"Heat" isn't a film; it's an event!

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2002)

Few films are this length (almost 3 hours) and not boring. And it doesn't take what could be one of the best film action sequences in film halfway through it to be so. There's always the threat of something bad going to happen in every scene. And most scenes have the threat realized. At every turn the film could end but it keeps on going, building the tension for the shoot-out to end the film. Of course, that is not even the best shoot-out in the film. The 10-minute exchange between the robbers and the cops is simply *awesome*. Only great films like Heat or Terminator 1 and 2, etc. can have great action, bang-up, shoot-out sequences but not rely on them to sell the movie.
The dialogue's got the mix of snappy remarks, emotional releases, and expositions that make for great film. It's equal only to the performances of the actors who deliver the lines. And what actors there are! Few films combine such a slate of name talent. Besides the two headliners in the film, most of the actors who play minor characters are now leading actors and actresses in Hollywood (Judd, Portman, Voight, Brenneman, etc.).
I wish they would put out a definitive edition for this film with the added scenes for the NBC broadcast. The DVD out right now has only the basic goods you would get.