The best film that I have ever seen - mind blowing !

Rating: Null/10 (22 June 1999)

I first time I saw this film was in a cinema in Dublin. It was the biggest screen in Ireland and when the gun-fight scene came on, my ear-drums nearly jumped out of my head. This is certainly ten times the film Mann's first attempt was - 'LA Takedown'. Watching his pre-'Heat' films is almost embarrassing when you compare it to this mastery of cinematic genius. The characters gel together better than any cast I have ever seen. The opening armoured-car strike is filled with military precision, ex-SAS trooper Andy MacNabb was one of the military technical advisors on this film and special forces tactics permeate it from beginning to end. The gunfight scene is the best I have ever seen, the use of 'fire and movement' is truly breath-taking in it's beauty, even Val Kilmer puts in a good performance despite De Niro's overwhelming presence. MacAuley's turn at being a bank manager should put all other criminal elements to shame, here we see a mixture of undying professionalism and natural compassion intertwined in the consumate crim. Were Mann a woman I would marry him for making this film !