Heat: The action is the juice

Heat - Michael Mann - 1995

★★★★-Pacino and De Niro square off in a legendary hist movie. Uh, yeah. But similar to my feelings when I saw it 30 years ago, it was a little disappointing. 

Rumors have been around for decades that Pacino and De Niro were never on the set at the same time due to their supposed rivalry. They've done three movies together total. Remember watching this when it came out on TV. All of them are classics. My friends at the time were high on Pacino. I've always been a De Niro guy. It was my take back then that Pacino is terrible in this movie. That is still my take. I feel they've both done a lot of shit over the last decade, but have their performances, especially Pacino as of late. De Niro really gets the best of old Al in this one for sure. Also, both of them are recent fathers, which is insane. 

Gist of the movie is an intense conflict between an LAPD detective, Pacino ,and a seasoned criminal, De Niro. As the story unfolds, it delves into the impact of this clash on their professional relationships and personal lives. Plus there is lots of shooting and killing with long hist scenes going through downtown L.A. 

Directed by Michael Mann. He could do no wrong there for a while, but has been on a losing streak as of late. Other films of his include  Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider (great flick), Collateral, Public Enemies, Miami Vice, and the much maligned Blackhat. He originally penned the script in 1979, drawing inspiration from Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson's pursuit of the criminal Neil McCauley, It became the 1989 television movie  L.A. Takedownbefore getting a rewrite. 

Ensemble cast is insane. Includes Pacino, De Niro, Val Kilmer, Natalie Portman, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman (a total “that chick” that didn't quite make it to A-List), and Ashley Judd in major roles. Also, Danny Trejo, Wes Studi (probably most recognized from The Last of the Mohicans), Diane Venora (also never quite made it), William Fichtner (total that guy), Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs), Mykelti Williamson (Bubba from Forrest Gump), Tone Loc, Tom Noonan (Francis Dollarhyde in Mann's Manhunter, the homeowner in The House of the Devil, the big bad in RoboCop 2, Frankenstein in The Monster Squad, the Ripper in Last Action Hero, dude is pretty much always a psycho), Dennis Haysbert (the AllState guy), Hank Azaria (Apu, Moe, Wigum, and other voices from The Simpsons as well as Patches O'Houlihan in Dodgeball), Kevin Gage (a real con mostly remembered for this), and Henry Rollins (love when he shows up in anything). Hell, Bud Cort makes an appearance. Lastly, Val Kilmer looks like a poor man's Brad Pitt. 

Some notes... Pacino's dealing with some shit on top of his job. Wife is irritated that Pacino is four hours late for dinner because he was investigating a triple homicide. Well, yeah. Step-daughter, played by a young Natalie Portman, attempts suicide, and his wife starts boning this guy named Ralph. Poor Ralph. Just trying to have sex and watch some TV. Had no idea he was in for, getting used to tame an unhinged, obsessive policeman by his crazier, pot-smoking wife. Law enforcement agencies really don't like it when the spouse does drugs. Just FYI. 

Sort of taken on masterpiece status. Didn't receive any Academy Award nominations, though now it is considered one of the most influential works in its action-crime genre. Last year, it was announced that a sequel is in development. 

Really tense final showdown. Two dudes running around on the tarmac firing guns at each other as planes take off around them. This was pre-9/11. Dude was home free, but he's got to kill a piece of shit. The police working with a serial killer to catch a bank robber (who does kill people), seems like a real deal with the devil. 

Overall, not the classic some people claim. But solid. A three-hour movie that just flies by is always appreciated, but somewhat daunting. Finally, Sizemore kinda steals the show. Hard to like the guy, as he might have been a pedophile. But he is pretty dope in this flick. Delivers one of the greatest lines ever in “For me, the action is the juice!” De Niro is sick, too. If you have three hours to kill, you can probably find worse ways to spend it.