Two best disaster movies of the 70s. Which is better? I'd easily say TPA. Towering Inferno is a quality movie, but it drags on a little and you can lose interest. I've NEVER lost interest watching The Poseidon Adventure. One of the most compelling action movies of all time. Plus, Hackman's performance in TPA is better than the combination of Newman/McQueen in Towering Inferno.
Yeah, TPA has to be the best disaster movie. Bar none. The problem today, disaster movies no longer have developed/deep characters. It's all about the stupid ass CGI. That definitely wasn't the case in TPA. Every character was well developed and compelling... but Hackman definitely owned it.