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Tom Hanks or Robert De Niro or Al Pacino. Who's Better

Which actors is better between Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?

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Red Devil

Red Devil

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Tom Hanks or Robert De Niro or Al Pacino. Who's Better

All three are legends and personal favorites but who do you guys think is better.
 
Al Pacino is the most versatile of the three. I find De Niro and Tom Hanks very one-dimensional.
All three have put together excellent performances over the years though. Some truly memorable characters in movies.

But Al Pacino wins the race in my opinion. :)
 
Tom Hanks for me.

Other two are greats ofcourse but somehow I get the same kind of personality seen on screen when they are on screen.

In terms of Tom Hanks, I see a complete different character in each of his movies. :)
 
Tom Hanks simply because I have watched his films more than the other two.
 
abdulqadir786 said:
Al Pacino for me, the man is the champ!
Click to expand...

scarface-say-hello-to-my-little-friend.jpeg
 
De Niro has embarrassed himself in the last decade or so, but his performances in Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter are incredible, and he's done fine work in many others. The other two are marvellous though, and Pacino arguably out-performs De Niro in Heat. I actually lean towards Hanks out of these three - he has been flat-out excellent in every film that I have seen him in, possibly The Green Mile most of all.

But how could you leave out Kevin Spacey, and Marlon frickin' Brando! Brando while a searing actor himself also created artistic blueprints for the heroic, beautiful, tortured, twisted and otherwise ambivalent male leads before these guys were even doing screen tests. Marlon Brando is the greatest actor of all time.
 
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De Niro,

De Niro and martin scorsese ............deadly combo .........


De Niro in "The Untouchables"............classic


De Niro is more versatile ........
 
I would say Pacino because he is still working on his craft and taking challenging roles. De Niro has settled for playing comedy gangsters.

Ed Harris is my personal favourite Hollywood actor.
 
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If you ignore his recent silly roles then its De Niro by an absolute mile. Versatile, nuanced and almost morphs in appearance.

Pacino is fiery and passionate but far less versatile as his range is ether talking calmly or screaming in anger.

Tom Hanks is great and a consistent performer all though many of his films are 'oscar bait' and not quite as powerful as the other two in their prime.

Of course Daniel Day Lewis is better than all three.
 
0tt0man said:
Al Pacino is the most versatile of the three. I find De Niro and Tom Hanks very one-dimensional.
All three have put together excellent performances over the years though. Some truly memorable characters in movies.

But Al Pacino wins the race in my opinion. :)
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De Niro is far more versatile.
 
This scene/film arguably features De Niro's most intense and brilliant acting, and ironically he won his Oscars for other films. But this is just my humble opinion, and I acknowledge there is a lot of competition in the De Niro canon! Well worth a watch -


[utube]BPi2AetitZc[/utube]
 
James said:
Good shout!
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DDL is close to Brando as all time greatest I reckon. Mostly likely going to lock up a 3rd Oscar as Abe Lincoln at the end of the year.

He is a mad genius. True method actor if there ever was one.
 
James said:
This scene/film arguably features De Niro's most intense and brilliant acting, and ironically he won his Oscars for other films. But this is just my humble opinion, and I acknowledge there is a lot of competition in the De Niro canon! Well worth a watch -


[utube]BPi2AetitZc[/utube]
Click to expand...

Brilliant indeed. I always loved this scene for how eerily close to the real Al Capone he is in both appearance and expressions.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QHH9EYZHoVU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Pacino .. godfather series , serpico to name a couple.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
leatherface58 said:
No love for jack Nicholson? He is hammy but about Schmidt was excellent work
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He is quality, but like you said too hammy to really touch the greats. Maybe it is partly culture that can be blamed for this opinion; it constantly plays his scenes from The Shining, which is far from his or Kubrick's best work.

Apart from Cuckoo's Nest, which is one of his few performances that can make you cry and ponder, I actually think one of Nicholson's best roles is in The Departed. Purest slime, but also hilarious, and a father figure and mentor.
 
Add scent of a woman tio. hoo ha!

Another awesome actor is Morgan Freeman. Class voice very suitable for narration.
 
Space Cat said:
DDL is close to Brando as all time greatest I reckon. Mostly likely going to lock up a 3rd Oscar as Abe Lincoln at the end of the year.

He is a mad genius. True method actor if there ever was one.
Click to expand...

As much as I think Brando was a force of nature (Streetcar, Last Tango in Paris), I'm not sure he could completely dominate every edge of a reel by himself the way DDL does in There Will Be Blood. In all of Brando's quality films, and there are many, he always has some help.

I think between us here we're amassing a pretty good all-time top ten.
 
Some of my favorite actors( no ranking)
Pacino
De niro
Morgan Freeman
Nicholson
Daniel day lewis
Brando
Denzel
Johnny depp(not a great yet but terrific actor having range. Just watch Edward scissorhands and Donnie Brasco)
Dennis Hopper( BLUE VELVET)
And
Christopher Walken
 
Gives me the shivers every time #Brando

Props to Sheen Snr as well.


[utube]V9oBiD7-kAM[/utube]
 
Talking of Daniel Day-Lewis, I'm amazed he didn't pick up an Oscar for "There Will be Blood". That was one of the all-time great performances on screen in my opinion. Mind blowing stuff.
 
0tt0man said:
Talking of Daniel Day-Lewis, I'm amazed he didn't pick up an Oscar for "There Will be Blood". That was one of the all-time great performances on screen in my opinion. Mind blowing stuff.
Click to expand...

Well IIRC he did. Best lead actor
 
I think he didnt win for gangs of ny. OT:
Mystic river was a spectacular movie with an idiotic ending. Really took me out of the movie
 
Adrian Brody was amazing in the Pianst but DDL should of got the Oscar that year no doubt.
 
They've got their special forte's in my opinion.

Tom Hanks - overall. :108:

Robert De Niro - comedies :hamster:

Al Pacino - serious, thrillers. :130:
 
Im gona throw a name out there.



Gary Oldman.



Best bad guy. Ever.


[utube]PfOOFeXt0r4[/utube]
 
I can't pick. :23: Need to watch more movies of them.
 
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have to put Leo Di Caprio in that list as one of the best actors. That guy has come a long way since movies like Titanic.
 
Hanks - He literally carries the whole movie on his shoulders. Philadephia, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Saving Private Ryan. Even his Toy Story stuff is by far the best anime voice performance ever. I don't think any leading man in Hollywood has come even close to his class. Sadly though, lately, his choice of movies have been pretty pathetic.

DeNiro - For me the best performance ever in a movie was from him in "Taxi Driver". All his Scorsese movies.. Mean Streets, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino. Every single one of them is a classic. The best actor-director team ever.

Al Pacino - Brilliant, can express extreme emotions probably the best out of all of them but I don't think he can play every role. His "Godfather II" role was the bomb for me. Throughout the movie he appears cold as ice and than in a couple of scenes he just explodes, esp. the one with Diane Keaton when she told him about her abortion. Also, that "Dog Day Afternoon" scene when he is talking on the phone with his gay lover. It can't get any better than that.

Others who I like, Brando- who started this whole "method-acting" movement. Before him the norm was over the top theatrical acting personified by Laurence Olivier. So he is like the God of acting.

Philip Seymor Hoffman - absolutely love this guy whether he is in a lead or side role. Brilliant stuff from him in "Before the devil knows you're dead", "Doubt" and all his PT Anderson movies. I've read he is great in the soon to be released "The Master" loosely based on Scientology's creator Ron Hubbard.

Leo DiCaprio - If anyone deserves an Oscar, he is the most deserving. Even as a child his work in "What's eating Gibert Grape" and "This Boy's life" can be compared to any acting role by an adult. Loved his role in "Revolutionary Road" which was criminally unappreciated. Great acting in "Inception", "Body of Lies" and "Shutter Island". Best of the young blood in Hollywood.
 
Di Caprio's best performance imo was "Blood Diamond". Where he played the role of a Zimbabwean man unless I'm wrong.
My favourite actor along with Russell Crowe. Brilliant stuff :14:
 
Anybody watched Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in true romance? Most epic scene ever!

And yeah dont forget Humphrey Bogart. Sammy spade FTW!
 
I agree that Hanks has the ability to carry a film, and would add Road to Perdition to saadibaba's list. But there have been two occasions when Tom simply wasn't allowed to do so. He is excellent in Toy Story, but really the film was then about being the first full-length computerised feature, and is now about the whole cast, including the hilarious Hamm and Potato Head. And the second example would be The Green Mile. Hanks is again spot on - but he simply gets outdone by Michael Clarke Duncan's mannerisms, tears, beautiful articulation, and terrifying howls. (RIP.)
 
Tom Hanks for me.... I cannot imagine the other two doing Cast Away...even Forresr Gump !!!!!! But all of them genius anyway..

I am a big suprised that there is not even a mention of Sean Penn ....His acting in "I am Sam" was just speachless...and "Milk" too !!
 
al pacino..all the way,,,he was roobbed of oscar for his role in 'DOG DAYS AFTERNOON'
 
De Niro has been really bad this decade, Al Pacino has taken good roles always. De Niro does it for the money but Tony Montana has always maintained his standards.
 
People calling Tom Hanks the pillar of a MOVIE..

Haven't seen Hanks in a Grey Role..especially a Gangster Role.

Now, Al, has played too many versatile roles for him to be ignored as the Best Ever..
Scent of a Woman, First Half of the Godfather I..

What about Dick Tracy...

Too much Passion in his acting takes the cake..
Very difficult to go past him.....Very Difficult... :sachin
 
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What about Samuel L. Jackson his performance in Pulp Fiction was freakin awesome comparable to anyone
 
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Hanks i believe is the best among these 3 and De Niro at the end of his career is working in too many movies i believe he dont care about the story or script anymore.

Denzel, Depp and Dicaprio should be added in the comparison.

Anyway the reason of bumping this thread is that i was looking at DDL's profile and noticed that in last 2 decades he worked in only 6 movies winning Oscars in 2 of them. That's a great achievement!

6 movies in 20 years means a movie after 3/4 years looks like money wasn't a problem for him
 
Mian said:
Hanks i believe is the best among these 3 and De Niro at the end of his career is working in too many movies i believe he dont care about the story or script anymore.

Denzel, Depp and Dicaprio should be added in the comparison.

Anyway the reason of bumping this thread is that i was looking at DDL's profile and noticed that in last 2 decades he worked in only 6 movies winning Oscars in 2 of them. That's a great achievement!

6 movies in 20 years means a movie after 3/4 years looks like money wasn't a problem for him
Click to expand...

He puts a lot of mental/emotional effort in his acting and then has to take some years off to regain his senses.
 
Al-Pacino is way better than the other two imo. I enjoy giving public speeches and presentations in my uni but suffer from acute stage fright and social anxiety specially few minutes before going on stage. My only cure has been to watch al-Pacino's speeches that he gave in different movies (specially the one in city hall) just before I go onto the stage. It allows for freer, expressive and more natural conduct on stage.
 
De Niro for me. The other two might be better actors, but I just like his cool expressions.
 
I think Pacino and De Niro are from a different generation, so it's not fair to compare Tom Hanks with them as the dominant genre of movies keep on changing with each generation. It's like you can't compare generation of Marlon Brando with De Niro, Nickolson, Al Pacino, Hoffman . Similarly movies by Hanks, Crowe, DDL , Clooney are different and should be considered in that context. Then there is Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Denzel Washington who have their own space.


Personally there is very little to differentiate between Nickolson, De Niro and Al Pacino. All legends and produced numerous superlative performances. Add to the mix Hanks and Crowe and really that's my personal fab 5(not top 5 ) in no particular order. Have a personal bias towards Christian Bale and Mathew Mcnoughey. Also Ryan Gosling have the potential to be a legend by the time he finishes his career.

P.S. not bringing Brando, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Gregory Peck deliberately to avoid too many generations.
 
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