Of Crime and Relationships

"Heat" is a grim, violent flick that examines both sides of the cops and robbers coin. Its entertaining, even gripping at times, yet is overly long and never quite pulls off its bleak message.

"Never bring anyone or thing into your life that you can't walk away from in 30 seconds" is the philosphy of Robert DeNiro's character - head of a skilled and deadly crew who specialize in bigtime robberies. Val Kilmer is his right-hand man whose wife is ready to walk because he's gambled away all of his 'eanrnings'. Al Pacino is the cop relentlessly pursuing DeNiro's crew, whose 3rd marriage and step-daughter are falling apart.

An unfortunate choice in a 4th partner on their initial score in the movie brings tons of heat on DeNiro and crew. They decide on one last high-risk score before walking away. The drama is tight as it builds to the movie's climax. Will any of the crew (and their relationships) survive this final heist?

For all its attempts to be a movie with a message (crime doesn't pay and neither do relationships with those involved - on either side of the law)its still basically an entertaining cops and robbers shoot-em-up flick. All the bits about relationships simply make this a much longer movie. I would have been happier without them.

The movie is also unique for portraying both good and bad guys without really taking sides (though the outcome is conclusive). Unlike "Die Hard" or "Lethal Weapon", Pacino's character is not made into a superhero. He fights the good fight, but away from the job he is pretty much a jerk.

Pacino is outstanding as the over-the-top cop and DeNiro is excellent as the understated and likable-but flawed gang leader.

DVD extras are minimal (trailers, credits, etc.)

Grade: C+ for being too long, and occasionally dull and confusing

A True Masterpiece

In Heat, which stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer,cops and crooks start from the same place, and satisfy the same impulses through separate, opposing means. Both are drawn to the ``heat'' of violent conflict, both enjoy making the other guy into a patsy, and both are failures at integrating relationships and family with their addiction to danger.

Set in contemporary Los Angeles, ``Heat'' stars De Niro as Neil McCauley, a brilliant, cold- as-ice career criminal who masterminds the robbery of an armored van containing $1.6 billion in bearer bonds. Pacino is Vincent Hanna, a homicide/ robbery detective with the LAPD who recognizes the work of a professional and spends the film's three-hour duration on De Niro's trail. Writer-director Michael Mann, the creator of "Miami Vice" and director of "Manhunter" and "The Last of the Mohicans," is a masterly image-maker. Mann binds sound, music and pictures into one hypnotic triaxial cable and plugs it right into your brain. He makes this almost-three-hour experience practically glide by.

Along with the greatest cops and robbers shoot-out scene ever filmed, Heat is a masterpiece of cinema and one of the best crime drama's of all time. By all means, buy this DVD END

fantastic

this movie has some of the best acting i've ever seen. the plot is great and the action scenes are also great. the dvd i'm reviewing now lacks extras, but a special edition is supposed to come out later this year. some might not like it being three hours, but i think the three hours i spent watching were well worth it.