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Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore ... see more see more... , Diane Venora , Amy Brenneman , Ashley Judd , Mykelti Williamson , Ted Levine , Wes Studi , Danny Trejo , Tom Noonan , Dennis Haysbert , William Fichtner , Hank Azaria , Kevin Gage , Natalie Portman , Tone-Loc , Bud Cort , Xander Berkeley , Ray Buktenica , Martin Ferrero , Kimberly Flynn , Hazelle Goodman , Niki Harris , Patricia Healy , Paul Herman , Brian Libby , Dan Martin , Rick Marzan , Terry Miller , Daniel O'Haco , Jeremy Piven , Begonia Plaza , Thomas Rosales Jr. , Kai Soremekun , Kim Staunton , Susan Traylor , Jerry Trimble , Rick Avery , Kenny Endoso , Steven Ford , Henry Rollins , Bill McIntosh , Farrah Forke , Mario Roberts

A successful career criminal considers getting out of the business after one last score, while an obsessive cop desperately tries to put him behind bars in this intelligent thriller written and direct... read more read more...ed by Michael Mann. Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is a thief who specializes in big, risky jobs, such as banks and armored cars. He's very good at what he does; he's bright, methodical, and has honed his skills as a thief at the expense of his personal life, vowing never to get involved in a relationship from which he couldn't walk away in 30 seconds. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is an L.A.P.D. detective determined to catch McCauley, but while McCauley's personal code has forced him to do without a wife and children, Hanna's dedication has made a wreck of the home he's tried to have; he's been divorced twice, he's all but a stranger to his third wife, and he has no idea how to reach out to his troubled step-daughter. While McCauley has enough money to retire and is planning to move to New Zealand, he loves the thrill of robbery as much as the profit, and is blocking out plans for one more job; meanwhile, he's met a woman, Eady (Amy Brenneman), whom he's not so sure he can walk away from. The supporting cast includes Val Kilmer as Chris, one of McCauley's partners; Ashley Judd as his wife Charlene; Jon Voight as Nate; Hank Azaria as Alan Marciano; and Henry Rollins as Hugh, who is beaten up by Hanna. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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92% liked it

186,649 ratings

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86% liked it

59 critics

R, 2 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: Michael Mann

Release Date: December 15, 1995

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DVD Release Date: July 27, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (13,727)

  • bbcfloridabound
    May 23, 2013
    bbcfloridabound
    In what is arguably one of the finest heist movies in history, "Heat" pits two acting heavy-weights in Robert De Niro and Al Pacino against one another. One is a professional thief, so well seasoned that he has avoided the law for as long as he can probably remember. The other is... read more a troubled homicide detective whose third marriage is fizzling out due to his over-riding commitment to his job. Each character ultimately finds he has more in common with his adversary than with his peers. Both are flawed, tired and run-down middle-aged men who, in the immortal words of Roger Murtaugh (see: "Lethal Weapon") are "getting too old for this ...."

    "Heat" is hardly your average cops and robbers tale. It's long, it's sweeping and is steeped in character moments and conversations. While much of the hype about the film has always revolved around its finale - the bank robbery - it's the small moments that make the film. Take for instance a scene in the middle of the film where Pacino, too tired and beat down to do anything else, tracks down his suspect (De Niro) and invites him for a cup of coffee where the two talk shop and in spite of mutual respect for one another, both vow not to back down. This moment serves to build the tension that is the big pay-off in the film. You get to know and feel for these very real and very flawed characters, so that when the heat is on, so to speak, you don't know who to cheer for anymore.

    Undeniably, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are the stars of the film and are a large part of its greatness, but it is also Michael Mann's ("Collateral," "Manhunter") unique eye and story-telling sense that defines the film as well. Despite his insuppressible style, the film still retains a gritty, realistic air that is best evidenced in a shootout that takes place in the Los Angeles streets. Without a doubt, this is the director's masterpiece and definitely one of the best of its kind. It's a true epic that is filed to the brim with intense acting (nobody's forgotten about you either, Val) and complicated characters as intricate as the job they are trying to do. For all intents and purposes, "Heat" lives up to its name. 5 stars 5-24-13
  • fb619846742
    April 13, 2013
    fb619846742
    A riveting, extremely entertaining cops and robbers saga concerning a veteran LAPD cop (Al Pacino), on the last days of his marriage, who is tracking an intelligent, cunning robber (Robert De Niro) who heads a sturdy, supremely professional group of criminals. In terms of the "co... read moreps and robbers" genre, this undeniably takes the cake and some, with a phenomenal cast (Pacino and De Niro have never been better, and get great help from Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, etc.) that keeps this long, winding thriller arresting throughout its duration. This has been one of my favorite films for many years, and it is one that I never get tired of watching over and over again. It's dense, sure, and there are certain wrinkles in the story that take multiple views to understand completely. Ultimately, this is a top-notch movie that should by seen just for the fact that you get to see two of the best actors ever in Pacino and De Niro go against one another.
  • allan913
    January 12, 2013
    allan913
    A masterpiece. An astonishing, outstanding and breathtaking piece of work. A powerful, riveting and exhilarating thrill-ride. An undeniable instant classic in it's own right. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have never been better, some of their finest work as actors. An engaging cri... read moreme drama filled with great acting, explosive gun fights, gripping characters and thrilling story which concludes in one awesome standoff. A stylish, crafty, edge of your seat action-packed thriller. It's a total powerhouse with some of the most well crafted and spectacular gun fights ever produced. Director, Michael Mann creates a masterful film of characters, story and style. One of the best films of the 90's. A cool and character driven flick. Great, solid and hard boiled entertainment. A brilliant, compelling and electrifying crime story with clever dialogue and great set pieces. It dazzling, sizzling and unforgettable. It sets fire to screen at a breakneck pace and incredible force.
  • fb1664868775
    November 24, 2012
    fb1664868775
    With such a great cast, this should have been so much better. Mann's direction is on point but it just doesn't work for me.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    October 4, 2012
    StarCrossedVoyager
    Far too long and twisted for my liking. Will need to watch again before I had a definitive review.
  • cosmo313
    July 1, 2012
    cosmo313
    This is basically Michael Mann's magnum opus. It's a more fleshed out and richer version of his TV production L.A. Takedown concerning two groups of people and their leaders: one being super slick professional thieves, and the other being highly determined and driven police offic... read moreers. It takes the standard good versus evil story, ramps it up to the max, and throws in tons and tons of character development, atmosphere, and some of the most well done, realistic, and accurate gun play in motion picture history. This is all very rich, complex, and very compelling. It's a film both for those who like to think, and those who love a solid crime drama.

    It also has the great selling point of being the first film to feature De Niro Pacino sharing screentime together. Granted, this selling point is dated, but compared to Righteous Kill (which has them on screen together longer), this one really gets it right and doesn't overdo the joy of seeing them face off.

    The cast are firing on all cylinders here, making their characters, good or bad, interesting, sympathetic, and worth watching. Honestly, I'm really torn between which group I'd rahter root for more, which I think is a great sign of brilliant work. Nothing is totally black and white, and each side has their pros and cons.

    Mann's trademark mood and atmosphere building tools are pitch perfect here, with some of the best and most expressive lighting and camera placement ever seen in a crime drama, or other type of film for that matter. And of course, one of the other main selling points: the superb action scenes. Granted, the movie isn't wall to wall action, but that's not the point. When this film delivers the goods, it really delivers the goods, with the gunfights being intense, wild, loud, and jarring...like they're supposed to be.

    Just see this film already. There's only so many ways I can think of to call this brilliant before it becomes redundant.
  • emilkakko
    June 24, 2012
    emilkakko
    Many filmgoer consider Micheal Mann's Heat as his magnum opus, but even if he aimed it to be as his great crime-epic nothing takes away the fact that Heat is at times over the top and suffers for it's long running time. There are still much to admire here. To see icons like Pacin... read moreo and De Niro in a same film is a event in itself, but Heat also has fantastic technical feats and it was way ahead it's time when it was released back 1995.
    At times Heat packs some very intense emotional moments and few effective action scenes, but ultimately it ends up being a cold, a bit hollow and overlong cop and robbers soap opera. With 2h and 30min running time director/writer Michael Mann has clearly taken a simple story and turned it unnecessarily long marathon.
    There are too many irrelevant sidecharacters who feel pointless and does not serve the whole story. When it comes to acting it may not be a surprise that Al Pacino overacts, as he too often does, his character and Robert De Niro is mainly just ok.
    Still these flaws do not take away the fact that this is a handsome and technically flawless filmmaking. Mann surely knows how to use his camera and how to create tension, but Heat is no match for his best films like The Insider, Ali and Collateral. It actually feels that he was only warming up as a director with his Heat.
  • MrMarakai
    May 23, 2012
    MrMarakai
    When this was released in 1995, most people believed it to be an original idea. It wasn't. It was actually a more fleshed out and elborate version of Michael Mann's 80's TV movie "L.A. Takedown". He obviously didn't have the budget or the actors, to realise his vision at this tim... read moree, so with a second chance, Mann grabs it with both hands and both of the best actors in the business.
    Professional and precise thief Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) lives by a strict code and doesn't chances. He has a tight-knit crew that takedown big jobs for big money but he ends up drawing the attention of determined and obsessive robbery/homicide cop Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). The two of them have more in common than one might think and as their worlds draw closer,they are led to an inevitable confrontation.
    At it's core, "Heat" can be viewed as an old fashioned cops-and-robbers tale but it's done with such vastness and great attention to detail that it rises above most, if not all, of the genre. It not only focuses on the the lives of the two main characters - at opposite ends of the moral scale - but it pays attention to the city and environment in which they operate. What almost overshadowed the storyline, was the anticipation of seeing DeNiro and Pacino share the screen for the first time (They were both in "The Godfather part II" but never had any scenes together). Comparisons between their acting styles will obviously be made and without focusing too much on their different approaches, I found DeNiro's more subtle, calculating delivery far more convincing than Pacino's tendency to overact with random, explosive outbursts, bellowing at everyone he meets. There, I said it. However, the film is far more than just these two great actors. It's a multi-layered character study and the supporting roles, particularly Sizemore and Kilmer (in a role originally intended for Keanu Reeves) are given a substantial amount of work and the female parts of Venora, Brenneman and Judd play a massive part in shaping the leads also. We are given a glimpse into their home lives and the struggle they all face in maintaining a 'normal' life - when it goes against their nature. The actors are all given roles to work with, allowing us to identify and care about them. It's because of this, that when the action is delivered, it's edge of your seat stuff. There are three great 'Getaway' scenes from movies that I found particularly powerful; Kathryn Bigelow's "Point Break" had Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze (on foot) running through suburban houses and backyards; The opening of Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" had Ryan Gosling (in a car) careening and speeding through a darkened urban jungle and this... the major characters (with weapons) shooting it out through a busy congested Los Angeles street. As much as this isn't just about the two leads, it's not just about the action either. It's more about the city itself and it's inhabitants. The refined dialogue allows these inhabitants to come alive and Mann's meticulous, hypnotic direction and ethereal choice of music breathes life into the city as well.
    An exciting and methodical piece of work from a highly accomplished cast and director. A near masterpiece of modern cinema.
  • fb100001050230219
    May 5, 2012
    fb100001050230219
    One of the best crime thrillers ever made.
  • fb733768972
    March 25, 2012
    fb733768972
    Crime stories do not get any better than this! Neil (Robert De Niro) and his teams of bank robbers, pull off many robberies and jobs throughout the course of this film, but that is not the main focus. The fact that each character has a back story, and somehow, a bond is able to g... read morerow through Vincent (the cop played by Al Pacino) and Neil, gives this film every elements it needs to be perfect. In movies like this, I usually try to find problems, or mistakes that writers or filmmakers made throughout the film, but I could not see anything wrong here. The acting is phenomenal, the characters are very well developed, the romances are very hard to see end, and the camerawork captures everything to perfection. The only thing that I would have changed were some of the locations. I mean, the settings were perfectly written, but displayed on camera made it seem a little dull. That being said, it is not enough to take me out of my reasons for absolutely loving this film. "Heat" is an all-around well crafted crime film that I will remember forever!

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Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy
October 16, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Heat occupies an exalted position among the countless contemporary crime films. Full Review

Peter Travers
August 14, 2007
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Robert De Niro's last great role before he devoted himself to self-parody.

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

This is simply the best American crime movie -- and indeed, one of the finest movies, period -- in over a decade. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

As Heat progresses, its sensational looks pale beside storytelling weaknesses that expose the more soulless aspects of this cat-and-mouse crime tale. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
February 13, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Michael Mann and a superlative cast have taken a classic heist movie rife with familiar genre elements and turned it into a sleek, accomplished piece of work, meticulously controlled and completely in... Full Review

Mike Clark
January 1, 2000
Mike Clark, USA Today

For a film that deserves Oscars for photography, editing, sound and arguably scoring, Heat is packed with unforgettable subcharacters.

Richard Schickel
January 1, 2000
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

All this adds good weight and tension to the movie and provides a lot of very good actors with the opportunity to do honest, probing work in a context where, typically, less will do.

Andrew Ross
January 1, 2000
Andrew Ross, Salon.com

All the squealing tires, flying bullets and falling bodies cannot save Heat from drowning in its own banalities ... Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Michael Mann's writing and direction elevate this material. It's not just an action picture. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

... a colossal disappointment. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Neil McCauley: I told you I never going back.
    • Vincent Hanna: Because she has a great ass and you got your head all the up it.
    • Neil McCauley: There is a flip side to that coin. What if you do got me boxed in and I gotta put you down? Cause no matter what, you will not get in my way. We've been face to face, yeah. But I will not hesitate. Not for a second.
    • Neil McCauley: A guy told me one time, "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."
    • Neil McCauley: I am never going back.
    • Vincent Hanna: Then don't take down scores.
    • Neil McCauley: I do what I do best: I take scores. You do what you do best: Try to stop guys like me.
    • Vincent Hanna: Something about a woman's ass...
    • Neil McCauley: What am I doing? I'm talking to a blank telephone, cause there is a dead man on the other end of this fucking line...
    • Vincent Hanna: Don't waste my motherfucking time!
    • Neil McCauley: A guy told me one time, 'Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.'
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Heat Trivia

  • What is needed to see the script on the back of the Declaration of Independence in the movie 'National Treasure'?  Answer »
  • He ran from the "Heat", played "Hide and Seek" and was a "Goodfella"  Answer »
  • what film starred both Robert Deniro and Al Pacino though they never shared a scene (it wasn't Heat)  Answer »
  • Which actress has appeared in Heat, Garden State, and Closer?  Answer »
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