Duellists, A L I E N, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster.
Not all the above films are to my taste but all have been successful, critically or financially and all have more merit than most summer blockbusters. There are others worthy of note but he has been more prolific in the last fifteen years in directing and producing and there have been periods of lacklustre films throughout. So this is not 'hero' worship, it's pointing out that Ridley's skills are there in spades when he pulls out all the stops. And that is not something that is long distant, it is something that has occurred regularly throughout his career. I think this whole ludicrous debate started because someone suggested Ridley might be able to match Cameron, something which to me goes without saying. I'm afraid I probably over reacted and took the implication that Cameron might be a more worthy torch bearer for anything related to ALIEN as a snub to the orignators, chiefly Dan O'B, HR Giger, and Scott, who did the difficult work of creating everything. I don't hate Cameron, I think he has strengths, but I think he's built them on the shoulders of giants and flourished in his own way. However I will never find a lot to like in the 1986 sequel, it simply disappoints me - not because of what it is - but because of what it isn't.
And yes, blow me, I do think Ridley Scott is probably one of the most significant directors of our era. But heaven forfend that I should state as much, and fail to rate as highly the obvious talents of some of the other directors trotting out their wares. Pardon me for finding depth where there is none. Yes I really must go and watch The Dark Knight, or Hellboy, or The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, or other films I have little interest in.