A truly understated masterpiece in film-making. Action movies come & go, but few stay with you for eternity. This one of my all time favs.

Rating: 10/10 (30 May 2014)

The one thing about 'Heat' that set it above it's peers was it's bare knuckle showcasing of the violent struggle between law enforcement & smart criminals. The scene sequences in my opinion are still unmatched to this day (2014). When you watch a movie about good vs bad guys, the natural tendency is to root for the good guys.... That premise doesn't apply here. From the opening scene to the last, this was nothing but an adrenaline rush! The acting, writing & direction of this film was phenomenal! Every part worked. Most people avoid seeing a movie twice in the theater no matter how good it was, me included. This movie is still the only one I've watched twice on the big screen. The effect watching it the second time wasn't diminished. I rented the DVD when it came out thinking I'd have gotten over it...far from it! If you like action movies that carry a story well and doesn't waste precious minutes with empty filler scenes, then you have to watch this film. If only this film had been recorded in HD (which wasn't available back then), you'd been in awe nearly two decades later! easily among my top five films ever made. If you haven't watched it, go for it, you won't be disappointed.
Just to point out an obvious observation; the film is still so good that the owners won't agree to it being streamed online continuously. You either pay for it, wait for it to be streamed for a short while OR just buy the damn thing! Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro & Val Kilmer took thing to the clouds!