Movies-TV

Warning: This movie will be about an hour too long.

While this isn't a horrible film; it doesn't belong in the top 250. First of all: it's long. Way to long. It felt like I was actually sitting there for three hours. Good movies will draw you in and let you forget about time during the running length. This movie wasn't good enough to do that. Did they really need all those scenes about Hanna's home life and poor marriage? No. Likewise, was all the screen time with McCauley and his girlfriend necessary? No. It felt like typical movie relationships. The entire movie spent way to much time developing each character and quite frankly it didn't need to.However, there are a lot of great scenes. Including the bank robbery, the shoot-out afterwards, the heist at the beginning of the movie, the diner scene between Hanna and McCauley, and the shoot-out at the drive-in. The acting is top notch. DeNiro and Pacino are great leads. They both portray their characters wonderfully. The rest of the cast was great too. Plus any movie with Danny Trejo is worth seeing.So if not for the overlong running length, I highly recommend seeing it. If you want to see a fast pace heist movie; I'd recommend Heist with Hackman and DeVito. Heist was able to cut the fat and make a great movie. This movie just keeps going and going and going until it finally reaches the end.

Riveting

Immediate Classic. The action is and sound is the best that I have ever seen. AP and RD are explosive on the screen. Worth every penny. The street get-away seen will never be duplicated on the screen.

amazing, cinematic, smooth + tasty

what perhaps most impressed me about "heat" is how well-directed it is, an aesthetic tour-de-force in some ways. visually, michael mann's cinematographer, dante spinotti, is extremely talented, and most impressed me with the tone of the film, which was easily established through the muted colors and grey-blue overtones apparent everywhere. "heat" to me most resembles sogo ishii's "angel dust," at least in terms of how drab it looked, yet there was a vitality that ran through everything. kudos to mann also for the way in which he set up most of the violent scenes (e.g., the big shoot-out in downtown l.a.). utterly realistic and wonderful.

Excellent movie on VHS - can't wait for the DVD

My favorite movie. Excellent movie when running the VCR through the home system. Can't wait for the DVD movie with Dolby Pro Logic.July 27 hurry up

A film about clever robbers, but cleverer cops

Screen legends Pacino and De Niro share the screen for the first time in this twisting crime caper from Michael Mann.As senior officer in a tight-knit LAPD crime unit, Pacino's job is hunt down a hardened crew led by De Niro, and bolstered by Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore, who have been responsible for a number of high-ball 'scores' recently.As the two crews shape up to each other through a series of successes, failures, double-crosses and near misses for both sides, the scene is set for the tense and inevitable final showdown, and as jailbird De Niro calmly tells Pacino in the film's memorable scene ' I ain't never going back inside'.'Heat' gets it right where many other films of this genre fail, by simply doing what a good film is supposed to; it tells a story. Bad guys don't spend all their waking hours robbing banks and making £50m special-effects explosions, as similarly cops don't spend all their day chasing them - they've also got wives and families, however dysfunctional they may be - and that's where some of the best stories in Heat unfold.Oh, and there's loads of car-chases and shooting too - yippee!!

Preview of Heat

this movie is great. in fact it's so great that it should go in the top 10 movie lists. "Heat" have many good actors/actress who really make this movie so good!and it is so well done! i just love that scene with Deniro & Pacino when they just communicate..such determination, it really shows what great actors these are!!!! I'm just surprise that Deniro & Pacino not have done more Movies together!??? because Pacino & Deniro is listed as the best actors in history so it's a shame. but we got heat! and that's just great! :)i just love these guys. You are just GREEEAAATTT!!! :D

Waste of talented actors

When I originally saw this movie, I thought it was great. When I look back at it, I asked myself what the hell was I thinking? If ever De Niro and Pacino should of been on screen together, this was not the movie to do it in. I was expecting better conversation coming from two of the greatest actors on screen today. Instead, I laughed my head off at this scene. Lines like "There's a flip side to that coin." Or "...but I will not hesitate. Not for a second." You can't have two dominating actors such as these trying to steal the scene. On the other hand, Michael Mann did and excellent job directing the action sequences, especially the bank robbery. It had to of been one of the greatest long action scenes that didn't seem to be unrealistic. A modern gunfight that blew my mind away. All in all, I would have to say that for Pacino and De Niro, this movie was a waste of their talent.

If you can't stand the Heat

Then you're crazy. I guarantee you in the last part of the movie (you will know which part when you watch it) will have you yelling at the screen "No, no, no, no what the HELL are you doing?!?! WTF! WTF!" I enjoyed every minute but two things that DeNiro's character does at the end are inexplicably out of character for his character and there is no denying it. This guy is a master thief and killer he wouldn't have done what he did under any circumstances he was far too clever and the movie went to great lengths to point that out to its audience. If you are an avid movie watcher you will know immediately what I'm talking about. One of the things this movie does well like Collateral and The Professional is bring out the humanity in the characters both good sides and bad sides at the same time. You emphasize for Neil just as you don't feel anything for Vincent and want him to lose. The cast of this movie will blow your mind there are more big name actors here than Planet Hollywood ever had walk through its doors. They do an astoundingly good job. I was teed off at both of the main women characters throughout the whole damn show til right at the close because one was a insufferable pathetic nag and other was a self-centered greedy bitch and that is what they were supposed to be so they did just fine. And the shootout is tremendous it's like Vietnam in downtown Los Angeles. I'm not gonna throw any spoilers out but all I can tell you is that in real life this movie would have ended much much differently and it wouldn't have been an ending that would make Hollywood execs jump outta their seats and applaud. That last ten minutes has you in so much suspense you can barely breathe it almost kills you. You can practically smell the gunpowder. A great crime drama and worthy of just praise. It should have gotten even more attention that it received it's destined for classic status. Five out of five stars.

Character Development!

Maybe some of the plot is a little farfetched but it's a movie! But what this movie does is develop a BUNCH of characters that have both admirable and despicable traits. How many movies do that? It doesn't glamorize violence but shows it's a hard choice and it doesn't glamorize crime. It shows the good and the bad of each character's choices. Fascinating! And the DeNiro-Pacino stuff is like a shortened version of The Killer's interplay. Nothing wrong with that!

A Great Movie with a Great Gun Battle!

Heat is a great movie directed by Micheal Mann(The Insider, Ali) who does a great job in this movie. This movie has a great cast including Al Pacino(Godfather, Scarface), Robert De Niro(Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), Val Kilmer(The Doors, Top Gun), Tom Sizemore(Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down), John Voight(Deliverance, Mission Impossible) and Ashley Judd(Kiss The Girls, Double Jeopardy). Most movies cannot compete with this cast. I recommend this movie to any fan of Al Pacino/ Robert De Niro and likes some great action sequences.

You MUST be joking.... OVERRATED

What an awful, awful movie. It is twice as long as it needs to be, for what the actual tired story really is. There are soooo many tangling plot lines that are never tied together, and some are frankly quite interesting. Al Pacino's character has an interesting "relationship" with his 3rd wife, and Natalie Portman's character is having severe problems, but she's only in a few scenes and we don't learn what ultimately happens to her.To invest 3 hours in at least a dozen characters and to come away with nothing.....unreal! Even at such a length there are leaps in the action. And I was quite bored. If I hadn't rented it, I would not have sat through the entire thing. If it were on TV, I would have shut it off after a half-hour.There's no doubt the cast is first-class, but they are wasted in one of the most overrated, predictable and boring films I've ever seen.

WARNING: This movie will take control of your emotions and never let you go.

Heat is a movie you can enjoy time and time again. It is a timeless classic that should serve as a textbook on how movies should be made. It employs an all-star cast known for their deep involvement with the movies they produce. You establish a connection with each character from the very beginning, no matter which side you're rooting for. This is a long movie, but no minute is a waste of your time. It is action-packed, while sporting a complex story-line. Don't blink, 'cause you may miss something. In the end, you will want both sides to win, but this cannot be. The movie is true to life, where there is rarely a clear winner or loser. Sometimes, those who deserve to live, die; and those who deserve to die, live. One thing to be sure of is that watching "Heat" will enrich your life and make you want to be a better person.

Extreme Borefest

I am a huge fan of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. I had heard nothing but great reviews about this film.

There are so many characters to keep track of and seemingly so many different stories going on aside from the main story that I wish I had a pad and paper to keep track of it all.

A seasoned criminal who becomes lonely and tries to find love. A cop who can't devote enough time to his wife as she would like. A recently released ex-con who doesn't like his job at a diner. That ex-con's woman who tries to keep him motivated. A daughter who has a hissy-fit because she can't find a pair of hair clippers that match her outfit. The list goes on and on. Too many side stories that pointlessly make this film an hour or more longer then it needed to be.

A classic example of how an all-star cast does not guarantee an all-star film.

Up There With GoodFellas, The Departed, The Godfather, and Scarface

I had never realized Michael Mann was a genius before re-watching this film recently. I had seen Thief, Collateral, and Miami Vice, and though they are decent films, especially Collateral, I'd never thought of Mann as a master of his craft. When one sees Heat, they see the work of an ingenious filmmaker. The script is perhaps one of the most brilliant contemporary screenplays, because Mann as the writer is so honest with his material and characters that everything plays as naturally as one could hope for. Nothing is contrived, even the most complex symbolisms and the clearest testaments to the characters. We feel like we may have before seen the cops-and-robbers chase film wherein the hero and villain bond, and who knows? Maybe we have. Little of that matters because Heat is so well done. There is so much more to it that can be found from viewing to viewing to viewing. De Niro's stern, wary bank robber and Pacino's fixed, passionate cop feel more throughout the story than just an interest in each other. The film isn't just about the complex and wholly realistic connection that they feel. It's also about the objective statements pertaining to the audience, as we view the lives, in action and at home, of both cops and criminals, and we see how despite occupation, family life depends on what is offered by that cop or that criminal and the outcome is according to those projections.Pacino and De Niro on screen in the same frame together was certainly a big deal when this film was coming out in 1995, and who could resist that concept? An idiot, yes, but hardly anyone else. But, between fanatics of these two unmistakably wonderful contemporary actors, let's just face it: They love themselves, and they nearly always play themselves. But the positive outlook on this fact, which it is, is that they still convince us that they thoroughly understand their very complicated characters. When people say that an actor plays himself, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are actually replacing a written character with their own personality. That's a cop-out. Many of the greatest contemporary actors "play themselves," so to speak, and we still love them and believe them. Pacino and De Niro are two of these actors, their presence always being the same swaggering, short-fused leonine tough guy, but being such fine actors they are masters of channeling facets of their presence to convey the people they are portraying. The scene in the restaurant where they meet and talk to each other over coffee is a perfect example of two actors who play themselves yet it's so terribly hard not to understand what every nuance of their facial expressions and verbal inflections mean and how subtly they communicate.The two leads may overshadow for some fanatic filmgoers a few smaller performances. Val Kilmer, another actor with an irrepressible presence, is thrilling to watch as one of the hardened criminals in De Niro's heist crew. The opening armored car robbery shows each member of the crew in a cold, machine-like mode wherein they are nothing but armed raiders, everything else removed. The script cleverly gives them introductory scenes afterwards, and in Kilmer's, we immediately get an overall feeling of the dynamic, quick-witted, selfish, short-tempered, impatient daredevil he is whose weakness is impulse, which serves as a clever antithesis of his partner De Niro's rigidly scrupulous and organized way of living the criminal life. Also in the same scene, which is actually quite brief and not even one of the best in the film, Ashley Judd equates her side of the screen with the same density of presence and communication of character, a fiery but practical wife with convictions for her own strong, deep thoughts.I used that scene as an example to display how surreptitiously the film's writing and acting coincide to make such an effective film despite the weight of the attention given to Pacino and De Niro against such a large remaining cast. A scene that I'll mention simply to get all jumpy like an action-loving teenage guy is of course the extensive, beautifully paced, extremely intense downtown Los Angeles machine gun shootout. What a work of art! I haven't been this dazzled by an action sequence in a long long time. And if it is not one of the all-time greatest, most well-directed and exciting action sequences ever put on film, then there's no such thing as a well-directed, exciting action sequence, because, friends, this gunfight is the example any dictionary would use if defining one. Not only does it send your heart straight through your head like an exit wound from a bullet, so much happens in that scene for so many characters that the film is much intensified from that point on.And you know, the fact that by now, you've surely thought that maybe constructive criticism would do well in a review, since that's generally what reviews are for and because reviews don't sound very convincing unless they have it at some point. So, I should clarify that Heat is completely my kind of movie. It has heists, it has beautifully directed action sequences, and it stars two actors whose careers have garnered this sort of film as a staple. However, this is why one should take into consideration that my opinion is of some value when I say that Heat has a place very high in a genre that holds such classics of the past thirty or forty years as GoodFellas, The Departed, The Godfather, and Scarface.

The Pinnacle of Michael Mann

Actually based on an NBC TV Movie, "L.A. Takedown", Michael Mann revived the original script, tweaked it here an there and recruited an all star cast. The film is the pinnacle of Mann's modern crime drama sagas (Manhunter, Miami Vice, Band of the Hand). It truly is an epic. The performances are first rate by everyone in the cast. The cinematography is pure Mann, stylish and intense. Mann is the ultimate purveyor of modern-noir. The soundtrack fits well as Mann has a reputation for employing the best cutting edge artists going back to his Miami Vice days. The sdtrk. contains works by Moby, Kronos Quartet, Ultramarine and Brian Eno. The film revolves around a group of state of the art robbers who are tracked by an equally brilliant detective. The plot provides the backdrop for the character studies in the movie which revolve around not just one or two actors but an entire ensemble cast. This is a hard thing to pull off even in a 3 hour long movie. Mann does a fantastic job of making L.A. look both modern high tech and gothic at the same time. All the elements of Mann's previous works are here. Stylish, moody, intense. A visual and sonic treat, the anti-climatic bank robbery scene is sure to go down in history as one of the most intense action sequences ever filmed. Better than even DePalma's train station scene in The Untouchables. How this film was overlooked at the Oscars is beyond me. I guess the anti-capital punishment themes of Dead Man Walking were more important to Hollywood's left wing leanings. None the less, Heat should be remembered as the stand out film of 1995. It is the classic crime film of the 90's.

Al Pacheeso at his cheesiest

I used to like old Al, back when he knew how to act. But ever since the first two Godfather movies, in which he was brilliant, his abilities have rapidly diminished. Now he's just the same husky voiced screaming neanderthal in every film, whether it be Scarface (a very stylish yet justifiably criticized film), Sea of Love (A low tide leftover cop flick), Scent of a Woman (another silly cliched disaster) or this dragged out feature, which was actually just a remade version of Michael Mann's tv movie released 6 years earlier. I guess Mann felt that a few extra loud sound effects, weirder music, more gunfire, and of course Robert De Niro and Al Pacino having coffee together would somehow make it all work, sadly he was mistaken. It takes some pretty lousy acting to make Scott Plank, the title character from LA Takedown (and Nick from Melrose Place and Wiley from Air America!)look like Laurence Olivier, but Pacino manages to pull it off. Val Kilmer is fairly talented and does a good job, as does Ashley Judd. Robert De Niro is a superb actor and no matter how crappy the film is, he and his abilities manage to emerge unscathed. It doesn't require a film school graduate to know that the ending to Heat is probably the most ridiculous and contrived since Lisa Blount's "Way to go Paula!!" cry in an officer and a gentleman, so hit the stop button about 15 minutes beforehand. If you have to watch a trashy bank robbery movie, try Point Break, it doesn't try to hide its silly plot and has much better action scenes.

Best crime drama since Bullitt.

You've got to hand it to Michael Mann. Anyone who can make LA look as good as he does in Heat has got some aces up his sleeve. Throughout this movie LA appears the futuristic wonderland everyone seems to think it is-even the greasy spoons have something extra. The reason I mention this is after watching every Quentin Tarantino film and any other recent film taking place in LA, Heat makes Los Angeles an interesting place to watch.But that's not the best part about this film.The best part about this movie is that it is real. Let me say that again - it is REEEAAAALLL. Get it? No greenscreens where the heroes are diving down mountains ahead of avalanches and one guy carrying a .38 snubby can hit opponents blazing away with AK-47's. At all points you can see how the makers took pains to show the characters doing it just like the real bad guys would. That probably makes it difficult for the majority of movie-goers who are used to being force-fed process shots and can still allow themselves to be amazed when Bruce Willis dives out a 15-story window running faster than an explosion while still managing to land on an awning he didn't even know was there. It also makes all of us sigh a little more when we see Pearl Harbor being sold for $30 and a gem like Heat getting stuck in the $15 bargain basement section.The reality of the movie makes for some slow moments but when the action gets rolling, you'll be glad you waited. Not only is it first-rate, you don't stand a chance of knowing what's going on without watching the quote-unquote slow parts. Give the movie a chance and it'll never make you sorry. Pacino and Deniro have a ball playing the lead men on opposite teams. It's clear that both are playing characters on opposite sides of the game that give and expect no quarter. Sizemore and Kilmer are excellent as supporting members of the bad guy crew. Ashley Judd and Diane Venora are also excellent as the unhappy love interests. Six major plots in this movie weave seamlessly and Mann knows how to move from one to the other to keep you riveted.The music reminds you of Mann's days with Miami Vice; ultra-modern yet understated and elegant. The sound editing is appropriate; when you have a dozen different types of weapons all being fired simultaneously, you appreciate not having to listen yet again to a foleyed-in Hollywood "pow!" A full metric tonne of supporting actors all lend their little bits (Watch Hank Azaria as the mouthy Vegas paramour-Pacino has fun slapping him down to size). The ending does seem to a drag a little in my opinion-reminding us a little of the mexican standoff in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". After a while you're ready to scream "Shoot already!"Heat is hands-down the best LA crime drama to come out in a long, long while and along with LA Confidential, stands to be one of the best of all time.

A terrific must-see

Gritty and realistic, with superb turn-outs by all involved. I couldn't take my eyes off Ashley Judd (as Christine Sheherlis), and not just for her looks. An intricate plot intertwined with well-crafted action keeps the story going (the bank heist shoot-out is an eye-popper). DeNiro and Pacino are their usual (if predictable) best, but the surprise is Val Kilmer, playing his role with fine subtlety. If they ever devise retroactive Oscars for casting, then let Bonnie Timmermann be the first recipient.

Cops and Robbers.....Husbands and Wives....

This review refers to the Warner Bros DVD edition of "Heat"....

Michael Mann wrote and directed this action-packed thriller, with two of Hollywood's all time greatest stars playing the leads. It's alot more than just an action thriller. It's a great study of the two main characters who are the focus of this L.A. crime story. Al Pacino is the dedicated,highly driven, chief detective who is so obssessed with his job, that it has a devastating effect on his family life. He lives daily with the atrocities he sees on the streets and cannot detach himself from them at home. Robert DeNiro is also highly dedicated and driven when it comes to his work, but he is on the opposite side of the law. He is a brillant master thief, leading a crew of equally dedicated partners to some masterful heists that pay off big. He is the type though, who is detached, His theory is to never get involved with anything or anyone you can't walk away from when you have to.

On the surface the story doesn't give the impression of being all that original. A heist goes bad, a guard is killed, and the ruthless thieves must do away with all the witnesses. Enter the Homicide Squad, who are relentless in catching the criminals. But the story goes deeper than that. The personal lives of both the criminals and the detective are explored and we find that in that respect they are not much different.The entire cast are excellent in their portrayals of dealing with both their work and their problems.

Al Pacino's wife is played by Diane Venora, who feels so neglicated she begins an affair. Val Kilmer is one of the thieves(and we don't see nearly enough of him)who must deal with the restlessness of his wife, played brillantly by Ashley Judd. She must also make a decision that may change their lives forever. Deniro Meets and falls for a girl(Amy Brenneman) who may be the one who can change this seemingly heartless man. And perhaps the saddest victim and by far the youngest is Pacino's step-daughter played expertly by a young Natalie Portman,who is the portrait of the neglected child.

The cast is also nicely rounded out by Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Dennis Haysbert, and Ted Levine(remember him?..he had a little fettish for women's skin in "Silence of the Lambs")who plays a cop in this one. An excellent score gives an added dramatic feeling to the film and the camera work and sound are terrific.

It's a terrific action/drama that will keep you involved from beginning to end.It is quite long, at nearly 3 hrs, and there are moments though, when it seems like there are so many sub-plots going on, it's hard to keep track of everyone. But if you like films like "The Professional" that go just a little deeper than the regular shoot-em-up stuff, this is one you will enjoy.

The DVD transfer is superb. A crystal clear picture presented in the origianl widescreen on a dual-layer format. You'll love the Dolby Dig 5.1 Surround. Every sound is distinguishable. Don't look for any "Bonus Material" though. There are some theatrical trailers(all of "Heat") and there are subtitles in English and French.

For more thrills from DeNiro I would recommend The Fan

Get the popcorn ready and enjoy.....Laurie

De Niro and Pacino together a highlight...

Intense characters, occasional bursts of visually stunning action sequences and top performances by greats De Niro and Pacino make Michael Mann's Heat an unmissable crime film.

De Niro and Pacino's central performances hold the film together, and while their characters develop throughout, brilliantly conceived action scenes keep the "heat" burning.

Fans of either De Niro or Pacino will see this film on the single fact that these scene legends have scenes togther. I myself would to, but this film has so much more to offer - top camera work, a visual sharpness and an impressive supporting cast which includes John Voight, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and the small role of Pacino's step daughter played by Natalie Portman.

Only bad point - film rolls on to over 180 minutes...something only great films can justify doing. Otherwise, a top watch.