Doesn't Live Up To The Billing

Rating: 3/10 (9 March 2017)

As a fan of Al Pacino's "later years" works, this seemed to be a gaping hole in my viewing of his films. When the film concluded after nearly three hours, however, I was left feeling severely disappointed by a whole slew of things in "Heat".
For a basic plot summary, "Heat" sees Lt. Vincent Hanna (Pacino) square off against notorious big-time criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). As a sort of cat-and-mouse game emerges between those two leads, a secondary plot line focuses on one of De Niro's henchman (played by Val Kilmer).
The #1 problem with this movie is simply that the story isn't anything to write home about. In fact, it is actually a sub-par plot that contains very little emotion or meaningful character development. It is a slow-moving, hard-boiled cop drama...but without any of the usual themes that make those types of movies watchable.
Also, what really puts the nail in the coffin is that the acting (what should be the flick's strong suit) is also poor. I never thought Pacino could possible over-act a role, but he does here, while De Niro is pretty much just stoic throughout. I know those two can do much better, but this was just not a great vehicle for them to shine.
I even considered giving "Heat" the dreaded one-star rating, but it isn't quite bad enough for that. There is one captivating scene involving Pacino/De Niro, and the plot is more recycled/dull than outright horrible.
Basically, "Heat" is nowhere near the "epic cop drama" it is billed as. I would say go out a get "Righteous Kill" if you want to see a better Pacino/De Niro pairing. While that movie is only average in its own right, it still surpasses this bloated marathon.