5/5 The Many Flames of Heat
  by Loren C. Gruber (Marshall, MO United States)
Heat offers textured characters in what otherwise would be a a "cops and robbers" movie. The networking of criminals and police is interesting in itself. Add the emotional toll taken on Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Val Kilmer, and Dennis Haysbert and their women, and the viewer sees the police and criminals as real people with real emotions. Even the coldest melt. Pacino's and DeNiro's characters meet one-on-one over coffee, and the arch-enemies reveal their mutual respect for one another--and their dedication to their craft. A classic scene.

5/5 My Favorite Movie !!!
  by Nicholas J. Koppy (Minneapolis, MN)
THIS MOVIE IS VIOLENT - but, if you can get past that, you will find a truly AWESOME cynematic experience and epic performances by an all-star cast; it is an entirely new genre: it's not the traditional "cop" movie (like Lethal Weapon or Die Hard, where we instinctively root for the law), nor is it the traditional "gangster" movie (like Casino or Goodfellas, where we find ourselves sympathetic to the "bad guys"). Rather, time is split in this film, focusing almost equally on the lives of the "good" and the "bad" guys. So, who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist here? We see "good" guys sometimes doing "bad" things, and we see "bad" guys trying to do what would otherwise be considered the "right" thing. At its essence, Heat is a story about two powerful, determined men on opposite sides of the law: Neil is a career thief, who has never allowed anything/anyone into his life that he couldn't leave behind in an instant, if he felt the heat closing in; and Vincent, a driven detective, whose devotion to his job leaves him no time for his family. The film shows us how each man is the source of the other's misery - but when they collide, neither one is willing back down! An all-star cast + a "signature" Michael Mann ending = a very powerful movie!

5/5 BETTER IN BLURAY
  by David in Philly (Philadelphia PA)
HEAT became my favorite film after I first saw it on HBO. Although having it on DVD, I recently bought the Bluray version. While not the sharpest transfer in my collection, the 5.1 audio is superb (clear dialogue; the gunfight after the bank job, the helicopter flyby leading to the face-to-face between Neil and Vincent, and the whining and screaming jets at LAX). Overlooking a few flaws (such as Vincent grabbing a shotgun off a uniformed cop at the hotel without identifying himself), HEAT is true to life, and the covert police techniques equally apply to the intelligence game. It is hard to understand why HEAT didn't make a bigger impact when in theater release.

5/5 understatement is underrated
  by J. Dooley (Baltimore, MD)
I firmly believe Heat is the best movie ever made. The relatable and genuine characters drive the compelling and well-paced plot. The action is fresh and breathless, and the heralded shootout at the bank heist is amazing in its violence and complexity.

As a writer myself, what I appreciate most in this movie is the sincerity of the characters and the generally understated way they go about their lives. Conversations are stripped of all excess dialogue, but they are so much richer for it. I credit the ensemble nature of the cast for most of this commendable attribute to the movie. Good supporting actors with only a few minutes of screen time, like John Voight and William Fichtner, are engaging and entirely believable. What I think makes their performances effective is that the actors understand they do not support the movie themselves. Therefore, they can pour themselves into a two-minute scene without having to worry about sustaining that kind of effort over the course of a two-hour movie.

There are many more examples of this, but I will provide three.

When the pursued crew meets up to decide whether to rob a bank, Sizemore's character Cheritto is counseled to drop out of the heist because for someone in his situation it's an unnecessary risk. Sizemore's acting in this scene alone merits an Oscar nomination, even though he only delivers three lines. The emotion on his face, though, speaks paragraphs.

In another scene, Dennis Haysbert's character Donald is propositioned to participate in the bank heist at the last minute. He's on parole and is working a crummy job at a diner, and the temptation to return to the action, the money, and the world of crime that he is familiar with is so clear in his expression. What's also clear is the expression he gives to his internal conflict: He knows what he is doing is wrong, but he acts against it on impulse. By and large, these characters have already made their moral choices and are living with the consequences with a calm resignation.

Finally, Val Kilmer's character Chris goes to his wife after the botched heist. But with a simple gesture of her hand, she waves him off, as she is being surveiled by the police. He recognizes the signal and leaves, presumably never seeing her or his son again. In a gesture, his life is completely changed. What's better, it's done entirely without dialogue.

5/5 Great film, good Blu
  by Steve Kuehl (Ben Lomond, CA)
Was just checking up on the Blu to verify one of my favorite films was given a decent transfer.

The picture quality was solid, grainy in a few of the night interior shots (Ashley Judd's scenes with the trap house & cops shows some actual pores but when out of focus looks very grainy). The famous shoot out sequence looks valid, but the TrueHD seemed a little muted. The best sound test was when Studi's character shotguns the hotel door - that rocked. Overall, the Blu only shows the shortcomings of original filming but the upgrade is worth it (for the first time I noticed all of the cameramen/crew in the window shot when Deniro kills Fichtner's character).

The supplements are all identical to the special edition release. They show 10 subtitled languages and no region coding listed. I am happy with the cut, and it will play nicely for sharing just not the best for sound. 5 for film, clarity and supplements.