Heat

Rating:
Summary: Ups And Downs
Review: What is demonstrated most clearly in HEAT is the different directions taken by De Niro and Pacino in the 20+ years since they were young actors in THE GODFATHER and THE GODGFATHER PART II.

Pacino, who was such a thrill to watch in his early days, is now almost unbearable. He's lost any sense of subtlety or depth. In THE GODFATHER there was a quiet rage, an anger and intensity that bubbled just under his surface that was just amazing to watch. Now he just screams every line. In HEAT he cackles and yells in every scene, hollering at traffic, hollering at his wife, hollering at De Niro, hollering out his breakfast order...it just never stops. 'Round about SCARFACE Pacino stopped being an actor--and he'd been a great one up until that point--and started being a very bad caricature of himself. I call it the Marty Scheen syndrome.

De Niro, on the other hand, was already great at GODFATHER PART II, and has spent his time since then perfecting his craft. He's become the best actor of his generation, (unless you put Jack Nicholson in the same generation, and then it's a tie), an actor who can do action, thrillers, comedy--whatever. He is the best.

As for the film itself, I'm not as taken with it as many others seem to be. It's a good action flick, but I wouldn't put DIE HARD in the same category as APOCOLYPSE NOW, if you get my drift. HEAT is good at what it tries to do, but I don't know that it tries to do very much.

All this talk of "dissecting the psychology" of a cop and a criminal, finding out they're not that different, yadda yadda yadda--what a load of whooey. The conversation De Niro and Pacino have over a cup of coffee, which could have been a great set piece for both their careers and a moment movie fans would be able to recall like Bogie getting drunk in CASABLANCA or Brando emerging from the darkness in APOCOLYPSE NOW, is tedious and contrived. Pacino appears to make several blundering ad-libs, and you wouldn't be surprised to see De Niro come out of character long enough to ask him what the heck he's doing.

And Val Kilmer's part is virtually non-existent. Kilmer is a hit or miss actor--he hit on all cylinders in TOMBSTONE, missed on all in BATMAN--and this is mostly a miss.

Rating:
Summary: Real Movie & Real Actors, both of them!!!
Review: Heat, this movie makes me crazy with both of actors! Al Pacino & Robert De Niro.....Nothing to say any more to them. Just look at their faces, then I can't breath with their action and moving. Great.... I still think that they know how to act and say in the front of the camera. That must be gift and talent. As well,of course, passion,too. They were,being and would be the best forever. Al & Robert, you would be unforgettable actors in whole world. And my heart.

Rating:
Summary: ONE SHOT
Review: The final shot of HEAT is the most moving still-life in the history of the cinema.

Rating:
Summary: Can't beat the heat
Review: Now THIS is a GREAT movie!!! It stars both Al Pacino AND Robert De Niro, and unfortunately they aren't on screen together for more than a few scenes. But those scenes are truly memorable; the scene in the restaurant and the film's ending. Other stars include Val Kilmer, John Voight, and Ashley Judd, and with a cast like this, "Heat" delivers some of the most impressive performances ever to hit the silver screen.

This film has a remarkable script. The quotes include, "I say what I mean and I do what I say", and "I'm talking through an empty telephone here, because there is a dead man on the other end of this freaking line". (well, "freaking" wasn't the actual word) But the best quote is, "Do not have anything in life that you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you can feel the heat around the corner". This quote really helps make the ending so powerful.

Don't be alarmed by the 3-hour-length of the film, either. Michael Mann is a brilliant director and has increased the film's length to develop the characters better. This is what distinguishes a good movie from a bad one: if a villain's personality doesn't make you love to hate him, then the movie isn't well made. And if it weren't for the film's best quote (see above), then the film would be 20 minutes shorter and you wouldn't feel so pleased.

Gee whiz, I haven't even begun to talk about the plot yet! Well, "Heat" is a crime saga about two men on opposite sides of the law. Vincent Hanna (Pacino) is a cop who is out to catch a robber, Neil MacCauley (De Niro). Before I go too far, I must stop and say that MacCauley is no easy target.

Rated R for strong language and some intense violent sequences. This film is not for preteens, but everyone aged 13 and up MUST watch it.

Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: This is one of the most exciting and best acted movies of all time in my opinion. DeNiro did a fabulous job in this movie and do i even have to talk about Pacino? When was the last time he hasnt been perfect in a movie? If only I could give this movie more then 5 stars! This is a must buy for any pacino fans, DeNiro fans, and anyone that just wants to see a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: five gazillion stars :)
Review: this is an INCREDIBLE movie that only gets better with each re-watching.

there is so much to take in, so much to pick up on and get to know about so many of the characters, that this film, in my opinion, rewards several re-watchings.

Pacino's character is marvelously drawn. in one of the first scenes in the movie, watching how his character relates with his step-daughter and his (emotionally high maintenance) wife is very well done - the triangling is very interesting. the scene where he comes home late for dinner after the first crime scene is also fascinating. and his character's way of sizing people up and getting what he wants out of them is fascinating and memorable (if not a little over the top) - "give me whatcha got," "you can get killed walking your doggie," "because she's got a great ---, and you've got your head all the way up it; ferocious, aren't i?"

De Niro's character is equally well-drawn. Ditto Kilmer's, Sizemore's, Judd's, etc., etc.

and then there are the actions sequences. INCREDIBLE! i think that part of the initial action sequence plays out better on the non widescreen presentation - it allows you to get a closer view of the shocked/traumatized look on one of the guard's faces.

the third action sequence - the daylight robbery - to my mind is probably one of the top two or three action sequences EVER. INTENSE would be an understatement.

and i could go on and on.

i had no problem with the length. it served this movie beautifully.

and there were not too many subplots in my opinion.

the one real problem? - the dvd. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE this movie so deserves a special or collecter's edition (a two disc set? ~ *sigh* ~ dare to dream :) complete with a director's or stars' commentary, some of the deleted or cut down scenes, and a behind the scenes featurette -- hopefully about the daylight robbery shoot out sequence.

Rating:
Summary: Character Development!
Review: 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!

Rating:
Summary: "We're sittin' here like a couple of regular fellows..."
Review: ...Those "couple of regular fellows" are Vincent Hanna (played by Al Pacino), a brilliant Detective Lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department; and Neil McCauley (played by Robert DeNiro), an equally brilliant leader of a gang of professional hold-up men. These are the two main characters in "Heat," a fabulously acted, written, and directed police drama released in 1995.

Billed as "A Los Angeles Crime Saga," "Heat" is one of the finest crime dramas to come out of Hollywood in a long time! It's the story of two charismatic men on opposite sides of the law, the men who work for them, and the women who love them. With its two superstar co-lead actors (Pacino and DeNiro), and an equally outstanding supporting cast, this movie provides nearly three hours of spine-tingling suspense and superb action.

"Heat" abounds with fantastic action scenes! All of them are very good indeed. The bank robbery scene and the police chase in the immediate aftermath of the robbery are the best action sequences in the entire movie. They rank, in my view, among the best action sequences in movies of recent years. As Neil and his crew depart the bank, with huge money-stuffed duffel bags over their shoulders and fully loaded automatic weapons in their hands, Vince Hanna, his detectives, and dozens of SWAT and uniformed police officers (all armed to the teeth with automatic weapons as well) arrive to apprehend them. Gunfire erupts and the ensuing battle, fought over several city blocks, takes on the grim, fiery appearance of urban combat, complete with civilian casualties. This ten-minute long scene is grand in its scope, perfectly executed and positively gripping to watch.

The acting in "Heat" is uniformly superb! Of course, that's to be expected with two of America's finest actors - Pacino and DeNiro - heading the cast. Each of these men play their parts to perfection - Pacino, the angst-ridden, hard-as-nails, slightly burned out LAPD detective, totally dedicated to stopping and apprehending Neil McCauley and his gang; and DeNiro, the coldly calculating gang leader - soft spoken, betraying no outward hint of his violent nature, and a man alone in the world.

Perhaps the most interesting scene in "Heat" occurs about an hour into the movie, when Vince Hanna and Neil McCauley sit down for a cup of coffee. This scene, recently rated by "TV Guide" as one of the 50 best movie scenes ever, is the first time Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro have ever acted in the same scene together. The scene by itself makes the movie worth watching. It's simply a marvelous display of acting. DeNiro and Pacino are perfectly natural, each allowing the other actor to display his talents freely, without a trace of ego. There's no dramatic bombast, no verbal pyrotechnics ... simply a couple of "regular fellows" engaged in a low-key conversation just before the action REALLY begins...

"Heat" is certainly well worth viewing, and more than once (especially for Pacino and DeNiro fans). Enjoy!!

Rating:
Summary: Am I the only one who did not like this movie?
Review: maybe my expectations were too high but I thought this was a huge disappointment. The action scenes were not exciting and I don't think they really did a good job with the story. That whole scene where DeNiro and Pacino are in the restaurant talking seemed so contrived I just could not buy it. Maybe with some more judicious editing I would have a different opinion, but I can't reccomend this film to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: ALL TIME FAVORITE
Review: This movie is no less then 10 stars for the simple reason cuz I said so.