Heat

Plot synopsis:
FBI agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is an expert and effective investigator in New York City, but is despised by her allied agents for her egotistical & vicious personality. When her manager assigns her to a mission in Boston, she meets a detective named Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), a skilled but loudmouthed, bloodthirsty, sadistic, hot headed, & dirty cop who is part of the Boston Police Department. Ashburn's ruthless philosophy clashes with Mullin's nefarious style of law work, proved during their attempt to interrogate local drug dealer Rojas (Spoken Reasons) who was captured by Mullins. Under pressure from Hale (Demián Bichir), her employer, Ashburn reluctantly agrees to work with Mullins as her ally.
Ashburn and Mullins tail a local nightclub manager named Hank LeSoire (Adam Ray) to his place of business known as Club Ekko and successfully place a bug on his cell phone in an effort to get information on a drug lord, Simon Larkin. As they leave the club, Ashburn and Mullins are confronted by DEA agents Craig (Dan Bakkedahl) and Adam (Taran Killam), who have been working the Larkin case for several months and are worried that their case will be compromised. Ashburn and Mullins discover a surveillance video in the DEA agents' van showing Mullins' brother, Jason (Michael Rapaport), apparently connected to Larkin's organization. Jason was recently released from prison, having been put there by Mullins to keep him off the streets and out of trouble.
Ashburn convinces Mullins to go to her parents' home to ask Jason for information on Larkin. On their arrival at the home, it becomes apparent that Mullins' parents (Michael B. Tucci and Jane Curtin), particularly her mother and three brothers, Peter (Joey McIntyre), Mark (Bill Burr) and Michael (Nathan Corddry) two of whom have girlfriends, Gina (Jessica Chaffin) and Beth (Jamie Denbo) still resent Mullins for her involvement in Jason's incarceration. However, Jason does not have any ill feelings toward his sister, and tips her off about the body of a murdered drug dealer by the name of Sal Netalie in an abandoned car. Chemicals on the victim's shoes lead Ashburn and Mullins to an abandoned paint factory, where they witness a drug dealer being murdered by Julian Vincent (Michael McDonald), vicious criminal and second-in-command of Larkin's organization. They apprehend Julian but are unable to extract any substantial information regarding Larkin's whereabouts, even with Mullins going so far as to play Russian Roulette with Julian's testicles.
The pair spend the evening bonding in a bar, where a drunk Ashburn reveals that her foster child past may be partly to blame for her attitude. After a night of raucous drinking and partying, Ashburn wakes up the following morning to discover that, in her drunkenness, she has given her car keys to Wayne (Steve Bannos), one of the bar patrons. After unsuccessfully pleading for the keys, Ashburn and Mullins watch as the patron starts the car and is killed by a bomb. They discover that Julian has escaped from custody and means to harm Mullins' family, so Mullins moves her family into a motel. Jason leaves, intending to join the Larkin organization in an attempt to help Mullins solve the case. Jason gives her a tip about a drug shipment coming into Boston Harbor. Despite Mullins' reluctance, Ashburn gets the FBI to take down the shipment. The FBI finds that the ship is actually an innocent pleasure cruise ship. Jason was being tested by Larkin, who shoots Jason for informing the FBI about the supposed drug shipment. Jason escapes death but falls into a coma. A falling out occurs between Mullins and Ashburn, with Mullins vowing to bring her brother's attacker to justice. They then reconcile when they arrest several drug dealers as a way of gaining leads to Larkin's whereabouts, including Rojas.
Ashburn and Mullins go to equip themselves with assault weapons from Mullins' extensive personal arsenal, and infiltrate one of Larkin's warehouses. Despite taking out several of Larkin's men with a hand grenade, the two officers are captured and bound. Julian is about to torture them with knives when he gets called away by Larkin. Before Julian leaves, he stabs Ashburn in the leg and leaves the knife in the wound. Mullins removes the knife from Ashburn's leg and uses it to cut the rope binding her hands. Before she can finish freeing herself and Ashburn, they are discovered by Craig and Adam. Craig begins to untie the two women, but is shot and killed by Adam. Ashburn and Mullins learn that Adam is actually Larkin, who has been working his own case from inside the DEA for several months. Julian returns and Larkin orders him to kill Ashburn and Mullins while he goes to the hospital to kill Jason. After Larkin leaves, Mullins manages to finish freeing herself and Ashburn incapacitates Julian with a head butt, after Mullins had stabbed him in the leg. Mullins and Ashburn race to the hospital to save Jason.
Upon their arrival, Mullins rushes to find Jason. Ashburn, hindered by the stab wound in her leg, lags behind, unable to move quickly. Mullins learns that, due to the foul language she and her family exhibit, the doctor moved Jason to another room in the hospital; she finds Jason's room, only to be disarmed by Larkin. He is about to kill Jason when Ashburn, having had to crawl to the room, subdues Larkin by shooting him in the genitals (much to Mullins' surprise, as she would never actually do so; scaring Julian earlier was only a way of making him talk). With Larkin captured, Ashburn requests to stay in the FBI's Boston field office, having developed a strong friendship with Mullins. Jason is shown having fully recovered from his coma. The film ends with Mullins receiving a commendation from the Boston Police Department. Members of her family are present and they cheer Mullins, now having reconciled with her. Ashburn later gets a call from Mullins to look in her year book. Mullins had signed the back of Ashburn's yearbook with the words, "Foster kid, now you have a sister", showing the strong friendship that Mullins felt for a previously unpopular Ashburn.
As a surprise, Mullins brings to Ashburn the cat that she had found in Ashburn's neighbor's house, believing it was hers. Earlier, when Mullins saw a photo of Ashburn with the neighbor's cat, Ashburn had lied and said it was her cat which had gone missing in New York. Mullins quickly deduces that the cat is not Ashburn's; Ashburn confesses and the cat is boxed to be shipped back, ending the film.

Tags: revenge

Review:
Even though it came out a few months earlier, this great Burt Reynold's obscurity, "Heat," could have easily been a sequel to his other great 80s obscurity, "Malone." Once you changed a couple of small plot points to make the films consistent, you'd still have exactly the same character at the center of each.
Burt acts the same, looks the same, dresses the same, and his character in Heat has a very similar background and the exact same skills as the one on "Malone." In fact, the two films even share some of the same lines of dialog (almost).
In "Malone" the young girl tells Burt's character that he must like violence.
Burt replies that "No, I'm just good at it--there's a difference." In "Heat" Peter McNichol asks Burt if he's a naturally violent person.
"Heat" is basically a Spaghetti Western in the revenge mode.I love both of these flicks and wish they'd get decent DVD releases..
One of Burt Reynold's best performances.
Good Gambling Movie.
I used to be a 21 dealer in Nevada and "Heat" is one of the best films about the gambling mentality.
Reynolds in one of his better roles and Peter MacNichol offers indications of things to come.
Burt Reynolds break's a dude's leg by kicking him, slashes another guy's face with a credit card...and that's just the start of all the fun!
AT the end of the film, he pushes a wall over on a bad guy, inpales on with a medal rod onto a circuit board, electrocuting him...then the best one of the film...he throws gasoline all over some poor shmuck, then Burt proceeds to jump 30 feet in the air, kick out a light bulb, which sets the gas-soaked man ablaze.
The beginning of this movie I thought it was a horror film, a shot following a bloody woman to the ER.
However that set-up with the beat up girl is incredibul...its very interesting how the director chooses to take revenge on the people who beat up the girl...HOWEVER I have seen over a million movies in my day believe me and this is by far the worst ending I have ever seen.
After seeing the movie I was not mad I spent 2hrs watching it because the early action scenes were very good and showing the star with a gambling problem very unique.
We all know what happens to people with gambling problems and you see in the movie.
A million more movies can come out in the next 20 years none will end like this come on...YOUR LEADING UP TO THE FINAL BATTLE WITH a guy who has been in vietnam and is considered to be one of the deadliest men in the world and they don't even fight...you have to see what happens...wow...I can't take it.
This is the longest review I have ever written on this site and I just can't get over how good this movie could have been.
This is a 90+ minute film that doesn't use too many scenes (for some just drag) or story structure that basically goes out the window for the stretch, and we wonder what the hell.
It's kind of interesting, especially Burt losing so bad, it causes the dealer and good friend (Scarwid) to draw tears.
The paper thin revenge tale (oh, yes this from a book) of course is set in Vegas, where a close lady friend of Burt's (Young) has been up pretty bad by these three guys, two real beefy, and we know how dangerous Burt can get when provoked, causing him to do some really serious damage, the other guy, a thin sissy, faggoty type with ties to the mafia.
Him and Burt meet late together in the Mafia chambers, you could say, but prefore to this, and after he does some irreparable damage, he takes some nice bundles of cash, which he gives to his avenged lady friend, who watches the show Burt gives, then skips town, where a new client, (Ally McBeal's Peter MaCnichol) befriends Burt, looking to him as his teacher, trying to make him stronger, than the whining loser he is.
Underrated...as were many of Burt's movies from the 80's.
The movie takes place in Las Vegas and is complex with several sub-plots and character undertones.Burt plays an Ex-Special Forces Op turned gambling addict that hires out in solving various problems for his clients.
Everything from bodyguard to that of playing the role of fall guy for a weakling trying to impress his girlfriend to that of helping a rape victim friend seek revenge against the son of a wealthy syndicated mobster.
There are also profound scenes that depict his gambling addiction.Great cast and acting, decently written and directed, and a music score that captures the appropriate atmosphere to this darker side of life on The Strip.6.5/10Other overlooked winners by Reynolds in the 80's include: Sharkey's Machine, Stick, Malone, Physical Evidence, and Breaking-In..
We also get some memorable moments, one which will not leave my head anytime soon.After the fifty minute mark though the intensity started to die, and with it my interest.This movie is two stories that /mostly/ come together in the third act.
(Shucks, I felt closer to the Black Jack dealer.) Our lead kept sabotaging his own dreams and his character wasn't strong enough that this type of story worked for me.The ending had adequate tension, but not enough to save the movie.The two reasons I would recommend this film are 1) Karen Young's performance 7/10 stars and/or 2) You are a Burt Reynolds fan..
Burt Reynolds has know to be an action hero as well as a wisecracking actor.
Reynolds plays Nick "Mex" Escalante, a former soldier of fortune who is also a habitual gambler in Las Vegas.
When teaching one man to be tough, a call girl named Holly(Karen Young) get viciously beaten by a new high roller(Neill Barry) who is back by a pair of giants.
Earlier, he met a man named Cyrus Kinnick(Peter MacNicol), who knows about his situation: He wants to go to Venice.
When Burt's run finaly ended it was with this movie.
This movie had no script, believability, or good characters.
Burt's hot in this action film!.
Nick Scaliente (Reynolds) is a tough guy who is obsessed with gambling and lives a sleazy life in Las Vegas, working as a body guard.
This is a typical Burt Reynolds action flick of the mid eighties (like Stick and Malone), it isn't Burt's greatest film, but it isn't his worst (this `honor' goes to Crazy Six).
The script was penned by legend William Goldman, so the story is interesting and sustains the attention during its whole running time, although I felt that the film could have been a little shorter.
The action scenes are well-done, and I loved the final showdown between Burt and the mob guys, on the streets of Las Vegas.
The photography accentuates the two sides of Las Vegas  the glamorous and the deadly and treacherous sides -  the town never looked so bright and shining, kudos to the art director and photography .Burt gives as usual a terrific and powerful performance, how can you forget that brutal scene in which he goes to the spoiled kid's place,full of body guards, and beats them up to death.
"Heat" is an exceptional, vigorous and agile film, that counts with an efficient cast and a brilliant and structured story in a correct way.
In this world where everybody looks for pleasures without limits, Nick Escaliente (magnificently interpreted by Burt Reynolds), a veteran combatant from Vietnam, specialist in martial arts, tries to win a lot of money in the casinos of Nevada.
Reynolds is brilliant, and at the same time frightening as a man who carries inside of him a lot of hate and he riots and he is always ready to explode!the sequences where he avenges the friends' death and he beats to the end his enemies is of a violence and explicit plasticity.
I affirm that "Heat" is a "current" western, because the story happens in a  dangerous and lawless Las Vegas, where the smallest negligence can mean the end!and "Heat" portrays this city with fidelity and professionalism, offering a plausible, pleasant and unforgettable show!this film really needs to be seen, appreciated and applauded!Burt Reynolds respects, as always, his fans, and he offers his more common acting: the solitary man, tough, charming, cynic and extremely lethal, who is always in the limit.
"Heat" might be considered as one of Burt Reynold's lesser achievements, when this once bankable star began the slide and the mid-80s showed it, but even though "Heat" does have its issues there are moments where a slumming Reyonlds does shine in what is an entertaining foray.
Sure you might call it a loathsomely dry turn, but those looking for a toughie action piece like "Malone" would surely be disappointed in what is a glum (although there are charming slabs of humour) talky character piece dealing with our protagonist's lost ambitions and gambling addiction.
Although it doesn't entirely scrap the violence, as it does pack a few, very brutal and nasty encounters where Reynold's ex-mercenary character goes on to show how lethal he is with credit cards?!
Loner ex-mercenary Nick Escalante hires himself out as a bodyguard / chaperone on the neon-lit streets of Las Vegas, but he actually dreams of a better life.
But soon his life becomes a deadly gamble when he helps out his ex-girlfriend who turns up beaten, asking for help in getting revenge on her attacker - Danny DeMarco; son of a mobster.
The cast outside of Reynolds are quite capable with the likes of Peter MacNicol, Karen Yung, Howard Hessman, Diana Scarwid, Joseph Mascolo and Neill Barry perfectly pitching the despicably smarmy Danny.Director Dick Richards' lean handling is workman-like without being particularly exciting and it breathes a sober, cheap made for TV quality.
Good use of the Las Vegas locations too and a real saucy vibe to the soundtrack works a treat.
Best Burt Reynolds Flick.
I thought this was by FAR the best Burt Reynolds flick ever.Fine story of a degenerate gambling mob fringe dweller who might get a chance for redemption.Also note the brief appearance of retired Jets Sack exchange member Joe Klecko as a mob bodyguard.
Not to be confused with Michael Mann's more famous "Heat"I thought this was a better film although their plots are different.These pictures are not linked at all..
Why?The movies shows how people with problems on gambling act.
Movie is totally based on Burt part but he plays it well.I recommend that you take a look at this movie and also vote that it should be released on DVD.
This movie was pretty good.
It is a good movie though..
Great Movie, I have watched it many times and will again..
Burt Reynolds played a tough guy with a soft spot for his friends.
Karen Young played a prostitute who I fell in love with, and Peter MacNicol was so good that I looked forward to seeing him again in something else.
This Burt Reynolds starrer had a very troubled production, with punches thrown and inevitable walk outs, it's no surprise to find this is hardly a great film.
However, it's not as some would have you believe, a chaotic turd either.The password is later!Plot has Reynolds as Nick Escalante, he's an ex-mercenary working out of Las Vegas as a bodyguard for hire - amongst other things.
Reynolds was still a star, even if the films he was starting to make in the 80s didn't come close to matching his status.
Unfortunately Neill Barry as chief villain Danny DeMarco is implausibly poor and irritating into the bargain.Enjoyment of Heat possibly hangs on if you happen to be a Reynolds fan, to get entertainment from watching him hold court.
Viewed as a strong character piece with Reynolds front and center it passes muster, but if looking for something more then you could end up - like many already have- disappointed.
This movie needs to be watched for only a handful of reasons.One, it'll completely revolutionize the way you think about how Burt Reynolds can jump.
It's incredible.Also, the ending is so void of substance, that you'll question your own appreciation of time, and ask yourself, "why in the hell did I just watch this." You'll then become a better person and get more out of life.Watch with caution, and every time Burt slugs someone or jumpkicks the hell outta them or throws medallions at their face, yell "HEAT!" at the t.v. It's the only way to go, and you'll feel much better..
Burt Reynolds had made bad films before this one, but he was always able to bounce back with films like Sharkey's Machine (1981) or City Heat (1984), but there was no recovering from this turkey.
It took Burt all the way to 1997's Boogie Nights to make a decent film.
So if Burt makes a good movie every ten years we should see one pretty soon.
Not a Dukes of Hazzard or The Longest Yard, but a real Burt Reynolds movie.
Come on Hal,if you're still kicking get together and bring back the good ol' Burt Reynolds..
This movie has a nice clean story with the right mix of action and talk.
The direction is ham-handed, the script ridiculous, the characters and their motivations laughable, the acting disastrous, and two thirds of the way through the film, just when you think your suffering might be over, it seems to become a different movie!
Burt Reynolds' tough guy is a cardboard cutout of the tired "dangerous man with a troubled past and a heart of gold" character we've all seen 100 times too many.
Peter MacNicol as the nebbish who idolizes him is not just unsympathetic, but actually so irritating I laughed out loud when he was machine-gunned by the bad guys.
So you finally breathe a sigh of relief thinking "ok, Burt's not really a jerk." But then the rest of the film starts...
Why am I watching this?From here, the story is all over the place; and Burt's character is sometimes likable, but often not.
I think Burt's an underrated actor and can pull out some really good films, but this isn't one of them..
Ex mercenary Nick Escalante hires himself out as a bodyguard in Las Vegas but he really wants a quiet life in Venice but lacks the funds.However he hits a lucky streak in the casino while minding a rich but meek businessman who he teaches to defend himself, but his luck does not last both in the casino and out of it.A mobster's son is out for revenge as Nick humiliated him for beating up a friend of his.Burt Reynolds was a busted flush by the mid 80s having a run of mediocre movies and this is really the pits.
The film goes nowhere with just a lot of talking, the action scenes look silly and you know it is Burt's stuntman doing all the work.
Burt Reynolds in "Heat".
Stoic chaperon and bodyguard Burt Reynolds (as Nick "Mex" Escalante) wants to leave Las Vegas and retire in Venice - but he always gambles his savings away.
When he meets computer software millionaire Peter MacNicol (as Cyrus Kinnick), Mr. Reynolds could be on his way to the watery city.
First, Reynolds has to deal with boyish gangster Neill Barry (as Danny DeMarco).
The well-connected little man roughed up Reynolds' call-girl friend Karen Young (as Holly) during a sexual encounter.
Reynolds got even, but it doesn't end there...The opening of "Heat" grabs your attention, but there is some unnecessary confusion because the two women look similar; it seemed like they were cross-cutting present with recent past, making Reynolds' "Mex" look like the perpetrator.
Moreover, Reynolds seems uncharacteristically humorless and angry throughout this film.
Too bad their efforts are wasted.***** Heat (11/12/86) Dick Richards ~ Burt Reynolds, Peter MacNicol, Neill Barry, Karen Young.
Burt Reynolds plays the same character again in this typical Cannon eighties movie.
His character needs to get 100k, so h can move to Venice, but first he must help MacNicol do other things than drink Perrier and be scared of betting money.A girl he knows gets beat up, so he goes to the attackers dressed up in a smoking jacket, and fights them all in slow motion, using a medallion as a weapon.But he struggles to make his money, as he's a compulsive gambler, and when he wins his 100k, he bets it away, because he wants more, and more.But then he gets chased by some organised crime members, the ones who abused the girl from the first act.
So Reynolds must act quick, before Statham remakes it in 2014...I don't care what the film is, but any action movie made by Cannon in the eighties is worth watching.
Heat is not exactly a must see, but in the action sequences, we actually rewound a few parts!.
Nick "Mex" Escalante (Reynolds) is a Las Vegas-based gambler and bodyguard that kind of just drifts through life, going from adventure to adventure - whether it be getting revenge for the rape of his friend Holly (Young) or teaching new acquaintance Cyrus Kinnick (MacNicol) how to defend himself.
He just wants to scrape together enough money to move to Venice, but all of his enemies, especially his latest one, Danny DeMarco (Barry) - want to prevent this from happening.This was the beginning of Burt's "Not Caring" period.
Probably due to circumstances in his personal life, what was probably perceived at the time as just a droll performance, is actually how Burt carried out most of his work from here on in.
And if you can't get enough of the magnetism of Burt Reynolds (not caring), Heat should satisfy that need.
Compared to later outings, he still had a little bit of "care" left in him.Heat is not exactly a must see, but in the action sequences, we actually rewound a few parts.