but Wag the Dog has got to be one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Plus Donnie Brasco was the shit.
Winner – Al “Lefty Two Guns” Pacino

1998
Pacino does the vacation thing. Ronin was . . . alright . . . ?
Winner – I can’t believe this man gets paid to kiss Natascha McElhone, DeNiro

1999
Analyze This was good but Al’s choice to work with Michael Mann and Oliver Stone make it clear he’s losing his mind a little bit slower.
Winner – Pacino, the Director’s Actor

Decade Wrap Up
DeNiro, but there were some hanging chads.

Clean your cuts and put some vasaline on those bruises!

Round 3 . . . FIGHT!

The 2000's

2000
DeNiro Meets the Parents. Pacino drinks Chinese Coffee . . . by himself.
Winner – DeNiro, you Ben-Stiller-Embarassing Bastard

2001
Pacino lies dormant. DeNiro checks Brando out of the insane asylum to make The Score.
Winner – DeNiro

2002
An active year for both of our heroes but Pacino turns out the better 3 with Insomnia.
Winner – sleepyhead Pacino

2003
DeNiro takes the year off. Pacino doesn’t do much better with the release of Gigli.
Winner – DeNiro, the lazy bastard

2004
Pacino’s Merchant of Venice wasn’t bad, but DeNiro’s work ethic shines through with 4 films in this year alone.
Winner – The Workaholic, DeNiro

2005
DeNiro does a Dakota Fanning scary movie and embarrasses himself. Pacino does less than mediocre Matthew McConaughey action movie and narrowly avoids embarrassing himself.
Winner – Pacino by a hair

Decade Wrap Up (So far)
Tie Game! They both better pick it up.

Well folks, it was a good old fashioned throwdown, and our winner is . . .


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SPLIT DECISION!

They aint dead yet folks.

Jackie Brown > Donnie Brasco

I say nay but that is a shaky one.

Two good films nonetheless (however that's spelled...)

I find it telling that in the one film they starred in together, Heat, neither stole the show, but rather cancelled out one another. De Niro's is the embodiment of restrained intensity; Pacino shouts a lot.

I found it surprising and disappointing that there was no mention of either Taxi Driver (1976) or Mean Streets (1973). No wonder Pacino won the 1970s round.

Year-by-year might help with the nineties, but wasn't their best work prior to that?

We already did a poll, where DeNiro prevailed over Pacino...by ONE vote, nevermind that Irishman did try to rig the ballot afterwards, to no effect.

Why do some insist in pitting the careers and talent of these two fine, legendary actors against each other.

Because of the one thing they have in common...the Godfather films.

It's so stupid.

I will admit to one thing, though...Pacino has the prettier smile.



Apple

Boo fucking hoo!

Actually, I think the one thing they have in common is acting talent. When people discuss common ground for them, Heat is the obvious point of discussion, not The Godfather.

So THERE!

In the battle of fruits, apple vs. orange, I vote for orange. I love Oranges because they taste better. I want to sleep in a tub of orange juice and drink it instead of water. An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but the cute doctor I just met, makes it all worthwhile. Screw apples, I love oranges. :p

Yeah, something like that...

Bullshit.

Oh, and one more thing for those with a preference....

What, Appleonya not respecting other folks' opinions? Why I never!

Oh, how I hate wrinkled prunes.

You know what, for some reason I completely forgot about Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter. For that I give it to DeNiro.

I actually consider both to be better than either Serpico or Dog Day Afternoon.

if i gotta choose, film for film i gotta go with DeNiro
Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor and his controlled madness helps him as opposed to Pacino screaming and Al does tend to overact sometimes but Al is still #2 on my list after Bob

I used to compare them before I knew they were in the Godfather films, until I asked my sister if these two great actors have ever been in a film together.

DeNiro's performance in Mean Streets alone is better than anything Pacino has ever done.

Now now, let's not say things we don't mean.

I desperatley need to view Mean Streets, I really, really, really want to see it after that statement.

It's a decent film but it seems like DVC has consistently held a somewhat abnormal infatuation with it. I enjoyed it mostly just to see Scorsese's early work. DeNiro's not even the main character.

To each his own though.

Mean streets is a great movie with a great story about a low level mob guy and his screw up friend. It is a classic.

I haven't.

I actually think Mean Streets and The King of Comedy are Scorsese's 2 best. Although I haven't seen the latter in quite a while.

I personally think Taxi Driver may be the most relevant film to society I can think of, in any time. As for DeNiro in Mean Streets, I think he's great, but I don't put it ahead of some of Pacino's roles, especially Michael Corleone.

Could you offer an in-depth explanation of this belief? I sincerely do not understand it at all considering we're talking about the guy who made Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and Cape Fear.

What attracts you to those 2 films so much? And why do you dislike the rest of his work? (or at least find it not as good)

Could you offer an in-depth explanation of this belief? I sincerely do not understand it at all considering we're talking about the guy who made Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and Cape Fear.

What attracts you to those 2 films so much? And why do you dislike the rest of his work? (or at least find it not as good) [/b][/quote]Taxi Driver and Raging Bull are masterpieces.

I feel Casino and Goodfellas are very polished films, fueled by great acting. But to me they are simply "filmed stories." There is nothing really cinematic about these films at all, except for maybe the editing, which is a somewhat superficial in my eyes. I don't find that kind of stuff impressive unless it has some kind of deeper meaning, some kind of deeper method.

The King of Comedy is very similar to Taxi Driver, only more disturbing and more powerful. The final scene with DeNiro on stage holds more power than the "You talkin' to me?" scene in Taxi Driver ever has or ever will, in my opinion. It's a very disturbing portrayal of a man who's completely consumed by his obsession.

Mean Streets is Scorsese's most personal film, and a masterpiece. Unlike Goodfellas, it has a more gritty feel to it, and its neo-realism leaves you with a feeling of genuine emotion and sympathy towards the characters. Scorsese's decision to use his voice to narrate Charlie's thoughts is one of the most brilliant things I've seen in cinema.