Rating: 
Summary: Spotting the HEAT around the corner...
Review: Very few movies will hold my original interest on repeat viewings, but Heat is definitely one of them! Let's put aside the fact that with Pacino and DeNiro starring in the same movie, the trail is already off to a great start. This movie actually gets my heart pumping during the shoot-outs and bank scene, and also makes me really *feel* for what the characters Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro), Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), Michael Cerrito (Tom Sizemore), Charlene (Ashley Judd), Eady (Amy Brenneman), etc. are going through. It's not just another "cops and robbers" story. It's deeper than that. A lot deeper. If you watch this movie and don't see anything but the crime taking place and the cops chasing the bad guys - then you've missed out. Big time! It shows the "other side" of an officer's life (problems and struggles with family issues), and the inner emotions, and even the "soft" side of the criminals. There's actually a storyline beyond the crime, and that's one of the many things that makes this movie so great!
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe I am not taking the right drugs?
Review: Wow, this flick has sooo many holes in it, it's not just implasible it's insulting. Lets see, cut off your pony tail, and show some fake id, and the cops will not reconize you. Shoot dozens of people for 10 mins in downtown LA, and then drive away. Where where the helicopters? Guess they were all being refueled since there were multiple ones being used the rest of the time. Pull a fire alarm in the hotel and the LA cops won't even think something may be up. Heck after all you are only staking out for a mass murder. Grab a shot gun from another cop to chase the bad guy at the end (but don't call for any help, or tell anyone you are chasing him.) So what if he has gotten away a dozen times before. Our hero cop would be working security in KMART the next day, since he would have had his ass fired. Oh yea and Deniro was such a loveable type guy I would hold his hand too after I shoot him. After all it only took 2 mins for his lover to turn from shock at what he did, to a "oh well what the heck, your kinda of cute, everybodies got a little flaw. Action, shoot em up... OK If that's what you like. Me I want a little plot that at's least a little beliveable thrown in. Superman's villians are more believeable then these guys. If I thought about it some more, I could list lots more implausiblities. But This is all I really every want to think about this turkey.
Rating: 
Summary: One of Michael Mann's Best
Review: I'm almost ashamed to admit how much I love Michael Mann's movies. I've read many reviews that complain of their being "technology-obsessed" and a triumph of style over substance. In fact, I've always thought his movies were extremely smart, mostly having to do with the dark side of personal freedom and individualism. "Heat" is perhaps the sleekest example of this motif, and it is also one of his finest movies. Centered around the confrontation between a world-class bank robber Neil (Deniro) and his pursuer, an equally world-class policeman Vincent (Pacino), the plot seems familiar. But Mann cleverly alternates between stunning action sequences (most notably, a climactic bank robbery that goes very, very bad) and more somber scenes portraying the disastrous personal lives of the main characters. Much time is spent detailing Vincent's disintegrating marriage (to the radiant Diane Venora, who also did fine work in Mann's "The Insider"), while also following the budding romance between Neil and a young shop clerk (the equally radiant Amy Brennerman). Both relationships are doomed, of course, but they are rendered with a surprising depth and soulfulness that elevates the picture. And the parallel between Neil and Vincent, while none-too-original, takes on a resonance that is almost mesmerizing, especially in the famous diner scene where they finally meet face-to-face. In this moment, both characters seem to really learn something about each other (and about themselves). It's a standard crime melodrama, but brilliantly done.
Much was made of the dream-team casting of Pacino and Deniro, and both men give stellar performances in their own varying styles. But Deniro's seems the finer of the two, in part because his role seems closer to Mann's directorial obsessions, and also to Deniro's own past work. In many ways, Neil is just another extension of Deniro's famous loner-roles (i.e., "Taxi Driver" and "The Deer Hunter"), men so hyper-macho that they live shadow-existences. (One of the film's nicer touches is Neil's house, a georgous beachfront model that he inhabits alone and with no furniture--a sharp metaphor for his lavish but ultimately hollow life.) Indeed, the film seems a long, violent meditation on the price of individualism, both in personal and social terms. (Neil and his crew kill so many innocent people that I lost count.) Whichever way you interpret it, though, "Heat" is an undeniably masterful film.
Rating:
Summary: Great Cops And Robbers Spectacular!
Review: Few movies from the 1990s have the energy, action sequences, or provocative depictions of men who are bigger than life than does this gorgeously photographed and brilliantly choreographed cops and robbers tale starring Robert DeNiro as a supremely competent heist-meister and Al Pacino as his indefatigable pursuer. The film, which opens with a robbery sequence involving an armored truck and a precision team that takes it down so professionally it makes one's head spin, has so much action and so much going on it sometimes skips into overdrive. Yet it is all done with such an entertaining verve that one stays with all that is happening as it floats from one situation to another. There are a number of subplots, each involving one of the principles in elements of his personal life. But whether it be DeNiro trying to come to terms with a woman who offers him a chance at a more meaningful and satisfying life, or Val Kilmer trying to figure out how to deal with his high-maintenance life style and a wife with a roving eye (played wonderfully by Ashley Judd), or Pacino trying to essay his way through the wilderness of his own conflictions and how they affect his relationship with his wife, we see these as entertaining sidebars and not the main show, which is the inevitable showdown between DeNiro and Pacino. This is several movies in one; a wonderfully entertaining shoot-em-up action film, with more than enough pyrotechnics to satisfying the most demanding of fans; an absorbing character study of both DeNiro's and Pacino's contrasting characters and the ways in which they are very similar and at the same time very much different; and a morality play, in which we watch as DeNiro's figure has to make the choice between a life affirming and a life-extinguishing decision, one that then profoundly affects his own fate. This is a great movie, and one that confirms the fact that neither DeNiro nor Pacino have lost the magic touch; both are terrific here. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A modern reinterpretation of classic crime drama elements
Review: This superbly executed crime drama reinterprets in a modern style a classic tale of two men, a cop and a criminal, sharing an obsession to fulfill their linked destinies, and connected by a strange bond that ultimately brings them in a showdown that cannot be but fatal for both, even if one remains alive. Indeed, the final scene brings in mind the ending of Inagagi's Samurai III - Duel at Ganryu Island, where the character Musashi Miyamoto finally conquers his nemesis, only to lament that "I will never again face an enemy like him". The relationship of the two men - superbly played by Al Pacino and Robert de Niro - reminds one of the bond between the analogous characters in Melville's Le Cercle Rouge (unfortunately unavailable as DVD). The strange affinity of the chaser and the chasee, the existential angst that drives them on, the unbearable strength of the fate that denies freedom of action or woman's love, are just a few of the characteristics shared by the two movies - characteristics shared by even older classics such as the unforgettable Grand Illusion. While obviously paying homage to these great films, the director Michael Mann sets the familiar saga in a modern form, and in so doing turns some essential elements around in opposite external form. The central all-silent robbery scene of Melville - itself copied from Dassin's Rififi - now becomes a spectacular, extremely noisy shooting spree, and the wet and dark streets of Paris are now replaced by dazzling views of the lighted nightly Los Angeles. The result is one of the essential movies of the 90's. It transcends the crime genre, just like its great predecessors did. Don't miss it, and don't expect to see just another action film or crime saga - Heat has much more to offer to a movie lover.
Rating:
Summary: Test Your Surround-Sound
Review: If you want to test your Surround-Sound and accuracy under fire power (pun intended), Chapter 32 is a must-test case -- gunfire as it should be (also try "Black Hawk Down"). The story is good (4 stars), but the professionalism of everything else boosts (4.5 stars).
Rating:
Summary: Vito Corleone vs. Michael Corleone.....nuff said
Review: This has to be one of the greatest pairings in cinema history. Pacino and Deniro give one hell of a performance as hunter vs. hunted, respectfully. This almost 3 hour long vehicle showing this conflict between the two, as well as the conflicts with the people that surround them in their lives are shown in such a way that further rivets you to your seat as you watch this cat and mouse game unfold, especially the L.A. shootout that makes the O.K. Corral look like Disneyland. Both actors, legendary for their roles in such gangland classics (i.e. Scarface, Goodfellas, The Godfather movies)give enough reason for you to watch this movie. Even if these movies arent your thing, youll want to watch just for the sheer presence of these 2 talented actors, as well as Michael Mann's sheer slickness in directing this classic. Personally, I think its one of the best crime drama movies made in the last 20 years and youll agree with me too.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Outstanding
Review: When De niro and Al paccio combine in any movie then the heat will escelate and will rise, and in this movie, the heat was too much, the action was outstanding, the story is filled with action and brain storming. the characters were really outstanding, this is really a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: How does it get ANY better than this?
Review: Al Pacino versus Robert De Niro. Al Pacino is the good cop with a Type A personality (which will come in handy when dealing with De Niro's character). It's the classic good vs. bad movie. If you are a fan of De Niro, THIS is probably one of his best un-sung movies of all time. I almost missed this gem due to the lack of publicity! When looking over DVDs on Amazon, have you ever wondered what movie you simply missed? Is there a great movie that you should have seen by now? THIS IS IT! The only other movie that I feel comes close to this showcase of sheer talent is Mr. De Niro's masterpiece, "A Bronx Tale".
If I could afford it, I'd package these two titles to each new DVD that is purchased in the US. A MUST HAVE!
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary
Review: This movie of cops and robbers is a classic character driven movie. Al Pacino, the 24 hour a day cop and Robert DeNiro, the smart career criminal clash. The character protrayals of these two excellent actors make this movie. But there are also many outstanding supporting characters and actors including Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Natalie Portman and Jon Voigt. Each bring their own strong performance to the mix, and the outcome is unmatched for this type of movie. Robert DeNiro runs a crew that takes big heists in a professional and clean manner. Never touched by the law, smart and courageous. Al Pacino is about to lose his third marriage because he spends too much time on the job, busting crews like DeNiro's. It's bound to come to a head and it does near the end. So many bad guys, so many good guys, such an indepth look into both worlds. This movie shines in so many aspects. Val Kilmer plays the career criminal with a wife and kid who can't control his gambling. Tom Sizemore the career criminal with an addiction to the rush of crime. Robert DeNiro, the smart career criminal that is in it for the money and nothing esle - it's his job. Natalie Portman as the suicidal unhappy step-child of a caring step-father. Jon Voight as the career criminal who profits from the risk of others. Al Pacino as the resutls driven, over the top cop who is just was is needed to try and combat the bad guys. My only complaint was that I personally didn't like the ending. It went contrary to what I wanted, haha. And in a way, I felt it cheapened the teachings of one of the characters. But the movie had long made its impact on me over and over by that point. Don't rent this movie - buy it. You will LOVE it, watch it again and again. An absolute classic!
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