Why does everyone hate the original HEAT (1986) ?

First off, I find it impossible to argue with anyone with such an awesome username (The avatar is great enough) but that username...wow! (tell me, it's your REAL name....even if you have to lie)

Secondly, I enjoyed the scuffle (even with it's SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN sound FX, and questionable editing) But I think the movie had loads of great stand alone moments (Nick's speech to Cyrus at the start.....His brief interplay with Howard Hesseman.....The scene where he blows his winnings in the casino.....his code of honour in not going into details with the mob godfather....the tragic ending) to name but a few. All wrapped up in great performances all round.

I haven't seen the remake yet.....But chances are I'm going to enjoy it at least once, if only to pick up all the similarities. Shame that this remake seems 'buried' by LIONSGATE......it may have led to (at very least) a BLU-RAY release of the original (had it performed better?)



"If you're lying.....I'll be back"

The Burt Reynolds' "Heat" is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I have no idea how to respond to the OP.


This remake doesn't even come close.

Glad to hear that the original still has it's fans.
This remake was exactly as I feared, soulless and empty. It took most of the same dialogue, but lacked any depth. The millionaire wanting to taught to be tough, felt like an after-thought (whereas it was an integral factor in the original) In fact the whole movie slowed down the first act, then rushed the final two thirds, to get to the fightscene (in order to keep it's target demographic awake/off their mobile phones) All in all, pretty dire (and regrettably a sign that Statham may have had his day as a cinematic lead actor?)
Maybe Brian DePalma (who was originally attached to direct) could have done something with it?

"If you're lying.....I'll be back"

burt looked like someone who had fit into vegas for the character. they had him dress the part of a pimp when he first goes to see demarco, whereas statham didn't even bother. it's as though it was too much effort. i'm a big statham fan, but why take something like this source material and be so lazy with it? fans and producers alike clearly just want to send statham out there and have him put on the fight scene show, it's just too bad everything else falls by the wayside. it's pretty strange that heat was seen as a failure when it was released, but years go by and you end up appreciating something like that more. i think the reason is because it was more authentic, even though at the time it wasn't regarded as such! all the action films that come out today are not even interested in acting like they aren't cartoonish. you don't just put somebody through a wooden door anymore in an action movie, you slam them through concrete walls and get into car accidents flipping over 20 times and walk away. it's all just like watching a video game.

Larry Gaylord: "a billion people come in on a day off, and they don't flip out!"