What it’s about
Seasoned criminal mastermind Neil McCauley (De Niro) tries to pull off an ambitious armored truck heist, but one of his accomplices turns trigger-happy and kills one of the guards. This puts the ever-cautious career thief directly in the path of determined, workaholic L.A. cop Vincent Hanna (Pacino), who also has personal problems of his own to navigate. Will Vincent get his man, or die trying?
Why we love it
Mann’s long, graphic, pounding crime story features performances every bit as explosive as the virtually non-stop action. De Niro and Pacino both soar, particularly in their first on-screen encounter in a diner. Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, and Tom Sizemore are on-hand as well, providing top-notch support. Look, too, for a young Natalie Portman, playing Hanna’s emotionally unstable step-daughter. By all means, turn up this “Heat.”
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Natalie Portman Michael Mann