Heat (1995) User Reviews

Exceptionally well done though it's not the sort of film for everyone...but what movie is?

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 23 April 2011]

I have very little interest in most action films or violent movies, so I am not the sort of person that would normally watch a film like "Heat". However, on a lark and because it's apparently such a good film I decided to give the film a look. Well, I must say that thought I was not in love with the film it sure was exceptionally well made and had a lot to offer--even for folks like me.

The biggest reason I liked the movie and thought it was made so well was its rich and complex plot. At nearly three hours, there is lots and lots of time for the plot to slowly unfold. It also allowed for several concurrent plots to interweave themselves through the film--the story about the master criminals, the cops, another criminal as well as a rogue nut-job that just likes to kill. It's almost like a mini-series in this respect. I also loved how this was not a set-bound film but was made throughout LA--though I wonder how this was possible, as it must have tied up huge portions of Los Angeles! I also loved some of the characters--particularly Robert De Niro's oddly professional and scary criminal boss. It was one of his very best performances.

There's very little to complain about in the film, though I thought Al Pacino's character was a tad over-acted at times. Unlike De Niro, I had a harder time believing Pacino was real. Perhaps it's just me....

Overall, if you don't mind the violence and the occasionally frenetic pace, then this is a film well wroth seeing. Extremely well-directed and never dull.

Captivating

[rototwin · 9/10 · 9 May 2001]

Micheal Manns'(director of 'The Insider', and 'Manhunter') smooth, straightforward direction is studded with brilliant and very memorable cinematic gems in 'Heat', A bullet riddled drama with, yes , Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in their first on screen meeting.

What do you want to hear about 'Heat'. Is it DeNiro's best performance? No. Is it Pacino's best performance? I'd be lying if I said it was. Do the performances improve the story? Absolutely. Mann has written (he wrote it as well) a complex and exciting two-sided story that develops the hunter Vincent Hanna (Pacino) and the hunted Neil McCauley (De Niro) separately throughout much of the film. Underneath a hail of bullets Mann is able to paint both lead characters with the same brush by delving into the similarly tragic and chaotic personal lives of Hanna and McCauley, allowing for the final epic scene, which would have been too pretentious if it were not for the excellent performances of Pacino and De Niro.

Bottom Line: Not having seen this movie is akin to idiocy for anyone claiming to be a fan of movies. 9 out of 10

The Summit

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 4 November 2008]

One of the amazing things about Heat is that during an almost three hour running time of the film, your interest in what happens in the summit teaming of Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro never flags for a second. Part of the reason is because these guys are at the top of their profession and brought their A game to the parts.

The roles they have are not as good as Jake LaMotta, Jimmy Conway, or Max Cady for DeNiro or Frank Serpico, Michael Corleone, or Bobby Deefield for Pacino. But Neil McCauley master criminal for DeNiro and Jake Hanna dogged detective for Pacino does show these guys at their best.

You can best describe Heat as a long running version of Law and Order Criminal Intent with a big budget. Like that show the action shifts back from the cops to the criminals and smoothly for director/writer Michael Mann. We see both of these guys as rather similar to each other. DeNiro prides himself on the fact that he says he can drop any relationship if it interferes with work. And Pacino is on his third marriage and his mistress is the job. He's been a failure twice as a husband and about to go thrice in the romance department.

Mann gave Pacino and DeNiro a really outstanding cast for support in Heat. People like Val Kilmer are in DeNiro's gang, Jon Voight is the Sam Jaffe like mastermind of the operation. Pacino on his team has Mykel T. Williamson from Forrest Gump and Ted Levine best known as Captain Stottlemyre on Monk.

This action film also does not stint on woman's roles. Diane Venora is fine as Pacino's estranged wife. Amy Breneman is also good as DeNiro's woman who watches her man helplessly trapped by his own criminal rules go to his destruction. Best in the film on the distaff side is Ashley Judd as Val Kilmer's loyal wife who has one great choice given her by Williamson, betray her husband or lose their kid. See how she handles it.

Although the scene was shoehorned into the plot and would never happen in real life, Pacino and DeNiro do meet and have a brief scene together over a cup of coffee in a diner. They compare notes so to speak and take the measure of the other guy. Since these two guys are the most acclaimed actors of their generation, the scene artificial though it is takes on a whole different dimension. It's like when writers give Queen Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots a climatic meeting scene even though in real life it never happened.

But like in Heat, it should have happened.

You find yourself rooting for both sides the entire film.

[kevin_robbins · 10/10 · 20 December 2021]

Heat (1995) is a movie that is in my DVD collection that I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows an underground high end burglary team looking for one big last mission and a parallel story about a successful police officer who is struggling at home. As the buildup to the big heist unfolds the two worlds come closer and closer together until the ultimate collision happens.

This movie is directed by Michael Mann (Ali) and stars Robert De Niro (Goodfellas), Al Pacino (Scarface), Val Kilmer (Willow), Jon Voight (Anaconda), Mykelti Williamson (Forest Gump), Ashley Judd (Kiss the Girls), Tom Sizemore (Black Hawk Down), Wes Studi (Deep Rising), Natalie Portman (Leon: The Professional), Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs) and Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven).

This cast is absolutely amazing top to bottom. The writing is also excellent and delivers the backstories to each character to perfection and the dialogue is out of this world. The chemistry of the cast throughout the film worked perfectly and the action scenes are intense and very well done. You find yourself rooting for both sides the entire film. The conclusion to such a huge movie is excellent and fits the film perfectly.

This is an all time classic that is an absolute must see and an easy 10/10. I would strongly recommend seeing this.

Why can't they make movies like this anymore?

[juniorbarra-58647 · 10/10 · 7 August 2021]

Every 2-3 years i come back to this movie and watch it again and again, just a reminder of the 90's movies with cops and robbers...one of the best cop movie ever!

The best character film of all time.

[aboriginee · 10/10 · 23 June 2000]

Sound like a bold statement? Devotees of classic cops and robbers flicks of old will no doubt take exception, but I believe that Michael Mann achieved some measure of perfection with Heat. To break this three-hour gem of a film down to its core, this is a film about men - strong men - and the supporting role that he women of the film have on them for better or worse. Take Pacino as good cop Vincent Hanna: one of the most intense characterizations of the tragic hero that I have ever witnessed, as he laments the demise of his third marriage to a pill-junkie wife. A fact which he discusses with his archnemesis (De Niro) in what history will regard as one of the most frenetic scenes in the history of film. The dialogue in this scene (at the very end of the first tape, if you own the VHS version) sets up the last half of the film beautifully, as our two rivals come to the joint realization that they have no hand in choosing the paths that will lead them to their ultimate confrontation: their very natures so define their respective actions that any attempt to do otherwise would simply be a waste of time. While I have heard others (who I am ashamed at times to call close friends) say that Heat drags in places, I will concede that there are moments in the film that require more than the cursory attention that they give to the movie they happen to be watching at any given time (I'm sorry not every director is Jerry Bruckheimer), there are poignant developments of character in Heat that many would casually disregard. I am thinking of the interaction between the ex-con who finds conditional employment in a diner with an opportunistic scum of a boss, and whose girlfriend is so proud of him for swallowing his pride and not simply giving the sonofabitch a good pummeling. But there is a catharsis that I felt for that same ex-con when De Niro's character presents him with the opportunity to take just one more score, for old time's sake. Who doesn't feel for this guy - this minor character in a film with big-time heavyweights who gets to shine for a few brief moments. That's what Heat is really: a series of brief moments, some touching, others traumatic, and still others incredibly horrifying in the feelings that they inspire in the romantic who, like me sees not black or white portrayals of protagonist and villain, but a montage of grays that combine to create a vivid spectrum of film characterization that could not be found in hundreds of films combined. One of my five favorite films of all time, Heat is a cinematic banquet of intense imagery and pulse-pounding action. Come hungry.

Brilliant

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 9 January 2011]

This is a brilliant film. While clocking in at a nearly three-hour running time, there isn't a single wasted scene, it is always entertaining and I think it is very rewatchable too. The cinematography, locations and scenery are superb, and the film's atmosphere and pace are also terrific. The story is plausible and beautifully structured with a breathtaking sequence towards the middle of the film, and there are a lot of memorable quotes. Heat is also brilliantly directed by Michael Mann and the acting of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino is exemplary. So all in all, brilliant and absolutely worth it. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Heat is truly epic, absolutely breathtaking

[jamie-109 · 10/10 · 17 February 2000]

One of the most amazing things about Heat is the scale of the film; it is nearly three hours long and packed to bursting with mind-blowing visuals. It seems one of Michael Mann's main priorities was to make a film with a dreamlike feel to it, to portray LA as a dusty oil-painting on which complex characters could play out their lives. One of the main themes is the similarity of the career criminal and the street-wise cop. It is fascinating to find yourself really feeling for DeNiro's tragic bank-robber, a man of philosophical merit who realises he's stuck in a life of crime he doesn't want to lead. Pacino's cop is less easy to sympathise with, but he too leads an in-escapable life of guns and crime. What really stands out is the climax. On the whole, Heat has to be the best cops n' robbers film ever made, indeed, one of the best films. An epic, wonderful, sad, adrenaline-fuelled exercise in scale and grandeur.

Mann's crime drama delivers

[mkrusc · 19 January 2001]

'Heat,' a film of epic proportions on a common placed scale, provides all the essentials of a great crime drama and then some. With a fascinating storyline, involving characters, and Mann's sometimes poetic, sometimes gritty directing, 'Heat' is arguably one of the best crime dramas.

Perhaps the most unique feature of this movie is its manifold storyline, which focuses primarily on the main characters: Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley. Because of this complex storyline, it almost seems as if one is watching two movies, with one about each of the two characters. While following Hanna's personal life, the movie shows how it is about more than just a cop in pursuit of a criminal. Hanna's marriage is deteriorating, his step daughter is falling apart, and, as wife Justine says, he lives his life more among the "remnants of dead people." A man of two other failed marriages, Hanna's story is that of the strain of trying to fulfill both his professional and personal, where, every time, the professional wins out. Neil McCauley's story is that of a man who used to know his role: his job. Everything in his life revolved around making the next score (whether it be large or small). His story chronicles his relationships with the other men in his crew, and his relationship with Eady, his girlfriend who does not know all she should about him. The tensions build as Mann shows the two opposing strategies of each man as their paths (and thus their stories) draw closer together. When the two storylines do meet (at different points in the movie), the result is--for lack of a better word--epic. To say that these two major storylines are the only strong ones of the movie would do injustice to the many others (following Chris and his wife, for example); but to say that they are the driving force of the movie, to say that they are responsible for transforming a typical cops-and-robbers story is the best explanation.

In addition, the characters in this movie undoubtedly make it so successful. This cast comes as close as possible to being ensemble with two such huge main characters. And the cast is one of the best, at that. DeNiro. Little more needs to be said. Ever the master, his character, McCauley, can be on the one hand a ruthless robber and cold-hearted killer, on the other a warm friend and tender lover. And, despite his life of crime, McCauley's human side shows through. He will not kill unless he must, as seen through his anger at Waingro and bank heist. His warmer side shows through his relationships with his friends and girlfriend Eady. Pacino. Equally without need of praise. As always, he delivers an intense performance, here as Hanna, a workaholic obsessed with catching his man, while also fighting a losing battle to save his personal relationships. He may seem just the harsh cop, but he cares about every man under his command, about his stepdaughter, and, yes, even about McCauley. Through Hanna, Pacino shows just how torn such a man can be. Hanna demonstrates both coldness and compassion, both anger and sensitivity. Additionally strong is Val Kilmer, as Chris Shiherlis; with a raging temper, undying devotion, and a fierce will to persevere. Kilmer does an excellent job with the character of a flawed individual, whose flaws prevent him from lasting contentment, but against which flaws he continually strives. Ashley Judd is an unforgettable Charlene Shiherlis, who, despite a smaller roll, makes a lasting impression on the film. Tom Sizemore, as the implacable Michael Cheritto, and Jon Voight, as a gruff Nate, are both likeable (because of their human sides) and despicable (because of their professions). Each does excellent work. And equally fine are Diane Venora, as Justine, and Natalie Portman, as Justine's daughter Lauren. As Venora is strong opposite Pacino, so Amy Brenneman, Eady, is an equally strong opposite of DeNiro. In a cast so full of big names, it is so rewarding to see everyone come together to make the characters each have their own place in the film.

And Michael Mann's direction of the movie keeps the film moving while providing a tremendous combination of action and drama. He moves from scene to scene quickly and effortlessly. He also switches between the many storylines logically and fluidly, none of the story being lost. Each scene leaves its own, unmistakable impression, and each scene of each storyline builds upon the previous. Action scenes are handles crisply but grittily. The gunshots are loud, the blood is abundant, but Mann wisely does not linger on the horror of the moment. He paints a realistic picture, but keeps to the topic. The action never becomes more important than the drama. Mann is also responsible for what is perhaps the greatest robbery scene ever. Here, his more gritty sense of style is what makes this scene so believable. And, despite the enormous cast, Mann was still able to keep his agenda clear, and orchestrate so much talent into a coherent movie. Michael Mann deserves credit for both his vision and ability to express it.

Because of these and other well done aspects, 'Heat' is one of the most powerful crime dramas ever made.

I obviously don't get it ...

[Jouford · 6/10 · 25 April 2020]

Let me start by saying that Heat isn't a terrible movie. In fact, it's not a bad movie at all. I just think that it's incredibly overrated. I'm not a huge fan of Michael Mann's work in general. I find his films to be no more than very long music videos. His movies seem to epitomise style over substance to me, and Heat is no different. DeNiro and Pacino chew through the scenes like they normally do. That's a given. The rest of the cast are as competent and watchable, but the film doesn't feel deep enough for me. Though judging by the way everyone else is rating it, I must be missing something, even after watching it three times. I'm sorry that I don't like this film. It's got all the right ingredients to be special, but, as far as I'm concerned, it's undercooked.

Michael Mann's finest work

[lareval · 10/10 · 17 August 2021]

A brilliant character driven action thriller with drama and emotion all the way. Despite the long runtime, the pacing never drags. The Magic of this action movie is that you believe the people you see in the screen. You care for them and everything they go through. All of the scenes are influential, the script and the score are iconic. Two thumbs up!

Good But Overlong

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 15 September 2003]

The thing to strike me about HEAT is that it`s overlong . I don`t know if I`ve been watching too much MTV but a major problem I`ve had with a great number of movies coming out of Hollywood studios since the early 1990s is that they`re too long for their own good and I wish to add HEAT to this list since its running time is taken up with too many unnecessary scenes . If these scenes had been ditched at script stage not only would we have had a shorter film we`d have had a far better one . Take the scene in the coffee bar where the gang have just carried out the initial heist and Neil teaches Waingro a lesson by banging his head off the table . Seeing as they`re shown throghout the story to be well organised , professional villains why would Neil draw attention to themselves by assaulting Waingro in this way ? It`s a scene that lacks any credibility and should not have been included . There`s another problem with too many domestic scenes , the film tries to show the audience the marital marital/romantic life of every major character , cop and robber . I know Michael Mann`s later movie THE INSIDER is also full of scenes involving home life but that`s necessary to the plot and characterisation . Here it is not

HEAT isn`t by any means a bad film , on the contaray it`s a good one . DeNiro and Pacino in the same movie , boy what a casting coup . Not only that we get to see Val Kilmer when he was famous plus up and coming names like Portman , Sizemore and Fichtner , and once the story gets going it is very compelling with a breath taking shootout . Unfortunately because someone ( I`m guessing Michael Mann deserves all the blame for this ) thought they`d stretch out a two hour movie into a three hour one HEAT remains good instead of great

8.2? You guys are joking right?

[suchalad · 5/10 · 1 September 2019]

People have no idea how to appreciate moves like this anymore. Yes, the pace is slower........... that's the point........ It's an enthralling movie that sucks you in, and then builds, and builds, and builds, to deliver one of the most epic payoffs in cinematic history.

But of course people can't handle this story structure anymore. Human attention span continues to dwindle. It doesn't matter if a movie is great, it doesn't matter what masterpiece you craft, if the movie is longer than 2h30 and doesn't have an action scene every 10 minutes, then you've lost the audience.

And It's not just the frequency of action, It's the type. Forget anything with a sense of aura and beauty, even the action scenes themselves have to be fast paced, explosions all over the screen, with speedy moving shots that each last half a second, to the point where you actually struggle to even keep up with what's happening, not that anyone cares, because as long as the screen is bright enough and there are enough moving objects, your audience is stimulated.

Is it absolutely perfect? No is it better than 8.2? Yessss

edit: Update in 2022, yeah iv'e matured a bit i think lol, this movie isn't as good as i thought it was. The forced side plots come across as cringe when it's all so thin. I'd actually say i prefer 'the town' now lol. Cause that movie isn't amazing but at least it stuck to it's lane and didn't try to be more than what it was. Heat needed to be 4 hours long to actually properly execute what it was going for, 2h 50m isn't enough time for everything they tried to jam into this film.

Masterful on all counts

[LeightWinst · 10/10 · 30 November 2004]

For some reason I cannot stop thinking about this film lately.

You know that feeling of having seen it about 3 or 4 times in the last 12 months is not enough? That's what I feel at the moment.

I rate it as Mann's best. It's his most kinetic,vibrant(for a film mostly shot in steely blue),agonising,stirring,brash,violent and brilliance in such a simple story.

What games did you play as a young kid? Cops and robbers.Good guy.Bad guy.

We all know De Niro and Pacino could have been either main part,but can you imagine it any other way round. Pacino doing ice cool calm? De Niro the manic outbursts,arms flailing? It wouldn't work. We know these men now.We know neither will stop at what they do.And yet there is no way either would stop the other.Unless they had too. Which leads us too the characters. All of them.

This is an extended family where you feel you know all of them without knowing anything at all. The cops are similar to the robbers and vice-versa. Perhaps Mann is telling us were all the same.Except in what we do.Every speaking part holds substance in this movie, and the support cast is astonishing when you actually read the caliber of who appeared in this film.Tom Sizmore, Val Kilmer,Ashley Judd,Ted Levine,Wes Studi,Hank Azaria,William Fitchner,Henry Rollins,Dennis Haysbert,Tom Noonan. And Natalie Portman, for chrissake! Try getting that cast again.

A real 10/10 film. And that Moby song at the end(God moving over the face of waters) gets me every time.

One Of The Best Crime Films Ever

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 15 February 2006]

I really believe this is one the great crime movies of all time. It has some drawbacks that wouldn't make me recommend this for family viewing - tons of f- words by Al Pacino and a few bloody scenes, but as far as a fascinating crime story: wow!

This movie made modern-day history because it was the first time two of the great actors of this generation - Pacino and Robert De Niro - finally acted together in the same film. Those two didn't disappoint, either. They were great to watch and one of the huge highlights of the film, to me, was when they faced each other in a simple conversation over a cup of coffee. That conversation has always fascinated me, no matter how many times I've heard it. It was such a "landmark" scene that It's even the subject of a short documentary on the special-edition DVD.

As with the conversation scene, the shootout segment in the streets of Los Angeles still astounds me no matter how many times I see it. The other action scenes are intense and memorable, too, and the cast in here is deep. This isn't just Pacino and De Niro. It's Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight, Diana Venora, Natlie Portman, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenamann, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Mykelti Williamson, on and on.

Put that fabulous cast under Michael Mann, one of the best directors in business, add a great soundtrack and interesting camera-work and you have a great film. At three hours long, it never bores one and at same time, doesn't overdo the action, either. I read one critic criticize this film because of the time taken to examine the personal lives of the main characters, but you can't have three hours of nothing but action. The only scene I felt went on a bit too long was the ending chase at the airport, but that's nitpicking considering the film as a whole.

This is just one of those movies where a great cast and director live up to their billing.

A stylish masterwork worthy of the talent involved

[emsaldanha · 27 February 2000]

I am always wary of films boasting of star-studded casts and big-name, behind-the-camera talent. So, I approached "Heat" with some trepidation...of course, I'm a big fan of DeNiro and Pacino (even as he has declined into one-note, manic performances in the 90's) and I feel that Michael Mann is one of the most underrated directors in Tinseltown (one need only view "Manhunter" to view his genius in pacing a crime thriller). Given the incredible supporting cast, this production set high standards for itself. I must report that it did not disappoint. Given that the running time is almost three hours and Mann has the task of balancing two significant storylines (DeNiro's and Pacino's), the film is a stunningly linear examination of life on both sides of the law. The viewer sees sacrifices made and relationships lost in both arenas without the usual emotional push to root for one side against the other. The visceral thrill of watching Pacino and DeNiro emote together was one of the film's marketing points; though they have two brief scenes together, it is a unique thrill to see these two modern icons of cinema play off one another. While it is clear that either of these two has the star power to carry a film singlehandedly, the experience of watching the cop and robber suffer through their diametrically opposed, yet parallel lives is fascinating. I'm sure that fans of the films will remember, in the years to come, the diner scene between the two as fondly as some hold the pairing of Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea in "Ride The High Country".

Those who criticized the film at the time of its release found particular fault with the climax. They cynically deemed the clasping of hands between the two opponents as a overly sentimental gesture. While it is sentimental, the scene is a neat capsulation of their relationship, however unexplored, throughout the film. They have acted as the hunter and his prey; yet, they finally realize that they are kindred spirits - dedicated men who put their chosen profession above all else in their lives. They are aware of the opportunities for "normalcy" they have sacrificed for their obsessions (I love DeNiro's line in the diner on what's normal) and hold each other in high regard because they share the same pain and isolation. I think "Heat" has a beautiful ending, enhanced by Moby's elegiac "God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters"

I don't put much stock in the Academy Awards in terms of evaluating a film's worth, but it was a true disgrace that "Braveheart" was chosen Best Picture in 1995. "Heat" was not even nominated! Hopefully, the Academy voters will right this error with Mann's equally powerful "Insider" at this year's ceremonies.

Don't be scared off by "Heat"'s running time or by criticism that its too indulgent in its character studies. It is precisely the film's attention to developing its characters that sets it apart from every other by-the-numbers Hollywood crime film of this era and makes "Heat" a classic.

Pacino and De Niro together... simply great !

[Peres-2 · 10/10 · 13 January 1999]

Most of the comments I've read here agree that this is a great movie. I have the same opinion. The coffee shop scene tells everything about this film: 10/10. The human side of the characters is perfectly explored, especially concerning De Niro's character (Neil). His personal conflicts are as strong as his determination and skills as a gangster. This is the magic of this film and only two fantastic actors like Pacino and De Niro could represent it so totally. Congratulations to Val Kilmer that shined and performed exceptionally well under the huge shadow of Pacino and De Niro. A must see !

Heat is a masterpiece

[stickman-6 · 10/10 · 3 January 2000]

In this exciting thrill ride, good and evil battle it out. But not in the usual comic-book style of most films today. "Heat" carries with it the moral values so many of us take for granted. Although much in the film is morally ambiguous, one may find that even when all your life you've lived on the other side of the law, you can still settle down and have a heart-to-heart. When I first saw this movie I was sure it would be another violent crime movie that I would never want to see again. I have since seen it 4 times and have a copy of my own. The thrilling sequences and brilliant camera-work have you glued to the screen. The exceptional cast of characters has you wondering "who could be so lucky to work with them?". From the opening scene to the thrilling final scenes and everything in between (including the climax) "Heat" grabs you and pulls you in. This is a true film masterpiece.

Action masterpiece Michael Mann, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's best favorite heist movie of all time

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 7 December 2017]

A masterpiece and one of the best action heist movies of all time! Heat (1995) is one of my personal favorite Al Pacino and Robert De Niro Action heist movie of all time! I love this movie to death! This movie has everything, action, drama, heist, great cast and incredible realistic great performance from Al Pacino and Robert De Niro! Provides fast and loose action with interesting characters. Great action movie!!!! One of the best for me!!!!!!!!! To this day this movie stands a classic action heist movie of all time! Acting, story, score everything in here is excellent!

This movie has a great plot, brilliant story about two lead characters a professional master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) battling Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) LAPD robbery-homicide detective in this non-stop race against time heist. Michael Mann did everything with this film, he wrote the screenplay, produced this movie and directed it. Michael Mann is a brilliant director I love Miami Vice TV Series, Manhunter and Collateral.

This movie is the real heist movie un like Point Break and Baby Driver this movie deserves a 10, because it takes the vision of one of the most imaginative directors on Earth, and realizes them almost perfectly with all the tools that fit the task -- actors and great stunts. Without the vision, this film would be nothing. Without the tools, this film would be nothing.

Al Pacino stars in the film as Vincent Hanna, a relentless lieutenant in the LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division who is determined to take down a high end robbery crew led by master thief Neil McCauley (De Niro).

Notable for its detailed depiction of the techniques used by both law enforcement and criminal elements, as well as exceptional and accurate gun handling, the film was first made as the 1989 television movie L.A. Takedown. Heat also was reported to have been viewed repeatedly by the "High Incident Bandits" robbery duo involved in the infamous North Hollywood shootout (as depicted in the film 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shootout).

Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) LAPD robbery-homicide detective was a great character cop. He was at least MILES way better than Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) FBI rookie Agent in Point Break that movie sucked! Lt. Vincent Hanna shoot and killed Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) and he saved a child. He cracked the case and he figure it out who the mask robbers were. In the climatic epic battle fight on the end of the film on the airport field he shoot and killed Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). He destroyed and hunt down McCauley's crew. True two got away but he always got his man. He at least didn't let go McCauley like Johnny Utah did, letting go Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) and he did not arrest or shoot or kill any of Bodhi's men he let them all go. Lt. Vincent Hanna is a hero and veteran police officer to me.

Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), as a professional thief was smart, intelligent, high profile criminal with no criminal record. He was the mastermind behind the robberies, he knew what he was doing. He was a murderer and he did what he know best. He at least wasn't like stupid dumb idiot Bodhi from Point Break, he was trying to get away but he always settle a score with everyone that double crossed him. It is wrong to messing with him. By the end that way leaded him to his end, he made a mistake when he went after Waingro (Kevin Gage).

The movie has also one of the greatest shootouts in L.A. in which Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) McCauley (Robert De Niro) firing Colt Model 733 automatic riffle on the cops. Great shootout's I love it.

The movie has great famous cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Tom Noonan, Kevin Gage, Danny Trejo, Hank Azaria, Martin Ferrero and Xander Berkeley a lot of famous actors and actresses were extra in this movie.

The movie focus on a real human characters that they are ordinary people with normal life's like you and me. That is why I love this film to death! It is realistic performed and it has no jokes or fantasy or anything it is real life. I love Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's performance they both fit the task and accomplish their acting their characters.

Heat is the 1995 crime drama directed by Michael Mann and marked the first on screen pairing of legendary actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

10/10 My all time personal favorite action heist masterpiece Michael Mann film of all time, this movie kicks ass.

One of the best Cops and Robbers movies ever.

[brendan_sutch · 10/10 · 24 May 2000]

Heat is a masterful cops and robbers tale that shows both sides of the law in exquisite detail. Strong performances by Pacino and DeNiro (the scene of them sitting across the table from each other is possibly 5 of the most memorable minutes in film history). Excellent cinematography and perhaps the best gunfight (if not, one of the most intense) since Hard Boiled. More than worth the 3 or so hours.

An okay movie. Would have been better 60 minutes shorter with half the characters

[bayou_hannibal · 6/10 · 30 May 2012]

Having seen almost every classic and influential crime drama of the past 30 years, I finally got around to seeing Heat. Having heard about how influential it has been in other movies and video games, I couldn't believe that I had waited so long to see this movie. Boy, was I disappointed. This movie is far from the masterpiece that I was led to believe. Other than a couple of great crime scenes (and a little bit of great action), I can't think of much that this film had that would make me want to see it again.

While I wouldn't characterize the acting as bad, I can't think of anyone in this movie who gave a performance that is among their better ones. Al Pacino is practically a caricature of himself the entire time. He overacts in every scene and he yells about half of his lines. Robert Deniro has the same scowl on his face and speaks in pretty much the same voice for the whole movie. Pacino and Deniro fans looking for some "tough guy" porn will find plenty of it here.

Ultimately, Heat is a movie that could have been made better by cutting about half the content. It is loaded with characters that are poorly developed, but are dramatically presented as if you are supposed to give a crap about any of them. One of them gets killed after about four minutes of screen time, and after that, we see his grieving wife. Rather than cry with her, I just kind of rolled my eyes. Another gang members death is presented with the drama akin to a squad mate getting killed in a war movie. I could have cared less. Val Kilmer's subplot centers around the tenuous relationship that he has with his wife. Al Pacino has a lousy third marriage and Robert Deniro somehow manages to have a romance side plot that is neither relevant nor believable.

There is even a suicide attempt scene that has nothing whatsoever to do with the story – a diversion that will have you scratching your head, wondering why so much celluloid was wasted on it. Without exception, every single scene with a female in it could have been left on the cutting room floor, and not one shred of value would have been lost. None of the characters are sympathetic or well developed enough for you to want to see their romances work or to be able to share their pain. It would have worked well maybe in a television series where you would have more time to develop the characters, but here, all of the side plot material is really boring.

One of the draws of this movie seems to be that it is a "realistic" and non ideal take on human behavior. Okay, I get that, but if you are going to go with the "realistic" approach, then don't ruin it with the occasional unbelievable scene or plot hole. The biggest offender is the famous bank robbery scene in the middle of the movie. It would have been spectacular in an action movie that didn't take itself seriously. But in Heat, I couldn't stop thinking about how absurd it was that a few guys with automatic weapons were able to cut through the entire LAPD like a hot knife through butter, escaping clean in the process. I still greatly enjoyed that scene, largely because it's just a great action scene that is well choreographed and shot. However, it's sort of out of place in this film.

I'll give Heat some credit for not being a by-the-numbers cops and robbers movie. Maybe it is this uniqueness and the time of its release that made it so popular. Upon reflection though, there have been many crime and caper movies over the past few decades that are more entertaining than this one. Scarface, Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects, to name but a few. While I didn't hate this movie, I certainly don't think that it deserves a place in the Top 10 greatest crime dramas.

A film that took me several enjoyable viewings to understand.

[wrdunn-88991 · 10/10 · 3 August 2021]

Heat on paper is a standard cops and robbers tale. Bad guys do what they do and cops do what they gotta do. The thing that took me so long to realise was this story isn't about robberies or cops chasing down bad guys. It's about a guy who thinks he's a methodical being when in actuality he makes more mistakes than he would ever admit. This film is enjoyed both ways, you can delve into the deep physcological meaning or you can enjoy some fantastic action. This is my all time favourite movie. I recommend it to everyone I talk movies with.

In the end, pretty underwhelming

[210west · 6/10 · 22 April 2005]

HEAT has, of course, a terrific cast, but this sprawling, rambling, overlong, ultimately anticlimactic film is marred throughout by one of the more irritating clichés of cop dramas: the boring domestic scene in which the wife (or girlfriend) of the cop (or criminal) complains about how unfulfilled she is, the uncertainty of their relationship, how little she sees him, blah blah blah. In this one, it's hard-faced Diane Venora whining about how cop Al Pacino isn't THERE for her and her daughter (Natalie Portman), how she gets only part of his life, etc. Haven't we suffered through this boring situation in a hundred cop pictures? Then there are the uninteresting marital problems criminal Val Kilmer is having with Ashley Judd; who cares? Finally, there's the loony, preposterous, extraneous, wholly unbelievable relationship Robert De Niro has with Amy Brenneman, who plays a lovestruck artist/shopgirl who takes one look at De Niro, begins flirting with him, and is soon taking him to bed. Yeah, right: Here's a beautiful, glamorous-looking young woman who throws herself at a middle-aged, mean-and-careworn-and-greasy-looking guy who initially pretends to be a salesman and carries on a halting conversation worthy of a dullard. The relationship has no bearing on the plot that I could see; it's just an impediment and an annoyance. Thank God for the fast-forward on my remote.

So much for realism (and logic)...

[CinefanR · 5/10 · 8 May 2012]

I remember seeing this in my childhood and being extremely impressed with it. Some scenes have stayed with me all this time. However, revisiting "Heat" 17 years later was a disappointment. The story looks far fetched and riddled with clichés and improbabilities.

The main problem is with the selling point, which is of course the "Al Pacino- De Niro relationship". Here's the problem: no cop who does this job out of conviction could possibly respect/admire a criminal, especially one who has killed other police officers. So the ending is absurd and downright ludicrous. The famous coffee-shop scene that Pacino and De Niro share is ridiculous and pointless, entirely made for us, the viewers. At the public request, we present you Pacino and De Niro, face to face! The clash of the titans!

Not only there is no way in hell that a committed policeman would casually sit and chat with a criminal over coffee, but what they have to say is so silly – sharing thoughts about their messed-up private lives? Pacino trying to talk De Niro out of the bank robbery business? Seriously? Such a lame excuse to deliver the much anticipated De Niro- Pacino "moment"... The writing is terrible in this scene, as De Niro is also restating something he'd said earlier, therefore diminishing the impact of that line. Another example of bad writing and poor characterization is a scene where Jon Voight warns De Niro about Pacino's tenacity.

The constant shift to everybody's private lives was annoying and turned the whole thing into a crime-opera cheesefest. How many times have we seen the "frustrated cop's wife" act? And who cares about the bank robber's problems with his beloved wife, whom he occasionally cheats on? Oh, yeah, bank robbers are capable of love too. Touching! Talking about unlikelihood, De Niro's "romance" was laughable, and so was the transformation of an innocent librarian into an accessory to murder. The way Amy Brenneman switches from horror at what De Niro did to the "Oh, well, he's cute anyway" is hysterical. Moral relativism is an interesting topic for sure, but not here. There are moments that we're supposed to find moving, like the miscast Ashley Judd shedding a tear on the balcony or the cop hero Pacino holding hands with a criminal... What a joke.

The movie does contain some entertaining moments (although highly improbable), like the robbery scene. There's no way the Police would get into a shootout like that with so many civilians around. The suicide attempt scene is unnecessary and forced, and there are other flaws and extremely far-fetched/illogical scenes throughout, like DeNiro & the gang gracefully passing through police check-points without even wearing a disguise, just hours after the bloody robbery.

"Heat" is fairly entertaining only if you can ignore its inconsistencies and plot holes. The more I watch, the more I find it insulting to one's intelligence. I know it's "just a movie", but come on... it's a 3-hour movie, and such an amount of implausible developments make suspension of disbelief pretty hard. I swear, if Pacino had shed a tear in the end, I would have rated "Heat" with 10 stars and put it on my all time favorite "so bad they're good" list.

One of the best films of the 90's

[eddieknocker · 10/10 · 17 January 2005]

I am assuming I am commenting on this film for those who have not seen this film and for those people I pity you. Its a crime thriller. Won't describe the story as its not particularly original and not the best thing about this film. You've got Pacino and Deniro on screen in a film for the first and possibly last time which should be recommendation enough. You've also got director Michael Mann at the top of his game. An awesome supporting cast firing on all cylinders. Arguably the best "shoot-out" in any film - ever. What more do you want???

It's a long film but there is not one wasted scene in it. Even the incidental story lines - for example, the recently paroled ex-cell mate of Deniro whose first job is in a "grill" working for a nasty, exploitative boss and then ends-up as a stand-in getaway driver for Deniros crew. It just adds weight to the whole film. All the domestic dramas of the good-guys and the bad-guys that you wouldn't get in the typical cops and robbers film are shown in loving detail and nothing is rushed. Just makes it a more satisfying and involving film.

Mann who started his career on Miami Vice almost seems to be taking a trip back to the eighties with the soundtrack and styling of the film - almost but not quite.

If you still don't want to see the film after this then what the hell's wrong with you?! Sit back and enjoy. Also - no. 247 in the top 250?? Whats up with that???