One of the best, if not the best, 'Cops and Robbers' Sagas ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2006)

Heat is far more than just a standard 'cops and robbers' drama. For a movie like that, see Michael Bay's movies. Lifeless, full of one-liners, standard. From the mold. And that's everything Michael Mann doesn't do.
Unbelievably shot in L.A (using not one sound stage), Heat shows exactly what life in L.A looks like. The tinted blue, the dark, but beautiful nights of L.A. Michael Mann created one of the most perfect visual masterpieces I've ever seen.
However, it isn't only the incredible look to the film, but the story and the all-star cast. There are no slackers here, not when you unite two of the best actors in cinematic history. Al Pacino is over-the-top, incredible, and in one of his finest roles to date. Robert de Niro is at his finest, playing the cool, quiet and lonely Neil. Both create some incredible scenes, both eerie and powerful. Even Val Kilmer doesn't look out of place here, and holds his own with the two screen giants.
The script was perfect, layered with thousands of intricate details. At almost three hours, the movie is lengthy, however I would have wanted more. The amount of character development in this film is unprecedented, with Mann carefully showing the viewer exactly how the person would be in real life.
Heat is by far leagues ahead of any other cops vs. robbers movie made to date. Why? Because it doesn't get stuck in that mind frame. Instead, Mann sculpts the stories of many different people's lives, all unified by their drive to get what they want. Mann did a stand-out job, and this film definitely deserves a solid 11/10.