Heat

Rating:
Summary: The BEST film of the 90's
Review: Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino are two reasons to see any film. Add in Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd and Tom Sizemore and you have what we call an all-star cast. The acting is superb, better than any [-thing] Hollywood puts out. This picture has suspense and thrills. It also has the best bank robbing scene I have ever viewed. It can match up with any work Pacino has done, and falls short of every DeNiro film besides Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. This is the ultimate crime drama.

Rating:
Summary: SUPERB
Review: When the two giants Al Pacino & Robert De Niro meet... it surely turns on the HEAT.

This movie is so perfect in every element that makes a movie so successful. But what I liked most was the meating between Al Pacino & Robert De Niro for a cup of coffee... the conversation that took place between them is very touchy.

But there should be a special edition of this DVD. Because the current DVD lacks so many features... yes this movie deserves a better DVD edition.

Rating:
Summary: The Mann has a masterpiece
Review: This movie is excellent. It has some of the best action scenes of all time, as well as some of the coolest lines, the most interesting characters depicted by an expert cast ...the whole thing is just awesome. The whole time I was watching this movie I was transfixed by director Michael Mann's expert maneuverings. I just knew that I was in the process of seeing a masterpiece. The film delves into the differences(or lack thereof) between the highest form of cop and the highest form of criminal. De Niro's Neil McCauley is just as heroic as Pacino's Vince Hanna. These guys are so cool that their confrontation should be the most famous scene in American cinema. Unfortunately, many who have seen this movie have revealed their own idiocy in saying it is bad. This movie has not had enough exposure by any means. The DVD itself does not have enough features, but you should do yourself a favor and buy it anyway. Treat yourself to Mann's masterwork of a movie, and afterwards tell your friends about its pure awesomeness.

Rating:
Summary: Great film, ok DVD
Review: This is my favorite robbery movie... strong performances by the all-star cast. It's a bit long, but every scene is important. The picture quality is barely above a good VHS, but the sound is excellent, particularly in the action sequences. There aren't any bonuses, unless you count trailers and language, but I'm giving it a five because it is such a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: Did someone say CARLITO'S WAY? You've got to be kidding me!
Review: I read another review where someone slammed this film. Well, let me write this: that person thought Carlito's Way was a good film. Nuff said. Heat isn't for the fan of Hill Street Blues or even the Lethal Weapon series. It is a classy film with in-depth character development and a remarkable ability to make us root for the bad guys. As for action? You won't be dissapointed if you're one for smart and well thought out robbery scenes. The cast is phenominal, a list that includes DeNiro, Pacino, Kilmer, Judd, Sizemore, Natalie Portman, Voight, among others.

Now, if you're a fan of Carlito's Way, I meant no offense but to say that Carlito's is a better film than Heat? Please.

Heat takes the cake(or should I say bank?) in terms of the cops and robbers genre. The climax will have you on the edge of your seat. Surprisingly, there are some subtle messages in this film, one being that there isn't much that seperates the two lead characters, although one's good and one's bad. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: an awful waste of some incredible acting talent
Review: Al Pacino,Robert DeNiro,John Voight...You'd think with actors as great as these (along with such talents as Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore) this movie would be put in the hands of a brilliant director.Martin Scorsese?Nope.Sidney Lumet?Wrong.John Frankenheimer(R.I.P)?Think again.Sadly,this movie was directed by the guy who did Miami Vice.This movie is built more like a TV crime drama-with many plots going on at once-than a great crime film.And then I see Henry Rollins on the phone with DeNiro.Okay,I can take that.But Tone Loc sharing screen time with Al Pacino???Who did the casting for this film?Carson Daly??Trust me,instead of this incredibly over-rated waste of celluloid,check out the very under-rated "Carlito's Way".

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This is an excellent movie. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are excellent counterparts. The bank robbing scene is one of the most intense scenes I have ever seen.

As usual, Michael Mann's cimetography sets the mood of the movie. The acting is excellent. Dialog between De Niro and Pacino is classic. This is a must have DVD. Should be one of the first ones you purchase if buying your first DVD player.

The only negative of the DVD is there is no bonus material, but don't let that keep you from purchasing this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps, Mann's Best
Review: Writer-Director Michael Mann's 1995 Los Angeles crime saga, Heat, is perhaps his best film work. Without having to worry about niggling facts and real timelines to get in the way (and cause critics to point them out) like in later films Ali or The Insider, this creative character-driven piece of moviemaking mesmerizes through great lead and ensemble performances, direction, and storytelling. All three aspects work wonderfully in this tale of two opposing "crews" who go up against eachother on the streets of L.A.: a professional group of criminals led by master thief Neil MacCauley (Robert DeNiro) and LAPD's elite Metro Robbery/Homicide lead by Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino).

Both leads, as the story evolves, are cut from the same cloth: professional and dedicated to their chosen crafts--to a fault. Everything revolves around their jobs and nothing gets in their way, including the women in their personal lives: Justine Hanna (the very underrated Diane Venora) and the soon-to-be enlightened Eady (Amy Brenneman). It's the long-suffering Justine that nails her husband's true nature with her wifely realization: "You don't live with me, you live among the remnants of dead people. You sift through the detritus, you read the terrain, you search for signs of passing, for the scent of your prey ... and then you hunt them down. That's the only thing you're committed to. The rest is the mess you leave as you pass through."

And it's with that predator's sense that Vincent spots MacCauley's crew after the inital, spectacular armored truck robbery. He knows that a crew is in town who are good, skillful, and very dangerous ("At the drop of a hat, these guys will rock 'n roll."). Which is also the exact description of their leader. However, in this case, the master thief is also growing weary of his trade...and the emotional discipline it requires."I am alone...I'm not lonely." he tells Eady after they first meet. His is a life that requires him be able to "walk out on in 30 seconds flat if (he) feels the heat around the corner." Neil is the moral antithesis for Vincent, but both will do whatever it takes to do what they do best. Eventually, both find out about the other half-way through the story.

The meeting on-screen for Neil and Vincent (a first for actors DeNiro and Pacino) is the movie's key dramatic sequence. This wary confrontation over coffee is one of the best moments put to film. It's not long, but it's one of those powerfully quiet scenes that resonates throughout the rest of the film. The irony of the situation is that each recognizes themselves in the other...and appreciate the professionalism they find. Both, through their conversation, also are cognizant of the fact that each will put the other down permanently, if need be. Some other reviewers have stated that is the only time they'll share the screen time in this movie. Not true. Heat's tense climax on the outskirts of LAX is another one of those great film scenes. Mann skillfully brings their chase and relationship to a poignantly moving close.

This film also has one of the best ensemble casts ever on celluloid: Pacino, DeNiro, Val Kilmer, Venora, Ashley Judd, Brenneman, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, and a young Natalie Portman. All of them giving excellent performances to an equally well written Michael Mann script. Filmed all over my hometown, and in some of the best and bad spots of Los Angeles, Heat makes great use of the locales with some breathtaking cinematography. It also has one of my all-time favorite action sequences, the Bank Heist in downtown (tragically, a real-life bank shootout in L.A. of hauntingly similar proportions would happen a couple of years later). At almost three hours in length, it takes a committment, but the viewer will be well rewarded with drama highly praised for its depth in character development and exciting sequences. This was not only one of the best films of 1995, it was one of the best for that decade. Okay, I've convinced myself: it is Michael Mann's best.

Rating:
Summary: "When it rains, you get wet."
Review: There are at least two main reasons why this movie is exceptional:
1) Robert De Niro 2) Al Pacino
Two of the greatest actors in American cinema together in a film that isn't just a motion picture..it's a masterpiece!!
Who do we have to thank for this? None other than Michael Mann.

Al Pacino plays L.A. detective Vincent Hanna. Hanna is an expert crime fighter who's always at least one step ahead of his prey. His work is obsessive and he uses all of his energy to chase guys around the block and by the time he gets home to his third wife, Justine (Diane Venora), and suicidal step-daughter, Lauren (Natalie Portman), he unfortunately has no more energy to give. Thus, putting his personal life, or perhaps lack thereof, in jeopardy. In a nutshell, Hanna's life is a mess emotionally. There's no rationality whatsoever. As he says so himself, "My life is a disaster zone." He's the clever cat constantly chasing the mice of Los Angeles.

Robert De Niro plays Neil McAuley, an ace thief whose obsession is taking scores. Vowing to never go back to Folsom, he ducks underneath L.A.P.D's radar and starts to put together the strategies he and his crew need in order to commit the 'perfect' crime. He's not a regular dumb criminal, but a highly intelligent one. In contrast to Hanna's life, Neil's life is completely under control. He has a 'coolness' about his personality and the way he handles things. In the midst of his drive to rob a bank, he meets a shy, young book clerk named Eady, whom he finds himself attracted to. His plan is to take down the bank and leave Los Angeles, taking Eady with him. However, he makes a fatal mistake of seeking out the man responsible for messing up a crime that takes place in the beginning of the film. And it all unfolds from there...

This film is absolutely a marvel! The bank-heist sequence is perfectly staged and choreographed. The result? One of the most AWESOME action scenes to grace the screen in a good while. But perhaps the best scene in the film is the one in which cat and mouse, Hanna and McAuley, sit down and have a cup of coffee. The whole scene is hypnotizing. Here are these two men, both different in terms of who they are, and how they live their lives, exchanging secrets that they would never tell their collegues. What's revealed is a mutual respect and understanding of each other, but also the reality that if they get in each other's way, they'll have to take the other down. The ending is so moving. I'm not gonna give it away, but take my word for it! :)

De Niro and Pacino give outstanding performances. They both play off each other very well and when you're watching this movie, it's difficult to get distracted. :) In my opinion, De Niro looks as handsome as ever and Pacino looks great in his suits. :)

Supporting roles from Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Wes Studi, Diane Venora, and Amy Brenneman offer the icing on the cake.

Michael Mann's direction, story-telling, and cinematography is top-notch and his use of an ambivalent soundtrack is breath-takingly beautiful.

So..for those who haven't seen this film, I suggest you do! :)
You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: AN ABSOLUTE PERFECT FILM EVENT
Review: Michael Mann's 1995 epic should have swept the entire Oscars in 1996 but noooo.. It had a plot so I guess that was asking too much. Michael Mann proved to the world after this film, or should I say after this EVENT that he is now the best director of our time. That cool bluish hue he throws into his films with the brilliant cinematography of Dante Spinatti just spelled the recipe for a total epic masterpiece. Brillant writing and top notch acting with an incredible cast gave this film an instant classic title.

His works before HEAT and after it proves my point clearly. Now if Mann would make a Voltron live action film, Id be in heaven!