Film Junk Poll: Who is the Best Action Sci-Fi Director?
With Terminator Salvation out in theatres as of midnight last night, the debate is heating up over whether or not McG has created a worthy addition to the Terminator franchise. So far the early buzz is leaning toward the negative, but perhaps there is a wave of support waiting just around the corner. Either way, he had a pretty huge task ahead of him: when it comes to bringing action and sci-fi together, it’s not something that just anyone can pull off. I thought this would be an appropriate time to look back at some of the masters of the action/sci-fi genre, and discuss who has done the best work to date. As always, cast your vote in the poll below, and then feel free to tell us why you picked them, along with any notable directors missing from the list.
Comments (19)
i like james cameron movies a lot he is also one of them
Posted by joe on May 21st, 2009who made great movies just like steven spielbergh too but i would like to go with cameron movies a lot .
Wow yeah. The first half of Titanic was a melodramatic piecer but once that ice berg hit it got exciting. Cameron is a great action director. I look forward to him getting back in the game here soon.
Posted by Ian on May 21st, 2009As far as track record goes no one can touch Cameron. He’s had a couple sleepers but has lead the way for 25 years. Hope this next one blows us away.
Posted by Erika on May 21st, 2009PAUL W. ANDERSON…..sorry I can’t say that w/o lmao, so I would have to say James Cameron.
Posted by Matt K on May 21st, 2009Got to go with Cameron. In terms of Sci-Fi he is by far the strongest on that list.
George Lucas??? New Hope is by far the weakest of the good Star Wars films and THX 1138 is great not brilliant. I wouldn’t say that warrants him being on a list of great action sci-fi directors.
No Ridley Scott? I suppose he might not be seen much as an action director as well as a sci-fi director and he has done lots of stuff outside of the genre but Alien and Blade Runner are considered by most two of the best sci-fi films ever made.
Posted by CastleKnight on May 21st, 2009CAMERON WINS BY A LANDSLIDE!!!
The world would implode if Paul W.S. Anderson won.
Posted by Ryan M. on May 21st, 2009Yeah I thought about Ridley Scott but I wouldn’t really call either Alien or Blade Runner action movies.
I certainly expect James Cameron to win, but let’s not forget, the guy hasn’t done anything other than undersea documentaries for the past 10 years. I am hoping Michael Bay, Verhoeven and Spielberg will get a few more votes throughout the week.
Posted by Sean on May 21st, 2009John McTiernan – Predator, Rollerball
George Lucas – Star Wars Ep. 1-4
Paul Verhoeven – Robocop, Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Hollow Man
Jon Favreau – Zathura, Iron Man
Michael Bay – Armageddon, The Island, Transformers
James Cameron – Terminator1&2, Aliens
Wachowski Bros – Matrix Trilogy
Paul W.S Anderson – Event Horizon, Soldier, Resident Evil, AVP, Death Race
Spielberg – E.T., Jurassic Park, A.I. Minority Report, War of the Worlds
Luc Besson – The Fifth Element
The ones who seem to only do sci-fi action really suck based on the list. Kinda funny that the directors that do 1 or 2 films in sci-fi action are totally remembered.
Verhoeven FTW imo.
Posted by Pr1mal on May 21st, 2009James Cameron is one of the most overrated directors in the history of film.
Posted by scoville on May 21st, 2009I’d have ta say that I like Verhoeven’s sci-fi films a lot. They always seem to have sort of a hardcore gritt to them, like the heavy metal magazines (lots of comic book violence and sci-fi sex fetishes)… Three brested hookers/ co-ed showers and locker rooms.
Paul seems to not have any limits to how far he goes when he makes his films. He never holds back.
I like the other directors too, but Paul has always touched a special place in my heart.
Posted by Derek on May 21st, 2009You people should be kicked in the balls for putting Paul WS Anderson on that list and not Jackie Chan.
Posted by TheAllKnowingGod on May 21st, 2009Jackie Chan hasn’t done or isnt known for his sci-fi action directing skills you nub.
Posted by Pr1mal on May 21st, 2009Cameron all the way, he hasn’t done a single movie that hasn’t been great as far as I’m concerned. If True Lies is the worst movie in your portfolio, you’ve got to be one hell of a director, since even that’s an awesome kick-ass action movie. I think for T2 and Aliens alone, you’d have to give it to him. He somehow always manages to shoot things with a very clear geography that so few film-makers understand, while still keeping things exciting. Compare the bridge scene from True Lies with the one from MI-3, or just look at the Truck vs Helicopter chase in T2. That’s the other thing, he always pushes for practical effects as much as possible. For that helicopter chase in T2, you can tell they actually flew a helicopter inches above the freeway, and under underpasses. Nowadays, that shit would absolutley be CG’d. Hope Avatar keeps as much ass as his other films.
I will say Verhoven is up there though, followed closely by Spielberg. I think Minority Report and War of the Worlds were both very good, but action-wise, Robocop and Total Recall beats them out.
Posted by bullet3 on May 21st, 2009@ Pr1mal,
Don’t forget The Abyss for Cameron. That’s one of my favorites of his.
Posted by Deven Science on May 21st, 2009I didn’t forget. I deleted it because this is for SCI-FI ACTION. The Abyss was all sci-fi drama from what I saw. The scene where Harris revives the chick is the probably the most dramatic thing Cameron has ever done. Nothing in Titanic can touch that.
I should of deleted E.T. from Spielberg too since it wasn’t an action film either.
Posted by Pr1mal on May 21st, 2009@bullet3: “he somehow manages to shoot things with a very clear geography that so few film-makers understand”.
that sums up perfectly what i like about old-school action directors like Cameron. You always know where you are. I managed to catch a bit of True Lies the otherday on TV, and i was shocked how easily i could follow the action and appreciate the tension and suspense within the action scenes. I guess i was starting to get used to that ‘hand-held shaky cam disorientation’ b.s. that is pervading the industry at the moment.
Posted by dunk on May 22nd, 2009voted Cameron but I also think Ridley Scott would be an obvious choice for the list
Posted by patrik on May 22nd, 2009I gotta go with Speilberg on this one for Raiders, Crusade, Close Encounters, Jurassic Park and Minority Report.
James Cameron is a very close runner up for Aliens and T2.
Posted by JR on May 22nd, 2009JR: The problem is that Raiders and Crusade aren’t sci-fi films, and close encounters isn’t really an action film. Spielberg’s only real sci-fi action is Jurassic Park, Minority Report, and War of the Worlds, which get beat out by T1/T2 and Aliens in my opinion. But again, it’s just a stupid technical poll, they’re both outstanding directors.
Posted by bullet3 on May 22nd, 2009Leave a Reply