I prefer Nolan's action scenes to Bay's for one simple reason: I actually give a damn about the characters involved in them.
That's swell. Though I think I have to step in and start calling a little bs on this high and might approach to criticism on a few levels. I think it's a good measure to start from it's not the be all end all you people make it out to be. film is viseral and just like we can all be moved by a passionate dance number action can work on similar levels. For example. Everyone and their mother is shouting high praise about this new batman prologue; OH MY GOD IT'S THE MOST AMAZING ACTION SEQUENCE I'VE EVER SEEN. And on Imax the technical aspect is so great. And on Imax it's so immersive. THIS PROLOGUE IS AN AMAZING SEQUENCE...in your face non bat fans. Everyone's talking about it blah blah blah...etc. Now ignoring the nolanite hyperbole(or course). I'm not about to deny people actually feel this way. I mean they wouldn't lie or overstate such a thing.
But now tell me, who in that entire prologue sequence is this audience "caring about" exactly? Cause I'm at a loss. Surely not the good guys? I mean in order do warrant a positive response to action they're must be a character they "care" about no? My smug tone aside(I assure you it's only reactionary), one must look beyond popular conventions when truly measuring such things.
Bay's sequences are engaging and grabing, bold and even like Cameron said, they just unfold into bigger and bigger forms of themselves. Sometimes they work sometimes not so much. But I'll be damned if I've ever seen an audience(as a whole) react passively to them.
Hey I get what you're saying(I hear it often enough), and you're entitled to feel that way. Nolans films have some of the most tangible stakes out there.
But here's my thing, Bay's "action" has many fans and he supposedly doesn't it "Without characters." How's that for objective appreciation. Notice how no one champions the action in the Resident evil films?
I love Nolans work(post Begins). I think he's lays about very tangible stakes and blindsides us with premise. I do think he falls short on execution a little. I think as a straight director if he was giving the shooting script for the matrix it would have fallen short, and as pure directors if the Wbros were giving the shooting script for Inception things may have gotten a little more interesting. But that's my wild speculation nothing more.